SBU Cat Network: Shelter Challenge Grant Report

How did this grant help your organization and the pets in your care?

Veterinary costs (spay/neuter surgery and emergency care)

We operate on a shoestring, relying almost completely on individual donations and caring daily for a large number of cats that have been dumped over the years on our expansive and largely wooded campus. It's a constant challenge to keep them fed, safe, and healthy. We also do what we can to educate and support members of the surrounding community however we can, and we work hard to socialize and adopt out as many of our campus cats as we can. All of this takes much love and dedication from our student, staff, and faculty volunteers, which we have an abundance of. What we're always struggling with, though, is the monetary resources necessary for all of this. We've gratefully relied on the Petfinder Foundation over the years to be able to accomplish this.

How many pets did this grant help?

Six

Please provide a story of one or more specific pets this grant helped.

Goodyear, Beast, Sobrante, and Perdido were born to a feral mother we had recently trapped. She was a wonderful mommy, doting on all of them but refusing to interact with her rescuer. The babies, on the other hand, never knew the danger and difficulty of living outside as a homeless animal. They were adopted by loving families and will live long and comfortable lives. With just that one pregnant female and her little family, we suddenly had to deal with the basic daily costs and veterinary expenses of five animals. As an organization that cares for more than 100 campus cats daily and that relies almost exclusively on individual donations, we don’t know where we would have been without the generous support of the Petfinder Foundation.

The grant also helped several more kittens who were born after their mothers were rescued. Wumpy and Patata, snuggling in this picture, were part of a little of three. Griffin, who is waving at the camera, was one of two in the litter.