Maryanne Kalin-Miller moved to Saugerties after 42 years in Chicago to be closer to her granddaughter. It was a love for animals, even backyard pests, that inspired her to write a book – and donate some of the proceeds to the local animal shelter.
For each copy sold of “Like Magic: Science Saves Small Town Saugerties,” Kalin-Miller will send $2.70 to the Saugerties Animal Shelter. The paperback, released in November and aimed at readers ages 8 to 12, retails for $9, or $5 when purchased directly from the author.
“I’m lucky that I don’t need the money. It’s not going to be much but I’m passing it on to them,” said Kalin-Miller, whose donation was motivated in part by a speech by a shelter employee. “The real thing is, they get the publicity and everybody hears about it.”
In “Like Magic,” Kalin-Miller meshes her love for yoga, illustrations by local artist Jacquie Roland and her background as a student and teacher of biology and animal behavior to weave a story of humor and scientific information. Marmots and wasps take center stage as antagonists, while Aurora and her grandmother, who can use magic by channeling quantum physics through yoga, tackle challenges head-on.
The shelter can use her help. New state animal care standards enacted on Dec. 15 and an increase in housing insecurity have left Saugerties Animal Shelter struggling. The updated Standards of Care Act places stricter guidelines on shelters regarding temperature control, quarantine protocols, recordkeeping, capacity limits and more.
To meet those standards, the shelter is building a new facility on the same property that will include a room for cats to roam, a quarantine room, and a heating and air ventilation system on par with hospital standards and a lobby for visitors. To fund it, the town approved a $2 million bond to finance construction.
“We get a lot of people who sometimes don’t understand the need for the new shelter,” said shelter employee Morgan Bach. “We’re here for the community, we’re a service that we provide to the community.”
Aside from housing strays and surrenders, the shelter provides a pet food pantry, assists with spaying and neutering costs of pets, and helps with emergency vet bills.
Kalin-Miller will hold a book signing at the Kingston Barnes & Noble on Saturday, May 16.
Mia Quick is an editorial assistant at The Overlook. Send correspondence to mia@theoverlooknews.com.