Shane has a healing heart. So it was no surprise when the Navy corpsman decided to save an older cat in an upstate New York shelter.

Lifesaver

In 1984 Shane enlisted in the United States Navy. He trained as a hospital corpsman and served in this role for the entirety of his enlistment.

Hospital corpsmen provide medical care to Navy and Marine Corps personnel and their families. The job includes some basic functions, like dispensing vaccines. But it involves more complex tasks as well, such as emergency care and assisting in surgeries.

These skilled professionals are sometimes called Navy corpsmen.

“I spent much of my enlistment at the Charleston Navy Hospital,” Shane says, noting that it has since closed.

The Navy corpsman worked in coronary care for the majority of his tour. Yet at times he covered patients in intensive care and those recovering from anesthesia.

It was a high stress, but gratifying military occupational specialty.

“It was very rewarding to watch patients I cared for return to their lives,” he shares.

“Especially those where life saving measures were necessary.”

All in the family

Shane’s post-military life revolves around his family and his job.

“I work in quality assurance for a call center in Rochester, New York,” he says. “I am a husband, father, and grandfather.”

In his limited spare time the Navy corpsman partakes in various hobbies.

“I study Isshin-Ryu karate, and play guitar – poorly,” he says.

“I also enjoy movies, and the history of American cinema and American comedy.”

Isshin-Ryu is a hybrid of a few other forms of karate. It is believed to have started in the late 1940s to early 1950s.

“It was a no brainer”

A year had gone by since Shane and his family laid to rest a beloved family pet.

“Paige was the last of our kids’ childhood pets,” he explains. “It was a devastating loss.”

There is no right time to adopt a pet after the passing of another. Some people need another four-legged family member right away. Others want more time to grieve before committing to the responsibilities of a new pet.

So when he was ready, Shane did what most would-be adopters do: he went online.

“I began searching Lollipop Farm soon after and found out about Pets for Patriots.”

Lollypop Farm Humane Society of Greater Rochester offers veterans in our program 50 percent off adoption fees. The shelter joined our free partner program in 2011.

It was through Lollypop’s website that Shane learned about Pets for Patriots. Our dedication to veterans and the most overlooked pets resonated with him. And the many benefits we offer to make pet guardianship affordable sealed the deal.

“It was a no brainer,” he says.

The Navy corpsman appreciates how easy it was to apply to our program.

“The approval process was simple and quick,” he says.

“I did it via mobile phone and the turnaround time for approval was about a business day.”

Grace and charm

With his Pets for Patriots approval email in hand, Shane and his family visited Lollypop Farm. They had already selected a few cat candidates after viewing their online biographies.

However, not one of the cats they went to meet showed any interest in meeting them.

“We went to the adoption center with an array of four different cats from their website. None of them had any use for us,” Shane jokes.

Then there was Gracie. At the time she was almost seven years old, a mostly black cat with white markings. As with most shelter animals her history is unknown.

But she made an instantaneous impression on her future family.

“Gracie endeared her way into my wife’s heart as soon as we entered the room. She charmed my daughter as well,” Shane recalls. “I knew Gracie was the one.”

Daddy’s girl

Many people have misconceptions about adopting cats and dogs who are already mature. One common worry is that an older pet cannot learn the rules of their new household.

Even the most well-mannered pets need time to adjust – to their new environment, people, even other pets. And so it was with Shane’s resident cat, Blaze.

“She’s a bit playfully aggressive with our older cat, Blaze,” Shane says. “This is fitting as Blaze was the same with our older cat when we still had her.”

In short order Gracie’s personality started to emerge. She has since become something of a daddy’s girl.

“Gracie likes to snuggle with the belt from my karate uniform when I come home from classes. She meows in protest when I take it from her.”

The Navy corpsman confides that he never had a cat be so attentive to him before. Still, he does not mind and appreciates the older cat’s affection.

“She is a bit clingy with me,” he shares. “Honestly, I’m not used to that with cats.”

But Gracie is an equal opportunity companion. Shane explains that during the day she enjoys lounging on the footrest of his wife’s recliner.

Having experienced our program first hand, the Navy veteran encourages others to apply. He knows that there is a real team of caring people behind the emails and phone calls he receives.

“Pets for Patriots has wonderful post adoption outreach. I get emails somewhat frequently that go beyond a form letter,” he says. “I would urge any veteran in want or need of a pet to consider Pets for Patriots. You – and the adopted pet – will be better for it.”