By Emily Williams
For as long as Janet Lusco can remember, she has been passionate about animals.
Throughout her childhood, Lusco was known to bring home the occasional injured animal she stumbled upon.
If it was reasonable to have 15 dogs living in her Homewood house, she would; but her cat, Callie, doesn’t want much company beyond her owners.
“She’s half ragdoll and half calico, so she almost acts like a dog. They call it a ‘kitty-pup,’” Lusco said. “She’ll get up on her hind legs and come when you call. … She is just so frisky and playful.”
Though she isn’t in a place to bring home wounded birds or puppies, she has found a way to give back to animals through her work on the board of the Greater Birmingham Humane Society.
“As I got older, I have been searching for a way I could really make a difference for these animals that I love so dearly,” she said. “So, being asked to be on the board and later to be chairman of the Jazz Cat Ball was a dream come true, and I realized what a wonderful opportunity this was for me to put my passion to use.”
Lusco will chair this year’s Jazz Cat Ball, the GBHS’ largest fundraiser, along with her husband, Matt Lusco. The event will take place Feb. 1 at the Sheraton Birmingham, complete with casino games, a large silent auction, a seated dinner, dancing and other activities.
“I know none of us can do everything, but we can all do something, so find your way to help, whether it’s giving money, giving your time, fostering, adopting, washing towels for the shelter or spreading the word,” Lusco said. “We can all make a difference.”
Lusco wrestled with ways to aid animals in need for years because, knowing herself, she knew she couldn’t walk into a shelter and volunteer one-on-one with the animals without adopting each one.
“When I look into their scared and sad eyes in the shelter, it is too hard on my heart,” she said. “So, I help in other ways.”
Lusco admires the people who work or volunteer directly with the animals, showing them a bit of love, medically caring for them and even providing counseling for dog owners in need or potential adopters.
“It’s all about being able to be the voice to these animals, because they don’t have a voice,” she said. “They give so much love and companionship to us, so we have to protect them.”
As chairman of the Jazz Cat Ball, Lusco’s goal is to get the word out to people who haven’t attended the ball before. It’s all about spreading awareness to new faces.
“Love for animals is something that brings us all together,” she said. “These defenseless scared pets that we rescued need us to be their voice.”
For more information, visit gbhs.org.