The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
For her services, notary public asks for pet food
People will hold up signs on street corners that read “Will work for food,” but one local woman has taken that to heart with one small caveat.
Nicole Coulthart will work for pet food.
And her passion and love for caring for pets is inspiring many around her, helping to not only spread the word about the importance of quality pet care, but that everyone can do a little something to help.
Coulthart is a notary public and has been for the past eight years.
She would get requests regularly from friends and family for her notary services, and she wouldn’t charge them anything for what she termed a pretty simple request.
“But, they insisted on paying me, so I would say something off the cuff like buy me a candy bar or whatever,” she laughed. “I work with the local animal shelters a lot, so one day when someone asked, I just said to pay me in dog food.
“Or cat food, or pet treats. Really anything like that. So, it’s six cans of dog food or 12 cans of cat food, and I’ll get you that stamp.”
And the response has been overwhelming, Coulthart beamed.
She said that her friends share what she was doing with their friends and family, and the simple gesture has turned into a regular trip to the Lorain County Dog Kennel and the Friendship Animal Protective League to drop off pet food.
“The shelters are struggling,” Coulthart said.
“They’re overwhelmed with drop-offs and strays and in caring for these vulnerable little buddies.
“I worked at an animal shelter, which unfortunately had to close its doors. It’s costly to care for all these pets. And, not all of the cats could be adopted before it closed so I took them all home.
“I now have nine cats, but I love them all. It’s a pet sanctuary here. I just thought this would be a simple way I could help the pets and the shelters and as long as I’m a notary, I’m going to continue to do this.
“Animals need us and we need them, but they have no voice. We need to be that voice. We need people to care for them and to protect them. I just think charity is in my blood, and I’m happy to donate and volunteer.”
A North Ridgeville High School graduate and now property manager, Coulthart became a notary because a former employer needed an in-house notary.
She worked as a compliance manager for a financial company and the boss paid for her to get her notary license.
“I even carry my bag around with me,” Coulthart said with a laugh.
She said if anyone needs her to notarize something, simply find her on Facebook and she’ll be happy to provide the service for her customary fee.
Rabbit food, bird seed and even exotic pet food are welcome, Coulthart said.
People can reach Coulthart on Facebook under Nicole Hahn Scott or email at ncoulthart@gmail.com.