The TriState Noah Project

On April 21, 2025, the City of Covington filed a lawsuit against our nonprofit 501(c)3 animal rescue, Tristate Noah Project. We are a volunteer based nonprofit whose mission is caring for 300+ abandoned animals on the streets daily through TNRM (trap/neuter/return/manage) and aftercare (food/shelter and vet care when needed).

We’ve taken over 900 cats off the streets at no cost or resources to the city and we help Covington residents weekly through our programs for veterans and families struggling financially.

This lawsuit is over code compliance for a property we purchased 2yrs ago. Our largest colony considered this dilapidated house occupied by squatters their “home.”

The house sat vacant for 10+ years with significant fire damage and a yard littered with trash and drug paraphernalia.

We purchased this property to not only save our largest colony, which the city was going to let starve and go without shelter after years of being dependent on us for their only guaranteed meal but to implement a solution for neighborhoods with a high number of homeless cats.

The city is suing a nonprofit who spent years providing food, TNR and pulled 28 cats from this street when no one else would.

** Please see link to our original gofundme below for additional information

https://gofund.me/2b224308

THE LAWSUIT

A press release was sent to news stations by the city prior to us having any knowledge of the lawsuit.

In the release we were unfairly and inaccurately characterized by accusations unrelated to the lawsuit. False allegations were made and outdated photos used.

We were served on 4/30/25, one week after the press release and after multiple interviews with local media where photos of violations from 2023 that were already remedied were used and disparaging comments made. The city failed to state the condition of the home prior to our purchase and did not clarify that the cat population was an issue for years prior.

FACTS:

These are just a few of the many allegations our attorney will address.

‼️WE NEED YOUR HELP TO FIGHT THIS‼️

The city will “seize the property, bulldoze the home and send us the bill.”

Without this critical funding we will be forced to shut down the rescue leaving this colony, 250+ abandoned cats and the many families we help with no one.

Please donate if you can and share our story with others who find it unethical for a city to maliciously target and sue a nonprofit organization who has benefited from years of us helping animals no one else would.

On behalf of TriState Noah Project and the hundreds of homeless cats who never asked for this life…THANK YOU.

Our statement

Inaccurate Reporting

THE REAL ISSUE

The city is requesting an injunction to stop us from providing food and providing cat shelters on privately owned property while simultaneously stating “this is not about being anti-cat. This is making sure the cats are treated humanely.”

Once again their solution is starvation and allowing them to suffer through inclement weather.

THIS WAS NEVER ABOUT THE HOUSE

For years this property was maintained by the city who did nothing. Now that we’ve taken 28 cats from that street, paid $10,000.00 in fines and began improvements it’s suddenly a health and safety risk?

There are hundreds of vacant and dilapidated homes in the city in far worse condition and no work completed.

We need your help to fight for them

My name is Laura and I’m the Founder of Tristate Noah Project. I started this rescue after finding a recently homeless and neglected cat I’d been feeding beaten and left for dead. Like so many others on the street he had a home but was abandoned when his owners moved. For 11+ years I’ve witnessed thousands of cats suffer that same fate. Abandoned and disregarded by their owners to no fault of their own, then forced to survive on the streets and considered a “nuisance” for a life they never asked for.

While this rescue helps all animals, we put a focus on homeless cats because very few do despite the growing need. Of the 250+ homeless animals we care for daily, our largest colony of 35 have considered an abandoned, dilapidated house that sat empty for 12+ years their “home.” For the past 7 years our rescue has been caring for the cats at this property (feeding, finding homes for, providing winter shelters, medical treatment when necessary and TNR).

The home was recently purchased. We have 10 DAYS to raise the money or find an angel to assume a loan for this property so we (the rescue) can immediately enter a lease to own agreement. If we can’t do this, their already difficult lives become harder. 35 cats lose the only feeding spot they have, lose the winter shelters they depend on, lose the only home they’ve known and we miss the opportunity to start a very needed project.

This goes beyond helping this colony of 35. Our vision is implementing the first of many community gardens/green spaces catered to community cats in a state that has ranked last for 14 years for its animal welfare laws. While the idea of sanctuaries or adoption centers have their place, there is not enough land, funds or shelters to house every homeless cat. We have to look at realistic, duplicatable and sustainable solutions because we don’t have a “stray cat problem”, we have an irresponsible people problem, which there is no solution for.

These green spaces are easily duplicatable and provide a solution for neighborhoods with a high population of homeless cats, while beautifying the neighborhood and being managed by volunteers and kids from local schools, as part of our Humane Education program. It addresses common complaints neighbors often have and makes TNR more manageable.

We are not reinventing the wheel. These gardens/green spaces exist in multiple cities and states throughout the U.S and around the world. They have been proven to work and garner community support while changing the misinformed perception of homeless cats that many hold.

Years ago I walked away from the corporate world and a well salaried position to focus on the rescue. I have devoted the past 7 years to this rescue in almost every capacity possible from financial to my time. While that decision has helped countless animals and is not something I regret, it has hindered my ability to do this on my own, otherwise I would. These cats need an angel (or several) to save them. If an investor who is willing to do a lease to own agreement comes forward, we would like to show our appreciation by naming this first location after them or their pet, if they choose.

It’s heartbreaking to see these cats struggle every day and be punished for a life they never asked for. We have this one opportunity to bring about positive change in a city where just years ago TNR was illegal and being forced to live on the streets was an automatic death sentence. We cannot fail them.

Any donation is appreciated as it all adds up.

For additional information on becoming an angel investor for this property and an angel to homeless animals, please email us.

On behalf of all the animals who have no one else, Thank you