Tails in the News
Chicago animal activist worked to bridge gaps, unite community
by Lauren Lewis
Ed McLarin was an animal lover. But more than that, he had the gift of bringing people together to help animals in need. “Ed was the only person I knew that could work with all of the organizations,” says friend and PAWS Chicago volunteer Lisa Ward. “That was one of the most remarkable things about him.”
McLarin passed away last month after a prolonged illness. He was well-known and respected in the Chicagoland humane community, working with many animal groups, including Furry Friends Foundation, PAWS Chicago, Chicagoland Stray Cat Coalition, Felines Inc., Touched by an Animal Inc., Tree House Animal Foundation, Red Door Animal Shelter, the Anti-Cruelty
Society, and nationally, Alley Cat Allies.
Friends say McLarin was not just an animal advocate; he was also devoted to helping people understand the importance of animal rights. “He was an extremely diplomatic person, warm and personable. He believed in learning and taking action on what he learned. He lived in what he believed in,” says Becky Robinson, longtime friend and national director of Alley Cat Allies.
McLarin was acknowledged publicly several times for his dedication to improving the lives of animals. In 2003 he was honored by the Anti-Cruelty Society with the Rose Say Thomas Recognition Award and in November Touched by an Animal, an organization dedicated to helping elderly people keep their pets, presented McLarin with its first “Caring Award.”
Additionally, McLarin played a big role in the initial formation of PAWS Chicago’s Cat Adoption Center in Lincoln Park, now a community institution that helps find new homes for more than 300 cats each year.
“His kindness toward animals and their well-being was lifelong,” says Robin Dillow, who knew McLarin through volunteer work at Chicagoland Stray Cat Coalition. “He always saw the best in people and he always saw the best in every animal he came in contact with.”
Donations in McLarin’s memory can be made to any no-kill shelter of your choice and acknowledgments and condolences may be sent to his daughter, Jenny McLarin.
2320 Washington St.
Allentown, PA 18104
DuPage County investigates animal cruelty
The Humane Society of the United States is offering a $2,500 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for abandoning three dogs and leaving them to die at the border of Naperville and Aurora.
According to Susan Nestel, a DuPage County animal control officer, on March 12 a man and his son contacted the DuPage County sheriff’s office after finding a pet carrier with three deceased dogs in a wooded area west of Route 59 on Ferry Road. The veterinarian who performed a postmortem examination believes the dogs were alive when placed in the carrier, but died later of starvation. She noted each dog was curled up in a sleeping position.
Nestel believes the dogs, a Pit Bull and two Chihuahuas, were someone’s pets. She says that items found in the small, urinesoaked carrier, such as a pair of shorts and an empty bowl, support her theory that these one-time pets were cruelly abandoned.
DuPage County Animal Care and Control is investigating this case. It urges anyone with information to call Nestel at (630) 407-2823.
