Kathy Steepleton knows the heartache that comes with losing a pet. And she knows it takes a community to bring them home again.
Earlier this year, Steepleton created the Facebook page “Mahomet Area Lost Pets” to serve as a forum for pet owners to assist in the recovery of lost pets.
“For me they’re family, so it’s important to me to make sure they’re safe,” she said. “I’m the one responsible.”
Before she became a mother, Steepleton took in a stray dog, Cashmere. When Cashmere got off her leash one day, Steepleton could not find the dog. Cashmere was returned a few days later, but the experience stuck with Steepleton.
When Steepleton was diagnosed with breast cancer and lost her job in 2010, she wanted to find a way to give back to the community. With a love for dogs, she became an overnight host and transport for Bark and Ride Transport.
With a 12-year-old lab already at home, Steepleton fell in love with her first overnight guest, Beau. Although she let Beau go to his rescue in Wisconsin, she found a way to become his forever home shortly after.
After Steepleton’s lab passed away, she adopted a very shy Meesha, who is a rescue dog from Kentucky, in March.
Realizing the importance of communication when an animal is lost, Steepleton got the idea for the “Mahomet Area Lost Pet” page in last spring.With her Facebook page idle, Steepleton learned how powerful Facebook can be as a tool for communication when a pet is lost.
When Greta, a small dog on transport through Bark and Ride got away from her caretaker in Rantoul, Steepleton put up flyers throughout the town. After looking for the dog in frigid temperatures this fall, she posted she posted the dog’s picture on the Rantoul garage sale Facebook page. Two days later, she received a response.
“It was the communication on that Facebook page that brought this about,” she said. “(Mahomet Area Lost Pets) page can become a center feed for everyone who has lost or found a pet.”
Steepleton ended up adopting Greta a few weeks later.
Through promotion of the Mahomet Area Lost Pet Facebook page, Steepleton has helped several Mahomet residents find their lost pets. Although she has another job now, she still has time to stay involved in the Facebook page.
“The more stories I have on there that I’ve helped with, it’s a feel good thing,” she said. “I don’t think there is any other gain than just community gain. Mahomet is starting to get that hometown feel again. It’s just one other avenue to have that.”
Steepleton also posts dog care tips and advice on what to do for a lost or found pet. She has also made connections with Seven Petal Dog Rescue in White Heath who will scan lost dogs for a micro-chip.
“My way to give back is to the animals,” she said. “It’s a huge job. No one is ever going to succeed at finishing it, but they can’t speak for themselves. So we’ll do it for them.”
