FROM DOWN UNDER TO CEDAREDGE Meet Lanie Cernzy! The Best Companion Kennel technician Lanie Cernzy has always had a passion for animals. “It started very early on in childhood,” she says. “I would read veterinary books. Originally, I wanted to work for National Geographic and study animal and insect behaviors.” In the beginning, her journey took a more traditional approach. “I’ve done animal rehabilitation work, grooming, shelter work, and foster work,” she says. But her decision to move to Australia to continue her work with animals was a little more unconventional. “I spent a lot of time working for the RSPCA,” Lanie says, referencing an Australian organization similar to the ASPCA. “It was beautiful there. But then it seemed like a good time to help animals in a different part of the world. So, I decided to come to Colorado to do just that.” She has now been working in our kennel for the past fewmonths. While she hopes to return to the world of animal rescue someday, Lanie is currently enjoying a relatively low-key environment. “It’s much mellower than the work I’m used to doing,” she says. “I’m used to working with fighting dogs, feral animals, or street animals who were deemed unadoptable. I find this much more soothing and relaxing.” At Surface Creek, Lanie says she enjoys the animals and the additional human interaction. “It’s fun being at a new site, and I’m working around people a lot more than before. It’s nice!” She also enjoys the exposure to the medical aspects of animal care. “We’re helping animals and helping the relationship between the owner and their pet. It adds additional quality of life for them both.” At the moment, Lanie doesn’t have any pets outside of her ant colony; ant keeping has been an interest since she was a child. “Learning is another one of my hobbies,” she says. “Outside of working with animals, my free time is usually spent learning more about them.” Though some people might find it challenging to deal with what Lanie calls “the messes that come along with animals,” she doesn’t mind so long as she gets to spend time helping and caring for them. “I love that I’m still working with animals,” she says. No matter what, she adds, “That’s something I will always do.”
BLACK MAGIC
Black cats can have it rough. People associate them with Halloween and bad luck, they can be tricky to photograph, and they make up a full third of all cats surrendered to animal shelters. But one special black feline named Piran proved his worth when he led rescuers to his 83-year-old owner after she fell down a ravine. In August 2021, the woman went for a walk near her home in Cornwall, England. When she didn’t return, her neighbors started to worry. They formed a search operation, but there was a lot of ground to cover in their rural surroundings. They had little luck in their investigation until they heeded the advice of her cat. While the search crew worked, Piran refused to move from one specific spot, and he meowed incessantly. That wasn’t like him, so eventually, Tamar Longmuir, a neighbor assisting in the search, decided to find out the reason for all the racket. Longmuir called to the woman while investigating the cat’s noises and heard a faint response. Piran had staked out his position where his owner had fallen — 70 feet down a ravine located at the edge of a cornfield. According to Longmuir, "She had gone through the barbed wire and was laying in the stream — we think she had been in there for hours." Emergency services were called and quickly rescued the woman. “Without the cat waiting at the gate to that field,” Longmuir added, “it could have been hours later that I or anyone else would have checked in there.” The injured woman was taken to the hospital in good spirits and stable condition, avoiding a potential tragedy. Meanwhile, the police posted a photograph of Piran’s handsome black face on social media and declared him a hero. Though he reportedly received many treats, Piran’s real reward was a job well done. “The cat is very attached to her,” Longmuir said. Cats may not generally be known for their loyalty, but maybe it’s time for the stereotype to get an update. Clearly, Piran the black cat was anything but bad luck. He proved it with the grandest act possible — saving his human’s life. How One Cat Saved His Owner’s Life
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