Dear Friends, 

Running an animal rescue is hard.  Running one that takes in hard-to-handle, medically and behaviorally challenged animals, most of which cannot be adopted, is even more difficult.  This is why I’ve started this GoFundMe to help my friend, Kim Rockshaw, and the cats of Healing Hope Cat Sanctuary.  HHCS is a private, licensed refuge for special-needs felines.  Also, because the sanctuary is operated from a private property with an outdoor area, the maintenance is not only work- and time-extensive, but in addition, is very costly.

This year has been exceptionally difficult.  Rains earlier this year caused a drainage problem that completely backed up the outdoor plumbing, resulting in $3000 in unplanned expenses.  Few people realize the enormous costs involved in running a private sanctuary.  And then there are the costs of caring for the cats:  Food and litter alone run at least $1600 each month, with another $3000 a month going to vet bills and medical supplies.  Add in mortgages and regular maintenance, and it takes over $7000 each month just to keep HHCS going.  This is before any major property repairs.

Now, another URGENT and SERIOUS major structural problem has occurred.  The sanctuary has very high fences with an additional netting system to keep the cats in.  But because the property is over 60 years old, the (original) fence is falling apart... literally collapsing.  The wood boards are rotting out, and the planks are falling off.  Raccoons are getting in and a few cats have even gotten out (yes, thankfully they returned and a temporary fix was made).  This is an urgent repair that must be made.  It simply cannot wait.

The first priority is the replacement of this very large back fence.  But the smaller side of the fence is also rotting out and will soon collapse.  Additionally, a wooden side gate leading to the backyard cat area is also disintegrating.

Thus the purpose of this GoFundMe is to raise money for these mandatory repairs.  Our goal is to raise the $5450 needed for both fences and the gate to be replaced.  The old wood fences will be replaced with tall vinyl fencing planks that will eliminate the need for the netting system.  The new fence will last longer and be more effective in keeping the cats in and the raccoons out.  Every day this work is not done is very scary for Kim, as the main fence is ready to collapse!  Work on this is now scheduled to begin in the next few weeks.  But without donations, there are just NO FUNDS available for this large, unexpected expense.

I have known Kim for almost 30 years, and I have seen firsthand how tirelessly she has worked to rescue cats from San Clemente and other areas of Southern CA.  Kim takes in the cats that no one else will, those with chronic health and/or chronic behavioral problems.  Kim has been taking in FIV+ cats for decades when no one else would.  She also takes in feral cats (again, a cat population that no one else helps), or in a few cases has started feral cat colonies by doing TNR.  Some of the feral or less-social cats, including those with medical problems, are brought back to HHCS to live out their lives with a great quality of care.  But now the safety of the Healing Hope Sanctuary cats is threatened by the collapsing fencing.

We are asking you to give generously to help this wonderful, one-of-a-kind sanctuary.  Replacing these fences is absolutely necessary for the safety of the cats!