You may have heard of this week’s Portage Life in the Spotlight; especially if you have what she refers to as a “fur kid”. That’s a pet to those that may have raised an eyebrow in confusion. Michelle Duca is an avid animal lover and she is a Life in the Spotlight to all two and four-legged creatures.
She’s the cat’s meow. Hehe…I couldn’t resist.
Duca was born in Gary, IN and raised in Merrillville, IN. She attended Edgar L. Miller Elementary School and moved on to more education at Merrillville High School. During that time when she was 16, she met a boy named Brian at a carnival in Merrillville. He later made her his wife and they’ve been together and living in Portage ever since. Duca refers to her husband and daughter Ashlee as her “support system”.
From a young age, Duca has been involved with animals.
“I was always involved in some sort of animal rescue,” Duca said. “So that how I got involved with animals now. Saving the little squirrel or little bunny or animals that you would find here and there in the woods. Then it lead to helping stray dogs. I never intentionally set out to do any of this. I was sort of drawn to this. But I was always in some way shape or formed with animals.”
Duca worked with and for anything animal related from shelters to pet stores to advocate groups.
“I like working with animals because of their honesty. No matter what you do they still love you,” Duca said. “I was an only child and animals were my companions. They are always there for you matter what.”
With all of her experience with animals and her work in that realm, Duca decided that she wanted to strike out on her own and help people and their pets in her own way.
“I was wanting to do something where I could be the creator and where I could run things the way I wanted to,” Duca said. “I saw too many animals suffering and I was tossing around an idea with a friend for a few years about what I should do. In 2010, I was coming up on my 40th birthday and I want to do something and be remembered for something different.”
So fate intervened. Duca had a friend that worked with a local newspaper. She had an idea that coincided with a story that her friend was putting together. A month after tossing the idea to her friend, a story was released on January 28, 2011. And by April 20, 2011, the Kibble Kitchen Pet Pantry was open.
“It’s amazing how fast we’ve grown but we’re still a small organization with less than 20 volunteers and only two of us that work everyday [at the Kibble Kitchen Pet Pantry],” Duca said. “We work very hard to be more to the community than a pet food kitchen.”
In the future Duca hopes to grow and get more sponsors so that the organization can serve people all over Northwest Indiana. Her dream is to have multiple chapters throughout the region.
In her free time, Duca loves to cruise on her Harley with her husband and help out at other animal shelters. Her advice to make the world and everyone it better?
“I can sum it up into three words: always stay positive,” Duca said simply. “We always tell that to our clients who have fallen on hard times. There’s always someone out there worse off than you. I work tirelessly everyday. No one said that it was going to be way but it takes dedication and staying positive.”
A good woman working for a good cause is always one to not ignore. That is why Michelle Duca is making her presence and mission known as a Portage Life in the Spotlight.
The mission of the Kibble Kitchen Pet Pantry is to help pet-owners who have fallen on hard times take care of their pets. Free food is provided for his or her animal until the owner is back financially able to afford care for the pet. But that isn’t the only way that the Kibble Kitchen Pet Pantry provides for the community. They are also a hub of information for those who are looking for help with their pets from spay and neutering services to vaccination clinics to information on animal shelters and local veterinary offices.
The Kibble Kitchen Pet Pantry is a nonprofit organization that services the Porter County area. You can find out more about all that is offered by visiting the official website, checking out the Facebook page which is under a different title (Porter County Pet Project and Kibble Kitchen) and following them on Twitter.
There is an upcoming fundraiser for the Kibble Kitchen Pet Pantry called Pies for Paws. Proceeds benefit the Kibble Kitchen Pet Pantry. More details can be found on their Facebook page!
If you wish to donate or get involved, contact the Kibble Kitchen Pet Pantry email kibblekitchenvolunteers@hotmail.com