Sylvia Ortiz and the SF Waterfront Cat Colony

My name is Marcie and I am fundraising for the San Francisco Waterfront cat colony that is home to 80+ community cats cared for by my friend, Sylvia Ortiz and her husband Robert Shipman, for 25 years.

In mid-2020, Sylvia discovered a grey cat with a missing right paw near PG&E’s waterfront property in Potrero Hill. Sylvia was able to trap him; take him to the vet, where his leg was amputated; and find him a loving home. Soon after, another grey cat was discovered in the same fenced-in area with a missing right leg. Sylvia named him Two Step. Tragically, over the past several months, Two Step lost a second leg and now balances on his two left legs. A third cat then showed up with an injured back leg, whom she named Grayson. With his severed leg, this clever and determined fellow managed to drag himself up the hill on the far side of the property, where Sylvia was able to trap him and get him to the vet. Although Grayson lost his leg, he survived the ordeal and now lives with Sylvia. Almost unbelievably, a fourth cat, whom we named Mabel, has been discovered with a severed back leg. Obviously, something nefarious is endangering the community cats that roam the waterfront property in Potrero Hill.

On June 21st, Sylvia posted a request for help on Nextdoor.com. Within 24 hours, a reporter from the local ABC7 news affiliate contacted her for an on-camera interview at the PG&E property where the injured cats live. The story  aired that night on the 11pm news, while a concerned volunteer started a change org petition  to grab PG&E’s attention.

After collecting more than 2,800 signatures, contacting numerous community leaders, and mobilizing crowd support, PG&E granted access to a small group of trappers who rescued Two Step and Mabel. Whether PG&E has investigated the cause of these mutilations remains unknown.

Fortunately, with time and love, Two Step - now known as Twoee - and Mabel will recover, albeit with fewer legs.  Sylvia and Rob are now gradually moving the cats’ feeding stations from the PG&E yard to another location out of harm’s way.

This GoFundMe requests donations to offset the costs of food, veterinary care, and rehoming borne by Sylvia and Rob for more than 25 years. Sylvia and Rob have selflessly and lovingly cared for this colony, bringing it from a population of over 200 cats to approximately 80. All of the cats have been spayed/neutered, vaccinated, and fed daily. In keeping with best practices, Sylvia and Rob’s care has ensured that no kittens have been born for nearly three years!

With your donations and support, our community could come together to relieve the financial burden that Sylvia and Rob would otherwise continue to shoulder by themselves. THANK YOU, in advance, for any contribution you can make. No gift is too small or large to make a difference.