Dorothy Max CAT HERO of Cleveland, Ohio passed away this morning. She died peacefully in her sleep at the age of 81.

Dorothy was known for feeding hundreds of stray cats all over Northeast Ohio every day. She would also catch the feral cats, domesticate them, and find them homes through her association with the PetsMart in Willoughby. She was brave enough to catch cats too feral to be adopted, have them neutered and return them to their neighborhood. She would break into abandoned buildings, trespass on private property, scale four-foot snowdrifts and defy drug dealers to feed her charges. She once said she had garnered a grudging respect from drug dealers who didn’t bother her on her daily mission to leave food out for cats in East Side Cleveland neighborhoods. She said some times they even helped carry the bags.

When her car was stolen in 1996, PetsMart and private donors bought her a new one for $10,000.

Her group, Save Our Strays, was a loose-knit organization of volunteers who would help Dorothy on her rounds. Her son said her current group of volunteers have been actively working the daily feedings and caring and would continue Max’s goodwill work.

In addition to her son, Dorothy is survived by a brother, Frank, and a sister, Arlene, both of Euclid.

THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING DOROTHY! You will be missed.

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