SAFE Haven for Cats is a fixture in the Triangle and surrounding counties. What you might not know is that we get requests to take cats from around the country. On June 14, 2019, the Humane Society of the United States rescued 200 cats from a home in Killeen, Texas. The home was being used as a shelter for a kitten foster and rescue group that never intended to put the animals in harm’s way but could not provide adequate care. The state director of the Humane Society said the situation was unacceptable despite the director’s goodwill. “Even when there’s good intent, the conditions that the animals were living in were poor and not acceptable.”
Many of these cats and kittens needed urgent care. They were taken to a temporary shelter to be treated and to recover. Twenty cats were in critical condition as the home was unsuitable for animal life. With so many cats (and dogs) in an 1800 square foot home, the air was highly concentrated with ammonia. When it was time for the cats to settle into new shelters, the HSUS looked to out-of-state partners to help as Texas has a significant overpopulation problem and they did not want to displace animals in need in Texas. They called up Nashville Humane Society and Brandywine Valley SPCA. And they called us.
Of course, our president and founder, Pam Miller, said “YES!” to taking in 30 of the rescued kitties. We immediately started working to adopt as many of our current cats to make room for the newbies. Thanks to our wonderful community of supporters, we were able to adopt out 28 cats in one weekend! Aided by their long-time partner, GreaterGood.org, and the support of donors and a match by the Alex and Elisabeth Lewyt Charitable Trust, the staff of the Humane Society drove all night to get those 30 worthy souls to Raleigh, North Carolina. Saving 30 cats on our 25th anniversary could not have been more serendipitous. SAFE Haven for Cats was founded with a simple mission to save lives. The Worthy 30 have all been adopted of course, but their stories will live on in the memories of all the people who helped to give them the wonderful life they deserve.
Meet the cats just like the Worthy 30 looking for a fur-ever home!
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