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Luzerne County restaurant inspections: March 25 through March 31

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Lending a helping hand

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; Supporters of a local nonprofit gathered Sunday at a downtown bar and restaurant to raise funds to help deal with the feral cat population in Luzerne County.</p><p>More than 200 people attended Whiskers World Inc.&#8217;s Pizza for Paws fundraiser held at Rodano&#8217;s to raise money to feed, fix and care for the nearly 300 cats in the group&#8217;s foster care and area colonies.</p><p>&#8220;Trap and release is very important in this area,&#8221; said Brenda Buckler, president of Whiskers World. &#8220;Sadly so many municipalities are far behind on this issue. We&#8217;ve caught so many feral cats in traps in this area, it&#8217;s actually sad.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;Euthanizing the cats is not the solution to making this problem go away,&#8221; the Plains Township native added.</p><p>Whiskers World boasts 25 volunteer members that have been caring for feral and wild animals of the Wyoming Valley with their own money.</p><p>&#8220;We work solely on donations and fundraisers,&#8221; Buckler noted. &#8220;Without them, we wouldn&#8217;t be able to survive.&#8221;</p><p>With the newly acquired donations, Buckler said the group aims to pay off some veterinarian bills along with paying for the spaying, neutering and medication for the felines.</p><p>&#8220;Our local leaders really need to get on board with trap and release,&#8221; Buckler said. &#8220;The most important part is that after we spay and nuder the cats, that we return them to where we found them. Not relocate them.&#8221;</p><p>Aside from mainly taking in cats, Buckler said her group of volunteers have taken in dogs and oddly enough the occasional rat and chinchilla.</p><p>Attendees were treated to unlimited pizza, beer and soft drinks along with $2 off mixed drinks and music from DJ Johnny Searfoss as a result of spending $20 for a ticket in advance or $25 at the door.</p><p>People were able to buy tickets for raffle baskets filled with goods and had the opportunity to purchase handmade plaques and quilts from vendors.</p><p>Rodano&#8217;s has helped us out for the second year in a row,&#8221; said Dianna Fountain, the group&#8217;s vice president. &#8220;They are a great supporter of ours.&#8221;</p><p>To raise their voice in the community, Fountain said, &#8220;We are trying to have many fundraisers and attend each municipality&#8217;s meetings to educate them on how to resolve the feral cat issue in the county.&#8221;</p><p>Part of the volunteer group&#8217;s reach is to help the people who can no longer afford to take care of their cats by placing them with a foster family, according to Fountain.</p><p>Fountain, of Exeter Township, said the feline-friendly group, that will celebrate their fourth anniversary in June, will be having two fundraisers later this year with a 1950s themed dance in May and a golf outing in August.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Chrissy Boyle, of Duryea, gets a piece of stromboli while wearing a tee shirt with a cat saying and a paw necklace Sunday at a fundraiser at Rodano&#8217;s on Public Square in Wilkes-Barre. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_cats5_faa.jpg</photo0><caption0>Chrissy Boyle, of Duryea, gets a piece of stromboli while wearing a tee shirt with a cat saying and a paw necklace Sunday at a fundraiser at Rodano&#8217;s on Public Square in Wilkes-Barre. </caption0><photoCredit0>Fred Adams | For Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_cats4_faa.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Kim Jobst, of Mountain Top, jokes and laughs with friends at at the Whiskers World fundraiser held at Rodano&#8217;s on Public Square in Wilkes-Barre. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_cats4_faa.jpg</photo1><caption1>Kim Jobst, of Mountain Top, jokes and laughs with friends at at the Whiskers World fundraiser held at Rodano&#8217;s on Public Square in Wilkes-Barre. </caption1><photoCredit1>Fred Adams | For Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_cats3_faa.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Janet Bienias, of West Wyoming, buys raffle tickets at the Whiskers World fundraiser held at Rodano&#8217;s on Public Square in Wilkes-Barre on Sunday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_cats3_faa.jpg</photo2><caption2>Janet Bienias, of West Wyoming, buys raffle tickets at the Whiskers World fundraiser held at Rodano&#8217;s on Public Square in Wilkes-Barre on Sunday. </caption2><photoCredit2>Fred Adams | For Times Leader </photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_cat2_faa.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Brenda Buckler and Donna Fountain, co-founders of Whiskers World, sell tickets at the door of Rodano&#8217;s on Public Square in Wilkes-Barre on Sunday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_cat2_faa.jpg</photo3><caption3>Brenda Buckler and Donna Fountain, co-founders of Whiskers World, sell tickets at the door of Rodano&#8217;s on Public Square in Wilkes-Barre on Sunday. </caption3><photoCredit3>Fred Adams | For Times Leader </photoCredit3></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_cat1b_faa.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Brenda Buckler, co-founder of Wisker World, holds her granddaughter, Emma Buckler, as she blows out candles on a birthday cake for Brenda at Rodano&#8217;s on Public Square in Wilkes-Barre on Sunday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo4>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_cat1b_faa.jpg</photo4><caption4>Brenda Buckler, co-founder of Wisker World, holds her granddaughter, Emma Buckler, as she blows out candles on a birthday cake for Brenda at Rodano&#8217;s on Public Square in Wilkes-Barre on Sunday. </caption4><photoCredit4>Fred Adams | For Times Leader </photoCredit4></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_cats4_faaCMYK.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Kim Jobst, of Mountain Top, jokes and laughs with friends at at the Whiskers World fundraiser held at Rodano&#8217;s on Public Square in Wilkes-Barre. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo5>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_cats4_faaCMYK.jpg</photo5><caption5>Kim Jobst, of Mountain Top, jokes and laughs with friends at at the Whiskers World fundraiser held at Rodano&#8217;s on Public Square in Wilkes-Barre. </caption5><photoCredit5>Fred Adams | For Times Leader </photoCredit5></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Fundraiser in WB aims to aid feral cat problem</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Dan Stokes</p><p>dstokes@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Dan Stokes at 570-991-6389 or on Twitter @ByDanStokes</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Friends of felines turn out for fundraiser at Rodano’s in Wilkes-Barre