In April 2018, the Healthy Paws Foundation announced the second run of our grant program, The Healthy Paws Rescue Race, funded through our “every quote gives hope” program. After six selected animal welfare organizations “raced” to the finish line, the foundation gave $50,000 total in grants: the organization that received the most votes won $20,000, second place won $10,000 and four finalists each took home $5,000. Here’s the story of the finalist The Cat’s Meow, a rescue covering Los Angeles, CA, Dallas-Fort Worth, TX, and Ghent, VA.
The Cat’s Meow has roughly 100+ fantastic volunteers running their feline rescue operation, and about 90% of these volunteers also serve as foster parents. With their mission: “With every city we enter, we will engage the people, make them aware of what they can do to implement a humane strategy to feline population control and inspire them to take action,” they have spread feline rescue throughout Los Angeles, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Ghent (Hampton Roads).
Co-founder and regional director Talia Goldman resides in Los Angeles and oversees the primary mission to rescue felines from the local city shelter system (where they have 24 hours or less to live). Currently, the organization reports that they are saving 500+ felines from the L.A. city shelter system on an annual basis. In Hampton Roads, VA, co-founder and regional director Carla Browning is launching a citizen-driven TNR initiative (trap-neuter-release). Her grass roots effort is currently being piloted in Suffolk, VA, and their goal is to TNR 1,100 felines within the Suffolk community in 2018. As for their Texas location, they are recruiting more volunteers and working hard with the number of fosters they have to expand rescue efforts within the metroplex.
Ms. Goldman tells the story of a pet parent who adopted two of The Cat’s Meow’s rescues to show how rewarding the foster program can be: “Martin and Kylie were rescued from a hoarding situation where they lived with over 100 other cats in a very small room. When they came to one of our pet parents – Nadine – to foster, they were shy and uncertain, but seemed to take comfort in the fact they had each other.”
Needless to say, the foster was a fail and Nadine adopted the kitties! “She’s said that they are the most loving and playful babies. They are happy and healthy and bring non-stop joy,” Ms. Goldman says. “Soon after they were adopted, Nadine was diagnosed with breast cancer, but those cats stayed by her side the whole time with loads of snuggles and kitty kisses. And now I am happy to say she is cancer-free!”
The Cat’s Meow is an all-volunteer organization, so every dollar donated goes directly towards rescue, rehabilitation, and rehoming. “This grant money would go a long way to helping the homeless cats and kittens of Los Angeles and Dallas”, explains Ms. Goldman. “With it, we could perform over 3,000 spays and neuters, which would help prevent the overpopulation of cats and kittens in these areas, which effectively cuts down on the euthanasia rates in shelters.”
To find out more about The Cat’s Meow or how to get involved, check out their website or follow them on Facebook.
Visit the Healthy Paws Rescue Race page to learn more about the other participating organizations that qualified for grants and check back here on the blog to read about each organization!
