Valerie Heimerich, cat rescue specialist for examiner.com, has been inspired by a variety of compassionate people involved in rescuing, rehabilitating, fostering, and finding homes for needy cats and other animals. The vast majority of these people are not paid for this work; it is a labor of love. In no specific order, here are just a few of the many organizations that are working hard to make Northern California a more compassionate place for all of us:
HART (Helen’s Animal Rescue Team) is a small non-profit group in Sacramento, CA working with abandoned, feral and stray cats. HART does Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) in specific cat colony areas and finds homes for cats and kittens. Although HART is run by just three volunteers, they have neutered/spayed over 5,000 cats and successfully adopted out over 800 cats since 2001.
C.A.T.S. (Cats About Town Society) works to rescue, protect and support cats in need in the Sacramento, CA area and to help reduce the suffering that is caused by overpopulation. The non-profit is an all-volunteer operation and provides rescue services, medical care, socialization, foster care and adoption programs for needy cats. They have an adoption center in the Natomas PetSmart that is open to the public on weekends.
A Chance for Bliss is a unique non-profit animal sanctuary located in Penryn, CA (near the Roseville/Rocklin area). Bliss takes in elderly, special needs and catastrophically injured animals of all kinds, and provides them with a permanent home for the rest of their lives. Bliss does not adopt out animals, but has an open house each month so the public can learn about the value of “less than perfect” creatures and the joy of the human-animal bond.
Homeward Bound Golden Retriever Rescue & Sanctuary Inc. rescues, heals, socializes and provides adoption and sanctuary services to Goldens and Golden mixes. They are non-profit and operate with only volunteers. HB also has one of most enjoyable fundraisers in Northern California – “Kibble and Bids.”
There are many more organizations to be added to this list; stand by for updates.
Sacramento Pet Rescue 