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04/13/2016 08:30 AMWhile Lou Arcucci has been running his livery business for the past 14 years, he has picked up some non-paying fares on a number of occasions. Early this month, Lou was heading to JFK to pick up six customers, but stopped at a rest stop on the way.
It was around 11 p.m. and as he headed in to use the facilities, Lou saw a cat running near the gas pumps and was worried about the animal so close to the highway. On his way out, Lou stopped at the door to look out for the cat.
“That cat ran right toward me when I headed out to the limo,” says Lou. “I leaned down, pet it, and picked it up. I looked around and knew I couldn’t leave it there and said, ‘It looks like you’re going to JFK with me.’”
Lou put up the divider in the stretch limo and, after the cat snuggled against Lou’s legs and shoulders, it curled up on the floor as they headed to JFK to pick up Lou’s clients. As Lou got close to JFK, he began to worry about the cat escaping during the curbside pickup.
While he was waiting for his clients, he emptied the glove compartment and got the cat comfortable. After a few minutes, he shut the glove compartment door. The cat scratched and Lou opened the glove compartment to reassure it. The cat settled in and Lou picked up his clients.
“It wasn’t a kitten, but wasn’t a full-grown cat and it settled right down there,” says Lou. “When my clients came, I explained that I had rescued a cat and the divider would stay up if that was okay. They said, ‘No problem,’ and at each drop-off, they wanted to see the cat.”
By the time Lou got back to East Haven, where he recently purchased a building to house his business—Black Tie Transportation—it was 2 a.m. Lou drove straight to the East Haven Animal Shelter where he has been volunteering for nearly four years.
As a volunteer, Lou has a key to the shelter, so he locked the cat in the car and went inside to prepare a cage for it. After he was ready, he brought in his newfound friend and fed it.
“We brought the cat to the vet and it turned out that it was pregnant and gave birth to a kitten last week,” says Lou, who grew up in East Haven and lives in North Branford. “It turned out she was pregnant and looking for help. She came to the right person.”
At one time, Lou had four cats, but they have since passed. For a moment, Lou considered keeping the cat, but with his inconsistent work schedule and caring for his rescue dog, he knew it wasn’t the right time. He thinks that she has already been adopted and the kitten will be up for adoption soon.
One of his favorite things about volunteering at the shelter is working with the animals.
“I love animals and I love seeing the cats and dogs,” says Lou. “If I had more money, I’d adopt most of them.”
This wasn’t the first time Lou has lent a hand to a stray animal in need. Years ago, he saw a bunny under his town car at a rest stop. After looking around, he saw another and a bed of hay and realized the bunnies had most likely been abandoned.
“There was a Frito-Lay guy doing a delivery at the rest stop and he gave me a box and a woman helped me get the bunnies into the box,” says Lou. “I reached out to a friend at a shelter. It turned out that they were neutered and expensive rabbits and they were quickly adopted.”
While Lou has rescued several animals, his company also caters to clients with pets. Lou’s company has eight drivers and pets are welcome passengers.
“A lot of people take their pets on vacation with them,” says Lou. “We put a blanket down on the seat or bring the cats in their carriers and we’re on our way.”
Lou began volunteering at the shelter when he met his girlfriend, Jeanne Donarumo, who has worked cleaning the shelter for years. She also painted the mural that adorns the walls of the shelter. Donarumo wasn’t surprised by Lou’s actions.
“You rarely see someone go out of there way to help another, let alone an animal,” says Donarumo. “This man warms my heart with his incredible love for all creatures—he even keeps crackers in his car for the birds.”