Gary Zahler Shares Passion for Saving Animals

If you ask Mary Lynne Zahler about her husband Gary, she’ll probably tell you he is “the best ever.”

But she won’t stop there.

He’s a wonderful father to , a dedicated caseworker at the County of Summit Developmental Disabilities Board, a supporter of the American Heart Association, the best cook and a loyal husband who helps her at her job at Akron Children’s Hospital.

Those are just a few (OK, more than a few) reasons Mary nominated her husband Gary for feature.

We’ll let Mary tell you more.

“The kindest and most tender thing he does is something very few people know about,” Mary wrote to us in her nomination letter. “We always have rescued animals and we have two rescued dogs and some rescued cats of our own as well. But Gary also helps take care of all of the North Canton stray cats every single night of his life, and he has been doing this now for over 20 years.”

Gary, 56, said he and Mary started caring for the stray cats in their neighborhood when they first moved to North Canton in 1991. They would trap the stray cats, get them spayed or neutered and then release them.

Their efforts to care for the cats have progressed through the years, and now they travel to a handful of places throughout North Canton and the area near to feed the cats and check on the shelters they’ve set up.

"He does this every day though, using his own money, because very few others are willing to do this for these poor abandoned animals who live the most rough and sad and short lives," Mary said. "It is a thankless job but he still does it anyway because he cares about these poor animals who are also God’s creatures and deserve to be treated with compassion and care by someone."

It’s their way of giving back and making life a little better for the animals, Gary said.

“i’m sitting there in my warm house and I can watch TV and do whatever I want and these guys are struggling to survive,” he said.

Mary also was quick to share that Gary is part of the reason the toddler tennis program exists at the Hall of Fame Fitness Center. The couple had asked Jim Thomas, former professional tennis player and son of the HOF Fitness Center owners, about tennis programs for kids. Thomas said the fitness center would host a program if they could come up with the kids.

And that they did. A small group of kids and their parents meet on Saturday mornings for the tennis program.

Gary, a Perry High School and University of Akron graduate, said he also finds his job as a caseworker rewarding. He coordinates services for developmentally disabled individuals.

“I handle their paperwork, but I get to know them and get to learn from them and see the determination that they have,” he said.

“You come to the realization that we’re all pretty much alike and if people took the time to know some of these folks they could learn from these people. I’ve met so many amazing clients, it’s really worthwhile. The interaction … you get with them is really worth tons.”