MICHIGAN CITY — It’s safe to say Hans and Lucille Fried were ahead of their time.
The couple came to the United States from Germany in 1939. The animal lovers later gained attention for their commitment to cats when they sold their home to pay for a roadside motel that would become Fried’s Cat Shelter.
“We both have worked in humane societies as volunteers and also on board of directors, and I just couldn’t stand it anymore,” Hans Fried told WRTV reporter Greg Todd in 1984.
The Fried’s shelter was radically different from other animal shelters of that era. While most shelters relied on cages, the Fried’s believed their guests should roam freely.
“What we are trying to do here is [address] what is wrong in our society and caring for our animals,” Hans Fried said. “We must take care of our animals better than what we’'re doing now. I feel it’s our responsibility, our obligation.”
Fried’s Cat Shelter today
The mission that Hans and Lucille Fried began nearly 50-years-ago endures today. The old roadside motel has expanded through the years and is still home to some 300 cats.
Executive Director Ruth Antisdel says Hans’ philosophy, "To save a life is more in conformity with God's law than to kill," is core to the shelter’s continuous operation.
“We all believe in that,” Antisdel said. “We want to keep it going for as long as this place can go.”
“I believe it's us holding up what they believed in,” Office Director Cyndi Taylor said. “They took nothing and made something. I believe if we keep that, and we can keep donations coming in, then that's where our success lies.”
Fried’s Cat Shelter is currently seeking donations to help shore up its building.
“The last one-third of our building was added on when the Fried’s were here,” Antisdel said. “Unfortunately, they got caught up in a couple of scams with unskilled workers, and the building wasn't done right.”
Antisdel says the building is deteriorating and needs to be replaced. A potential donor informed the shelter that if they are able to raise $100,000, the donor will match that amount.
“We're about $40,000 away from getting our match,” Antisdel said.
You can adopt a cat from the Fried's Cat Shelter for about $125. Click here to see some of the cats who are available for adoption.
Both Antisdel and Taylor encourage anyone who owns a cat to have a plan in place should something unexpected happen.
“95% of our phone calls are people where their moms, dads, or grandma died, and they left [their] cats with no provisions,” Antisdel said.
“I will do whatever I can to help animals,” Taylor said. “This has been my dream job.”
