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Prudential California Realtor C.A.R.E.s for pets
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Toni Hanson's stunning blue eyes are alight with joy as she talks about her canine children — her Jack Russell Terriers and her Schipperke.
Her brood, she says, keeps her busy and, occasionally, drives her crazy — but they also surround her with affection whenever she's at her home in Oak Park.
"They make you laugh and they make you cry," she said. "But they always give you more love than you can give them."
Hanson, a real estate agent with Thousand Oaks-based California Prudential Realty, has been in the real estate business for 20 years, but, it seems, is first and foremost an animal lover.
Originally from New York, she remembers bringing home wayward animals even as a little girl. Upon moving to California in 1969 — primarily due to its tempting Mediterranean climate — she continued rescuing animals. One of Hanson's recent rescues was her Schipperke, a breed described by the American Kennel Club as "an agile, active watchdog." Abandoned at a home after its owners moved, Hanson welcomed the pup as a new family member.
"When you adopt a dog, it's like you're adopting a child," she said. "You don't leave a pet behind."
Nonetheless, this happens all too frequently, which is one of the reasons Hanson has become involved in animal activism.
In addition to promoting the good works of the Canine Adoption Rescue League (CARL), she also speaks to groups about the need to understand what procedures to follow when it comes to taking care of one's pets during an emergency.
"I teach people how to be prepared in case of a disaster," Hanson said. "If it's not safe for you, it's not safe for your pets."
Hanson formed the Community Animal Response & Evacuation Group (C.A.R.E.) with the late actress and animal activist Gretchen Wyler and other locals who shared her interest in animal welfare.
For more information about C.A.R.E., visit http://www.evacuatemypet.com. For more about CARL, visit http://www.carlvc.org/.
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