By Unkie Milt

Have you ever walked away from someone whom you've just met and had a tear in your eye?

This was the case on a balmy, day recently out in a Wild Dunes neighborhood. I was loading some tools in my van and noticed a compact car pulling in. Cats, about a dozen of them, seemed to come from out of nowhere headed for the far corner of the parking lot. There was a small shaded area just off of the pavement under some trees where the cats appeared to be gathering. I had my suspicions of what was coming next.

The car door opened and a gentleman stepped out and made his way to the trunk of his car. The trunk lid opened and I saw what I had expected to see. It was a fifty pound bag of cat food. As I reached him, my hand went to his shoulder giving him a slight pat on the back and thanking him for what he was about to do. He turned to me with a smile as I introduced myself.

These are cats not fortunate enough to have a loving home. In our conversation I learned that this was not his only stop of the day. A dozen stops are on his daily route. I was already amazed with his devotion to those in need but it went further. Eighteen cats are kept in his own home with many needing medical care. A loving wife shares these same interests with him and he seemed to be grateful to have her as his lifetime partner. Many of the cats in some of the neighborhoods of Wild Dunes have been spayed and neutered with money coming from out of their own pockets and released back to where they were found. We all know that cats love catching rats and mice but I was thrilled to hear that some areas had actually requested for him to bring some of the cats into their neighborhoods to help with this problem. In an area known for vacationers, I suppose it's better to see a few kitties than unwanted rodents.

After some petting of a few of the cats, I knew he had other places to go and more cats to care for. We exchanged names and phone numbers with promises to call if assistance were needed with any little furball. My wife and I share his interest in caring for animals taking in varied wildlife throughout the Lowcountry. Like this kind hearted gentleman stated as he was pulling away "Life is all about each of us doing our parts". For a full ten years, never missing a day, he has done his part. Certainly this kind gentleman was doing just that, and then some.

Yes, a tear formed in my eyes as I watched him pull away. My heart was deeply touched by his devotion and a willingness to give so much of himself. To some, these are just cats. To the cats, he is a hero. To me, he is one to be admired.

I mention his name now at the end of this article rather than at the beginning because that's the way he would want it. In his eyes, the animals come first. His name is David Bell. If you run across him give him a gentle pat on the back. You just might walk away later like I did,,,with a heartfelt tear in your eyes.