Pussies galore

>> Benevolent babe is saviour of the feline set

by CHRIS BARRY

Name: Nathalie Pinel

Job title: Volunteer worker

Organization: The Animal Rescue Network

Job description: Crawling under suburban porches hunting down stray animals, begging cat-food and pharmaceutical companies for product donations, cleaning up the excrement of approximately 200 cats currently residing at the ARN shelter in the city's West End.

Age: 33

Hours a week devoted to the cause: About 50

Salary: $0

Years on the job: Five

Bio: Residing in the ever fashionable district of Ville St-Pierre, this luscious animal rescuer has been sheltering and finding permanent homes for stray animals since the tender age of seven. Regarded as something akin to a crazy person by many of her neighbours, she nevertheless gets phone calls whenever a local feline is in distress and its caretaker is short on cash and/or information of the veterinary kind.

Her childhood dream job: Veterinarian--which is still a possibility if her volunteer workload ever lets up and she can find the time to go to school. For the time being Nathalie feels that the animals of the world are better served by the work she is doing at the shelter.

Two things that frustrate her: Watching people charged with animal cruelty get off with next to no penalty. Dealing with municipal officials who make a habit of trying to make life difficult for her and her animals.

The most animals she has ever shared her two-bedroom apartment with: 45 cats and 1 dog

The cost of food and litter for 45 cats and 1 dog: About $250 a month

Her all-time favourite cat: The late, great Cachou, who was cut down in his prime last summer.

How long she spent crying after the passing of Cachou: Hours and hours. She still pines for the lovable little guy.

Has any cat ever spoken to her in the middle of the night and commanded that she go out on a murder spree à la David Berkowitz? None that she can remember.

Does constantly working with abandoned animals ever get her depr-essed? Not really. "It can be a little discouraging when you consider all the work you do, knowing that you're only helping a very small percentage of the city's animals who are in need. But I'm a positive person and I always believe that things are going to get better. Still, I realize that it may be a long time before the general population becomes enlightened enough to treat other species with the respect they deserve."

Hang outs: Nowhere. Between her volunteer work and the time she spends hustling up a couple of extra dollars to pay for her own food and shelter, Nathalie has no time to go out on the town. Although she says she would like to some day.

Last book read: The Nature of Animal Healing, by Martin Goldstein.

Favourite recent film: The Committee

Her words to live by: "Live and let live. Do what you want to do and don't let others try to discourage you.