PETS: Concrete monuments raise money for needy animals

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DOUG BENZ/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

June 22, 2009

By Daniel Pye<br><a href="mailto:dan.pye@lockportjournal.com">E-mail Dan</a> The Lockport Union-Sun %26 Journal Mon Jun 22, 2009, 02:07 AM EDT

Week in and week out, Mary Vandenbergh makes her way to the store to buy bags of concrete. But she’s not fixing driveways or patching a patio — she’s making a difference in the lives of local pets and their owners.

Vandenbergh, a lifelong pet lover, bought a paw-print-shaped mold out of a catalog on a whim years ago with the goal of making some monuments for her own garden. The first few turned out to be a mess, but after a while, she got the hang of it, and friends began asking her to make sculptures for them, as well. Then, during a trip to the vet, she heard about the Pet Emergency Fund, a local group that raises money to cover at least part of veterinary procedures for animals whose owners can’t afford proper treatment. She decided to get involved, her pet’s doctor put up a display and the monuments started selling.

“Now the displays are in 13 or 14 clinics, mostly in the Northtowns, and in a couple pet supply stores, too,” Vandenbergh said.

The monuments cost between $15 and $25, depending on the level of customization. The concrete paws range from simple, with only a name inscribed, to ornate, with stones and pictures embedded.

“One hundred percent of the money goes to the Pet Emergency Fund,” Vandenbergh said. “The concrete is my donation.”

Since she started providing her wares on behalf of PEF, Vandenbergh has raised $32,000 and counting. Veterinarian Timm Otterson, president of PEF, said her involvement proves that dedicated people with interesting ideas can really help those in need. Tough economic times have made Vandenbergh’s contribution especially helpful as pet owners are forced to tighten the belt.

“Almost certainly, people are cutting corners,” Otterson said. “The typical person we help is a college student taking in a stray, an older person on a fixed income or, most recently, somebody put out of a job in a sudden situation.”

PEF, nearing its 10th anniversary, recently passed the 2,000-animals-served mark. Volunteers and contributors are a big part of the reason that has happened, and Otterson said Vandenbergh is one of the most dedicated.

“Any event we do, Mary is there with her paw prints, spreading the word,” he said.

While she said many people view them strictly as tombstones, she and others have ones that bear their living pets’ names as well. Her current dog, Ernest Buford, has his own monument alongside the others lining her garden.

And they’re not just for dogs. Cats, horses, reptiles and even a bird have monuments bearing their names thanks to Vandenbergh’s handiwork.

For those who want to see her creations in person, Vandenbergh will be at the Run for Rover, PEF’s annual fundraiser happening next month. For more information about the event of the organization, visit www.petemergencyfund.org. Those who want their own monument can call Vandenbergh at 836-0547. She’s always taking new clients.

“If I had raised $10 I would have been really happy, but now I’m up to $32,000,” Vandenbergh said.

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