Local author’s new children’s book supports Storm Lake animal shelter fund

Boyd Zimmer will debut his new children’s book, Rescue Me, at the Caring Paws tent during Storm Lake’s Star Spangled Spectacular on July 4, with $5 from each $15 sale directed to the group’s shelter fund. The book will also be sold later at Lakeshore Café after the holiday crowd clears.

Zimmer, an Early resident and longtime Lakeshore Café waiter, wrote the story around an abandoned dog and cat as they wander the streets before finding safety at a rescue shelter. A previous book signing, when a rescued Labradoodle caught his attention, led him to think about the animals people leave behind and the organizations that step in to help them. Rescue Me is one of seven children’s books Zimmer has written, and he illustrates them himself, drawing ideas from everyday moments, family experiences and the children he meets at the café.

Caring Paws Rescue is still raising money for Storm Lake’s first dedicated animal shelter. The group finalized its purchase of the former Lake Animal Hospital at 107 West 16th St. on March 3, after the building closed when Dr. Dianne Johnson retired on Dec. 23. The property and equipment were bought for $375,000 total, including $275,000 for the building and $100,000 for equipment and inventory. The site already has parking, kennels, equipment and familiar public access, and there is room for a large fenced-in exercise area.

Caring Paws had raised more than $184,000 before formally launching its community capital campaign, and a $150,000 gift from the Thomas Samsel Trust through The Citizen’s First National Bank Trust Department helped push the effort forward. The late Tom and Joanne Samsel also left $400,000 in their will for an animal shelter in Storm Lake. The organization’s current goal is $750,000, leaving a sizable gap for renovation work, kennel expansion and supplies.

The building once held pets picked up by the Storm Lake Police Department within city limits, and volunteers have pointed to stray and abandoned animals around Buena Vista County. The rescue has already spayed or neutered more than 100 cats through trap-neuter-return work, and volunteers once counted about 30 cats and kittens in one neighborhood during breeding season. Board member Jeff Stark said the shelter plans also include a community dog park, while a back extension is expected to add 10 to 12 new kennels.