Upon helping hand out much needed supplies to Long Island's south shore after Sandy, I met an elderly woman who, like myself and many of you, takes in unwanted, mistreated and neglected animals from her neighborhood. I asked about the animals in her care and if they were okay and what they needed. She was not immediately forthcoming about her situation. I developed a relationship with this woman and she finally invited me to her home to meet her animals. The first floor of her house was completely devastated and had been under 4ft of water. This is where the dogs lived. She moved them to the 2nd floor with her and the cats and is where they remain. She has 4 large mixed breed dogs, 2 of which are seniors, 3 medium sized dogs, 2 chihuahuas, 2 llasa(?) mixes and 14 cats. As a chef I was able to stop by a couple of time a week to drop off food for her to eat and would collect as much pet food as I could get my hands on to ensure the animals were eating their intended food. I learned that she had been feeding them the food I brought for her to eat when she ran out of pet food. She is 73 years old, not in great health and barely making her bills. We helped raise money for her fuel bill as she did not have heat or hot water but too proud to ask for help. Her children show up once in a great while but offer no relief to this amazing woman who now has become a dear friend to me. I have been helping her since November providing food for her and her animals. A vet tech friend of mine has come with me several times to examine her animals and make sure they are healthy and thankfully all are in reasonable shape. We treated one dog successfully for heartworm disease. I paid for the treatment and was only charged what it cost the hospital for the treatment. We have another dog about to start treatment hopefully this week. His weight was low as he was infested with intestinal parasites and would not have survived the heartworm treatment. We have won the war against the intestinal parasites now on to the heartworm. I am unable to pay for this 2nd dogs treatment as I lost my job last Wednesday very unexpectedly. I am asking my friends and other rescuers to please help me help this incredible woman. We are her. In 30 or 40 years, this could easily be me or many of you. Whatever you are able to donate will go to the heartworm treatment for Jazz Man and the spay & neuter surgeries for many of the cats. I am working on her agreeing to adopt out the friendlier cats in her care and the younger dogs who are suitable as family pets. She is starting to soften to the idea of the cats being rehomed but right now is not considering putting the dogs up for adoption. They are like her kids, she tells me. That is something that I can definitely relate to and will not force the issue with her. I am asking you to give what you can so that I can continue to help this woman. Unfortunately, I am no longer in a position to help as much as I was. Please consider making a donation. No amount is too small. If you can spare $5 this will help with food for her animals. I will continue to provide her with food weekly and will continue to collect donated pet food for her animals but I can no longer provide all I had been. So I humbly ask of my friends and fellow rescuers to make a donation because as I said, this could be any one of us someday and I would hope for people to reach out and help. Thank you for your time.