Help support Tank’s Legacy, and let’s find Frankie a new home
■ BY SUE ERWIN 
Saving the lives of unwanted animals is a costly and daunting task, but one tireless island restaurant owner refuses to give up hope.
Blanche Vedette is the founder of Tank’s Legacy Animal Rescue, a non-profit 501(c) 3 organization created in honor of Tank, a dog Vedette personally rescued. She also co-owns The Loose Caboose Restaurant.
A yard sale to benefit the organization will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday, May 20 and Saturday, May 21 at 6753 Thorman Road in Port Charlotte.
Profits from the sale will go toward needed surgery for Bud, a three-legged rescue dog. The required surgery will cost about $1,200. Bud is currently on medical hold because of recent heartworm treatment, but he will be available for adoption soon.
Donations are welcome for the sale. Larger items can be brought to the Thorman Road address, and smaller items can be dropped off at The Loose Caboose Restaurant on the island.
Vedette currently has six dogs and five cats that she is fostering at her property in North Port, and she pays for all their medical expenses and food with her own funds. Donations of towels, pet food and cat litter are especially needed right now.
She’s also paying to board one dog, Frankie, who has been waiting for a new foster home since his last foster owners moved and weren’t allowed to take him with them to the new property.
“Frankie is running out of time. He has been in boarding for too long, and any hope of finding him a home is slipping away. We are desperate to find him the right home. He can be a bit aggressive and does not do well with cats,” Vedette said.
Vedette will be at PetSmart at 19530 Cochran Blvd. in Port Charlotte this Friday, May 13, Saturday, May 14 and Sunday, May 15 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for a three-day adoption event.
“I’ll be there, rotating the five dogs with anyone who would like to come and meet them. One of the dogs available is an American bulldog/pit mix that is great with kids,” she said.
She is currently searching for volunteers who would like to spend some time socializing with the animals to prepare them for new homes.
Blanche tore her rotator cuff and recently had surgery on her arm. She is in dire need of volunteers to come and help prune the property, and particularly, for a few people to come and help install a fence around the property.
All profits made from the sale will go toward the animals.
If you would like to visit Frankie and socialize with him to see if he might be a good fit for your home, contact Vedette at 941-421-2805.
You can find more information on Facebook by searching for Tank’s Legacy.
