Hi, my name is Mechel Donato of Mechel's Haven. If you are interested in knowing my journey, please read more below...

I have been helping & saving cats since 2016. It all started for me in my own backyard. When I moved into my home, I very quickly noticed that there was a serious stray and feral cat problem in my community.

Since then, I have applied and received my 501C3, I have caught a countless number of stray, homeless and lost cats & kittens in my local community and surrounding cities. Some of my neighbors have helped me catch cats and kittens, and now even help feed those stray and feral cats that we have spayed and/or neutered. It is a testament to the effectiveness of our efforts we are putting into our community that, in the last several years, we have seen a significant reduction in the number of new stray and homeless cats and in the number of stray and kittens born to the outdoors.

Over the years, my expansion in helping animals has grown. I spread out to neighboring towns and cities and I began collaborating with people in communities throughout Sullivan and Orange Counties. All the while I try to educate and influence people to get involved. I catch, spay, or neuter, and then find forever homes, or as a last resort I release them to one of the few farms that I work with – where I can release fully vetted stray or feral cats so they can live out their lives in safety and with the comfort of knowing they will no longer contribute to the stray and feral cat overpopulation problem.

In addition to expanding geographically to other areas from as far South as Greenwood Lake, NY, to as far North/West to Monticello, to as far East as Newburgh, NY, and as far West as Harrisburg, PA, I have also expanded the activities I engage in and services I provide. Some of the tasks I am involved in are as follows:

• I catch cats and kittens,

• I bring cats and kittens to veterinarians to check for diseases and get vaccinated,

• I get cats spayed and/or neutered,

• I hold cats during recovery from surgery and/or recovery from injuries or infections,

• I hold kittens for quarantine,

• I find cats and kittens forever homes,

• I build and provide cat shelters to people in need,

• I help other people with spay, neuter, and vaccination instructions & direction so that they, as well, can start to be part of the solution.

• I relocate cats to a handful of farms as needed,

• I provide food to other people involved with rescuing and to farms where I relocate cats,

• I provide food and resources to people in need, and

These activities/services are expensive, and my expenses have grown, but I do not want to ever stop helping the cats. That is why I am asking for your help to: “Help Me Help the Cats.”

While I receive donations of food and supplies, donations don’t cover all the costs associated with the activities/services I provide. To help understand where your Go-Fund-Me donations are going, here is a brief list of expenses that I regularly & frequently incur related to the activities/services listed above:

You can follow my stories, rescues, and updates through MECHEL'S HAVEN. I would be most grateful if you could provide donations to my nonprofit through this Go-Fund-Me so I could keep helping cats in need. I also assure you that all donations to my Go-Fund-Me will be transparent. You can see where the funds go by following my journey. Please follow my journey, join me in my journey, and help me help the cats ! The more people who become involved, the more likely over time, this crises we are in, will diminish