Animal Advocates of Moore County - North Carolina

Maureen Horansky, founder of Animal Advocates of Moore County has written a book on a lot of the different animals the organization has helped over the years. Here is an excerpt from her book. You will find information on how to order her book after the story about Clifford.

The members of the First Health Fitness Center have a great view of the outside from the enormous floor to ceiling windows in front of their exercise machines. For three years many participants were able to watch a red-haired dog search the grassy knoll below them for bits of food. It didn’t take three years however for a few of the exercising gurus to feel sorry for the dog. Members began to bring moist food and other treats on each trip to the fitness center. A growing urgency began to emerge among the members to rescue this beautiful animal and give him the home he deserved. Clifford as he was named gave them quite a challenge. He was friendly and wagged his tail, but would let no one get close enough to execute a perfect capture. Hours were spent on the grassy knoll with various members hoping to win over the confidence of the skittish Clifford.

After watching this story unfold from his spot on the exercise machine, one humble animal lover at the Fitness Center, Ray Tkacz, chose to call Animal Control to trap the dog.

Before they could accomplish this daring plan, Clifford found a girl friend! When Clifford motored out of the woods behind the Fitness Center on his daily stroll to find the fresh food left behind for him, along came a new brown and white sidekick. It was a small Beagle with a cute wiggly behind. The exercisers named her Sally and found she was even more shy and wary than Clifford. Suddenly the exercisers faced a real dilemma. If neither of the dogs could be trapped and sterilized, there would soon be more little paws scooting about on the lawn of the Fitness Center.

A shout went up from the crowd inside when they saw the white truck with the Animal Control insignia on the side. An officer dressed in a gray and black uniform dropped a large humane trap on the grassy knoll and baited it with food. In just a few minutes, his task was complete and he was on his way. Everyone held their breath as Clifford and Sally sashayed out of the woods. Clifford had always taken possession of the food that had been placed outside and poor Sally only got the crumbs that he ignored. Clifford, likeable as he was, lacked the qualities of a gentleman. Everyone believed when glancing at Sally’s ribs that she would be the first one to go into the trap to retrieve the food.

Clifford raced to the trap as soon as his nose caught the pungent smell of fresh meat. He soon discovered after a quick investigation, that the only way he was going to reach the food was to go inside this strange contraption. The customers inside the building held their breath as they watched in amazement at Sally trying to warn Clifford to steer clear of the metal trap. She must have seen or been caught in a trap before and she knew exactly what was about to happen. The exercise machines whirred to a stop, as exercisers stepped closer to the windows to view the drama being played out beyond the glass screen.

Like a husband on vacation, stubbornly driving in the wrong direction toward an unknown destination, Clifford insisted he knew his way around the trap. He wasn’t about to listen to a short-legged girlfriend with long ears and protruding ribs. The beautiful red-haired Clifford lunged into the metal trap and immediately found himself without an exit. As the front door slammed down trapping Clifford inside, Sally flopped to the ground dejected, “I tried to tell you, you big lug!” She laid near the trap her head resting on her front paws knowing her new best friend was lost to her forever.

The exercise machines happily returned to a high pitched whine and a call was made to the Animal Control Center. Ray Tkacz quickly saw to it that Clifford was transported to the Sandhill’s Veterinary Hospital where he was neutered and given a series of shots.

With Clifford gone now what was to become of Sally? The Animal Control officer had left a trap, but Sally gave the metal box a wide birth. How were they going to corral Sally and get her the help she needed? Ray Tkacz and a second exerciser, Earle Hightower, tried winning her confidence with hand held treats. Sally, wise beyond her years, would stay twenty-feet away from the gentleman. She only stepped forward to accept the food when it was dropped on the ground and the men backed away.

Ray would come home each afternoon and tell his wife Maureen the sad story of Sally the wiggly Beagle. After listening to his tale of woe for weeks, Maureen became sympathetic to her husbands frustration at catching the Beagle.

One warm day Maureen sat down on the grassy knoll with her dog Tinker Bell and waited for Sally to arrive. She had everything necessary for a capture, an extra leash, lots of treats and a positive Irish spirit. The tread mill viewers watched from the window in anticipation.

Sally arrived perking up her ears at this new person and a possible new friend at her side! Leery as usual she kept her distance. An hour passed, and then another, as Maureen lengthened the leash on Tinker Bell allowing the two dogs to touch noses. They began to play and Sally’s reserve was loosening. “Hey, this new lady is cool…hope she comes everyday! I like this new dog she sure is friendly!”

By the third hour, Maureen’s legs were becoming cramped and her derrière was sore. She wanted to stand up and stretch, but she didn’t dare lose the trust she had gained with Sally. She grabbed the extra leather leash, and then shortened Tinker Bells lead forcing both dogs to move closer to her. She rubbed the extra leash up and down over Tinker Bell’s body leaving Tinker Bell’s scent over the length of the leash. Then stretching her arms as far as she could, she began rubbing the leash over Sally’s hips. The leash now complete with Tinker Bell’s smell was soothing to the playful Sally. After what seemed hours with her arms aching from stretching them outright, Maureen observed that Sally had become oblivious to the leash, which she had now slyly curled into a capture loop. A couple more rubs of the leash over her neck and Maureen was able to slip the loop over Sally’s head. Shouts of triumph were heard from the onlookers as Maureen struggled to stand up holding the two dogs safely on leashes! She had captured Sally the Beagle with the wiggly rear end.

Both Clifford and Sally found great homes following surgery and shots. They adapted to living with a family and are happy and well fed to this day.

Months later, Maureen, a nurse in the outpatient department at First Health Hospital was still receiving accolades from perfect strangers. She and her husband Ray were amazed at how many people had witnessed her patience during the capture of Sally. Visitors to the hospital would often stop Maureen in the halls and with tears in their eyes ask, “Aren’t you the lady that captured the Beagle at the Fitness Center?”

Maureen, with a shy smile would answer yes and for a few minutes the smell of antiseptic and the raspy voice of the intercom “Dr. Conti report to …” would fade, as three people lingered in the hallway remembering two sad strays that were lifted to safety.

Read the complete story of Clifford the Fitness dog featuring Ray and Maureen Tkacz. Also read about Lily, the puppy dragged by her owner behind his truck (deliberately)! Find out how she was rescued and what happened to her. These stories and many others can be found in the book, Moore Tails—Rescuing Mutts in the South written by Maureen Horansky.. Cost is $15.00. Contact Maureen at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to purchase a copy. Price includes any tax and shipping.

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