Dana's 30th Birthday Animal Rescue Fundraiser

On October 11th, I will turn 30! In lieu of gifts and in honor of the big 3-0, I am hosting a fundraiser to support my animal rescue work.

Since getting involved in 2021, 47 cats and kittens have come through our apartment, on their journey of being rescued or TNR'd. We TNR, or 'trap, neuter, and release' cats who can't be socialized but get spayed/neutered and vaccinated to live healthy lives outside without contributing to the overpopulation crisis of stray animals. And the rest of them, we rehabilitate. In our care, these kitties put on weight, are treated for parasites, learn to trust humans, play for the first time, and decompress after surviving outdoors.

I don't do any of this alone: for one, the tireless, ever-supportive Caitlin cohosts the rescues in our spare bathroom. And I'm often partnering with my fellow rescuers at Neighborhood Animal Rescue Network, serving as the last minute crash pad for cats found abandoned on the street, or working with my neighbors on cats who wander into their yards. Getting involved in this rescue community has been incredibly rewarding. They are the kindest people I know, bearing the grueling, heartbreaking aspect of this work and teaching one another on our ever-active Slack channel.

If you’d like to support this work, I would truly appreciate it. Medical expenses, Ubers to vets, lots of Friskies cans, dewormers, spay and neuter appointments stack up fast. I spend an average of $200 per cat - some less, and some much more. So many of you have generously supported this work already – sending money, buying things off the Amazon wishlist, fostering, asking about the latest cat that's being rehabilitated in our spare bathroom. It is meaningful and I never forget it.

This work takes a village, and you are my village. I'm grateful for it.