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In Beltsville, a colony of feral cats has slowly been brought under control by human hands. They have been spayed or neutered, and in the winter, they have a warm place to sleep: in the garage of Christi Fries.
Taking care of wild felines is one of the many ways Fries, 48, cares and advocates for animals. Besides managing a professional pet-sitting business, Fries is leading a donation drive to collect new or used pet supplies in the third annual Presents 4 Pets drive, sponsored by the New Jersey-based National Association of Professional Pet Sitters.
NAPPS executive director Felicia Lembesis said the drive allows shelters to receive donations such as toys, blankets and beds for animals while encouraging pet sitters to connect with their communities. The drive will conclude in November, coinciding with National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week Nov. 1 through Nov. 7.
Fries, a full-time pet sitter, said she couldn't imagine doing anything else.
"You have to love what you do to get out of bed in the morning," she said.
When she first moved to Beltsville in 1994, helping animals began as a hobby when she wasn't working in the customer service department for Pella Windows and Doors.
She captured dozens of stray and wild cats and brought them in to be neutered or spayed.
Maggie Funkhouser from Alley Cat Rescue, a shelter in Mount Rainier for feral cats, said Fries as one of the most dependable and knowledgeable volunteers at the shelter.
"She's here every week," Funkhouser said. "Most volunteers aren't really expected to do much, but she's incredibly dependable."
In 2002, Fries became a professional pet sitter and playing off of her proximity to the University of Maryland, College Park, started her own business named Terrapin Pets in 2006.
Fries now heads a staff of nine part-time sitters and her company makes about 5,000 visits a year to nearly 200 clients. All sitters have been trained in first aid, safety and nutrition. After every visit, sitters write notes to the owners summarizing the session. The company also specializes in animals with special needs, such as diabetics. Fries herself is certified as a veterinary assistant.
"After the first few days of training, most sitters tell me, ‘I never knew it would be this hard,'" Fries said. "It's a physical job: You're constantly bending down, moving around, looking for pets under beds or behind things."
Her rapidly growing business earned the NAPPS Business of the Year award last October.
"I think a lot of Christi. She's intelligent and she's organized," Lembesis said. "She's not just a hobby pet sitter — she has a well-organized and expanding business, and she has a great vision on how to grow and market it."
Fries said she has already collected many items worth hundreds of dollars, but she knows she's far from finished.
"I hope to fill up my garage with donations," she said. "But we're off to a good start."
