People would put signs on street corners that read “Will work for food,” but one local woman thought of it with a small caveat.
Nicole Coulthart will work for pet food.
And her passion and love for pet care inspires many around her, helping to not only spread the word about the importance of quality pet care, but that everyone can do a little something to help.
Coulthart is a notary public and has been for the past eight years.
He regularly gets requests from friends and family for his notary services, and he won’t charge them anything for what he calls a relatively simple request.
“But, they insisted on paying me, so I would say something outside like buy me a candy bar or something,” he said with a laugh. “I work a lot at local animal shelters, so one day when someone asked, I just said to pay me for dog food.
“Or cat food, or pets. Really anything like that. So, it’s six cans of dog food or 12 cans of cat food, and I’ll get you that stamp.”
And the response was overwhelming, Coulthart beamed.
She said her friends shared what she was doing with their friends and family, and the simple gesture turned into a regular trip to the Lorain County Dog Kennel and Friendship Animal Protective League to deliver pet food.
“Shelters are struggling,” Coulthart said. “They are overwhelmed with drop-offs and strays and caring for these vulnerable friends.
“I worked at an animal shelter, which unfortunately had to close its doors. It’s expensive to take care of all these pets. And, not all cats can be adopted before it closes so they are rehomed I have them all.
“I already have nine cats, but I love them all. It’s a pet sanctuary here. I just thought it was a simple way I could help pets and shelters and as long as I’m a notary, it’s I will continue.
“Animals need us and we need them, but they don’t have a voice. We need that voice. We need people to take care of them and protect them. I think charity is in my blood, and I’m happy to donate and volunteer.”
A graduate of North Ridgeville High School and now a property manager, Coulthart became a notary because a former employer needed an in-house notary.
He worked as a compliance manager for a financial company and the employer paid him to get his notary license.
“I even had my bag with me,” laughed Coulthart.
He said if anyone needs him to notarize something, just find him on Facebook and he’ll be happy to provide the service for his usual fee.
Rabbit food, bird seed and even the odd pet food are welcome, Coulthart said.
People can reach Coulthart on Facebook under Nicole Hahn Scott or by email at [email protected].
