CENTER POINT, Indiana- An unsuspecting phone call came into the Exotic Feline Rescue Center in Center Point, Indiana. The Head Keeper, Rebecca Rizzo, took the call. The gentleman on the other end said he wanted to donate. “I was like, okay, um, what? We have a wish list on our website. We can always use bleach. The caller on the other end said, ‘We were thinking a little more. What kind of big things do you need?’ And I was like, we need a clinic, and the caller said, ‘Done.’ I was like, but I’m sorry. What?” Rizzo explained. The call was from the Huck Family from Indianapolis and New York State. The Huck family has shown consistent benevolence, but never to this level.
Currently, when the cats need medical care, it is conducted in Joe Taft’s basement. Taft lives at the Exotic Feline Rescue Center. Taft founded the Center in 1991. His basement is equipped with all the medical equipment needed to help out the cats, but not an inch more. “If we have a sick cat that needs to stay inside for any time, our only choice is to put them in a wheel cage, which is not ideal. Long-term cat care requires a lot of maintenance and space, which we are limited on,” Taft explained.
The Huck Family created a vision to provide the cats with more comfort and care. The Huck Family has contracted with Earl Rodgers and Associates out of West Terre Haute, Indiana, to bring the need and vision to reality. “The Exotic Feline Rescue Center is a global tourism destination in the Midwest, a short drive from our office. The caretakers and the cats deserve an atmosphere that allows them to help the cats to the best of their ability. Our goal is to deliver that vision,” Vice President of Earl Rodgers and Associates Michael Shaw said.
The clinic will move down the road from the Exotic Feline Rescue Center’s main entrance. The area is currently a field of grass. On May 5th, around 10:30 a.m., construction crews will break the soil and begin construction. The project is slated to be finished before the end of the year. The following is a list of the benefits the new clinic will bring:
- A medical provider can stay overnight in a suite to help provide around-the-clock care
- Multiple rooms to keep the sick cats separate
- Easier to clean
- Recovery rooms
- Additional space for medical equipment
- Visiting students will have space to learn in an observation room, giving the surgeons more space.
- Conference room
- Break room
- A scale to weigh the big cats. Currently, they have to guess the weight and hope they are providing enough anesthesia to the cat.
- Installation of a backup generator. Medical care can take place regardless of weather conditions.