‘Queen’ Tanzie needs fur-ever home; play set in Cuban Missile Crisis to premiere

In 2016, we adopted Sky, a senior dog, after I swore I’d never have another dog. But this sweet Aussie-Husky mix changed our lives. She was funny and good, and she had the most beautiful blue eyes. Everyone loved her, and she loved back.

Sky died recently at age 14 after living with us for just seven years. And while we are heartbroken, I think she would want me to write about Tanzie, another older animal just looking for a home.

Tanzie, who is a cat, is the longest shelter resident at the Soffer and Fine Adoption Center.

She has lived there for six years, and the staff and everyone who has met her calls her “The Queen of the Shelter.” The Center is part of the Humane Society of Greater Miami in North Miami Beach.

Everyone there is on a mission to find Tanzie a fur-ever home. Sometimes they will take her to their own homes so she can get a break from the shelter.

When the director of marketing and special events at the Humane Society fostered her for three months, she witnessed an incredible turnaround in Tanzie that shows how cat behavior in a shelter isn’t always a good representation of how an animal will be in a home.

Tanzie blossomed into a sweet, playful kitty in the home and, by day two, she traded in growls for purrs and love-nibbles for gentle kisses. Lap time became a regular part of Tanzie’s daily routine. During fostering she also showed off her playful side by running around and playing with crinkle balls and cardboard boxes.

While Tanzie prefers to be the only “child” in a home, she has shared a room with other cats at the shelter for years. She just needs her spot, or “throne” as she is “The Queen.” As long as she has a window or an entertaining view, she is content.

“We can only imagine how much more she will open up once she finds her permanent home. Help us find this deserving girl that special home!” the staff wrote.

As an adoption-guarantee facility, the Humane Society of Greater Miami will continue to care for Tanzie until she finds her forever family — no matter how long it takes. The center provides great care and attention to her and all 300-plus homeless animals in their care.

If you are looking to adopt a furry family member, consider giving Tanzie that place in your home and heart. If not, the Humane Society asks that you “please spread the word about this longtime shelter resident with friends, family and colleagues.”

In honor of Tanzie’s sixth anniversary, the adoption fee is waived and the center is including a litter box kit, $60 worth of toys and supplies, and one bag of Purina food with her adoption. There is also the option to “foster-to-adopt” so that you can make sure your home is a good fit.

The staff wrote, “Six years is long enough. It’s time for Tanzie to get her ‘happy tail’ ending!”

I think our Sky would agree.

To apply to adopt Tanzie, visit https://www.humanesocietymiami.org/adopt-a-cat or stop by the shelter to meet “The Queen” herself. It’s at 16101 W. Dixie Hwy., North Miami Beach.

Play set in Cuban Missile Crisis premieres

A new play, “The Walls Have Ears” by Robby Ramos, will have its world premiere at the Westchester Cultural Arts Center (WCAC) in Miami starting April 7.

Ramos is best known as ‘Diego Cottonmouth,’ the wise-cracking wrestler and regular on the Starz hit TV series “Heels” entering its second season this fall.

In his playwriting debut, Ramos will introduce audiences to a tropical gulag during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis as a prison warden talks to an American radio host. The fate of one family hangs in the balance.

The play is presented in English April 7-23 and in Spanish April 27-May 14. It is directed by Gabriel Bonilla.

“The Walls Have Ears” was inspired by experiences of Ramos’s grandfather, a Cuban dissident who was at the notorious prison camp where the play takes place. It is the author’s “love letter to Cuban political prisoners and the Cuban diaspora.” The story also explores the universal themes of family ties, oppression and justice.

All performances will feature paintings, inspired by the play, by Cuban-American artist Kiki Valdes in the theater lobby. A portion of the play’s proceeds will be donated to the human rights organization Cuba Decide which was co-founded by Rosa Maria Payá, the daughter of late Cuban dissident Oswaldo Payá.

Tickets start at $35. There is free parking at WCAC, which is located at the main entrance to Tropical Park, 7930 SW 40 St. Tickets at www.wcacenter.org

MOCA April exhibits are must-sees

The Museum of Contemporary Art in North Miami is presenting “Didier William: Nou Kite Tout Sa Dèyè” through April 16. It is the largest solo exhibition of the Haitian-born, North Miami-raised artist’s career.

Also, through April 16 is “Kanaval,” a survey by photographer, filmmaker, curator, and writer Leah Gordon that documents 20 years of Carnival in Haiti. The installation includes a series of black-and-white photographs taken on a mechanical medium format camera, and a series of oral histories by troupe leaders who oversaw costume design. It is curated by MOCA’s Adeze Wilford.

Be sure to look for Edison Peñafiel’s “Run, Run, Run like the Wind,” a colorful display of nine banners hanging from the highest palm trees throughout MOCA’s Plaza. This work highlights the act of escape during political turmoil, and themes of human migration, displacement and social justice. It will be up until May.

More details about these events and others focusing on Earth Month and Autism Acceptance Month are at www.mocanomi.org

Write to ChristinaMMayo@gmail.com with news for this column.