The original 17 cats came from another animal rescue group that didn't have the means to care for them.  The fear of those cats going to the Humane Society and being euthanized, forced Sarah Swanty & Anna Neubauer to finally act on their dream of opening a no-kill cat rescue.  With a background in the veterinary field, and the support of South Mesa Veterinary Hospital, the two women were able to provide the necessary care for the kitties while they waited for adopters.

The cat rescue quickly turned into a 40 hour/week job, on top of the full time job both women already had at South Mesa Vet. Hospital

Luckily this incredible community provided tons of support, and on September 1st, just three months after starting, the shelter moved into a facility almost twice as big.  They were now able to have 30 cats in the shelter at a time.

A small group of fabulous people became volunteers and helped to keep the shelter running while Sarah and Anna were at work.

The exciting day finally came when Sarah & Anna realized that the shelter had enough support, and that there was so much work to do, that they would have to have the rescue as their full time job.

Fort Collins Cat Rescue now operates the first low-cost spay/neuter clinic the area.  The numbers of unwanted pets that will be prevented from entering this world brings an entirely new sense of satisfaction to all of the people involved.

Where we are now
The rescue and the spay/neuter clinic are having a big impact on the community.  Nearly 1500 animals have been rescued.  Almost 5000 surgeries have been performed at the clinic.  The rescue has moved into a bigger and better facility with more space for both the cats and the humans that serve them.  Both the clinic and the shelter have joined the ranks of non-profits that have paid employees - an amazing accomplishment in such a short period of time.  And of course an army of volunteers do fundraising and community outreach along with the mandatory kitty petting.

Some of the community outreach that the rescue and clinic have been involved in include providing dry cat food for those who are struggling to feed their pets, working with the local trailer parks to trap-neuter-release the feral kitties there, and taking in abandoned animals from homes that have been foreclosed. 

None of this could have been accomplished without the support of the local community.  The huge success of the Winter Fundraiser and the amazing donations that occurred around that are testimony to how Fort Collins and the surrounding area have embraced our mission. 

Thank you!