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Precious Paws Rescue & Adoption, Inc. is a 501-C3 non-profit organization who operates a "NO KILL & CAGE FREE " shelter and adoption service for homeless, abandoned and unwanted mother cats and kittens The shelter is operated by a group of dedicated volunteers who provide the cats emotional and wellness care until such time as a suitable home can be found. Precious Paws operates in less traditional ways whereby
animals are provided with a home-like environment versus confinement
in cages. We realize that confining animals in small
spaces especially long term causes extreme anxiety for most
cats, therefore we have created several group settings in cage-free
community rooms that allow cats to socialize, and play in a normal
setting which alleviate stress and helps transition them
into permanent homes. Our mission is to improve the health and welfare of homeless cats and kittens, alleviate animal suffering, reduce pet overpopulation and abandon rates of unwanted animals, strengthen human/animal bonds and promote collaboration within the communities in an effort to reach our goals. Precious Paws is currently renting a facility to shelter homeless and abandoned kittens and pregnant or nursing mother cats . The building is centrally located at 15 Main St. in the commercial district of Van Buren. This location provides easy access, high visibility and affordability; therefore, this site has great potential for development and expansion projects. Shelter capacity is between 20 and 30 cats and kittens depending on age and health condition. Our facility is operated by an all volunteer group,
unfortunately there are no funds to pay for staff to maintain
regular business hours. Until further notice, visiting hours will
vary so please call ahead to avoid any inconvenience.
An answering machine may take your call; if you leave a message your
call will be returned within 24 hrs. The facility has 1,752 square feet of working space including an office, a full-service kitchen, bathroom, basement, two intake rooms, and a newly renovated adoption room. This new area is a favorite for us all because it serves as a large community room for the animals that are awaiting their forever homes. We are very proud of the outcome and the animals are most certainly enjoying their new found freedom. All cats should have it so good. We've made this room so nice for them, we have to wonder if they'll ever want to leave. (smile) This special new addition offers plenty of room for the cats to interact, run, play, scratch and perch or find their favorite nesting spot. We have decorated the room with plenty of sunny window seats, (sunbathing seems to be their favorite pastime) and comfy beds, vertical scratch poles and shelving lining the perimeter of the room to provide them with extra space especially those who feel the need to gain higher ground (when a visitor is not welcomed if you know what I mean) and we even provided them with a fancy hammock and tv entertainment (we should all be so lucky) Visitors can view the cats at play through a window in the lobby or step inside to get better acquainted if they're interested in adoption. Tour of our ShelterRescue operations began by our founder Linda Ouellette in August of 2002. She provided care to homeless cats and kittens in her home up until the time when she was able to gather the support needed to form the organization known today as Precious Paws Rescue and Adoption. This remote rural area, site of numerous potato farms, is sparsely inhabited combined population 15,000 with many low-income families; a high percent of unemployment and the community is home to a large number of elderly residents. It is also, unfortunately, the site of frequent animal dumping, especially of cats and kittens. Hundreds of these unfortunate animals are simply never seen again, falling victim to human cruelty, disease, starvation, or predators. Although the exact number of these throwaway animals is unknown, it is estimated to be extremely high. Precious Paws is currently the only animal shelter serving the St. John Valley. With the exception of critically ill or severely injured animals (due to budget constrictions), we are a no-kill shelter. At present, we are able to serve only a tiny fraction of the suffering animals that so desperately need our help. The Maine winter is extremely harsh; many animals are maimed by frostbite or simply freeze to death. Heavy snowfall makes foraging for food almost impossible. Many will die a miserable death by starvation. Still more will fall victim to predators. Therefore, Precious Paws is planning to expand its day-to-day operations in hopes of meeting the needs of these unwanted animals for shelter and loving care. The organization does not receive any city funding. We are totally dependent on individual donors, businesses, grants and fund raisers. Public support is greatly encouraged.
Precious Paws has implemented a shelter-feeding program in partnership with a highly reputable, veterinarian-approved, food manufacturer, which provides all of the feeding needs of the animals. This partnership is vital to the operation of Precious Paws while also providing the animals with healthy nutritious meals. Precious Paws does not euthanize for space; rather, feral cats are transferred to outreach caregivers who work to socialize them. All feral cats are altered before they leave the shelter. Upon arrival, new animals are examined, weighed, cleaned, checked for parasites, tested for diseases , and vaccinated. A medical chart and file is created for each new intake. Charts are maintained and kept posted for regular updates until an animal is adopted. Kittens are carefully monitored and kept a minimum of 8-10 weeks depending on health conditions before they are available for adoption. Since social interaction is highly encouraged among cats at Precious Paws it has become vital that their health be closely monitored to test for contagious, infectious viruses and diseases that could easily be transmitted to the rest of the population. Animals that test positive for disease such as leukemia, must be euthanized immediately to prevent disease spread to other animals. Animals beyond the age of 5 months are taken to the local vet clinic to be spayed or neutered. Until we can find a vet tech to assist us, all animals are transported to a veterinarian's office for Leukemia/FIV testing. A highly qualified, volunteer board member administers vaccines (except for rabies) for the sheltered animals. It is our opinion that testing will not only prevent the spread of contagious viruses, but also encourage adoptions since many potential pet owners cannot afford costly vet visits. Adoptions are scheduled on an appointment basis since we have no paid staff, and potential adopters are carefully screened to ensure their capacity to provide for an animal. They are also required to visit their selected animal for a minimum of 1 hour before they can take the animal home. This process allows time to socialize with the animals and provide a window of time to screen and educate the adopter on responsible pet ownership, while also giving them time to bond with the animal. In the event that a kitten is too young to receive alterations prior to adoption, a contract is signed by the adopter obligating them to have the kitten spayed or neutered by the age of 5 months. In these cases, kittens are followed up closely until their alterations are carried out, in which case Precious Paws will close the adoption file. Kittens that are between the ages of 4 to 5 months that have yet to be adopted, are spayed or neutered prior to adoption. Precious Paws Impacts/Involves the community and Promotes Volunteerism We are taking important steps to lessen the financial and social burden that these unwanted animals present to our community and to reduce the threat to local ecosystems caused by feline overpopulation. 1. We are working to stop the inhumane treatment of unwanted animals, prevent abandonment, and reduce feline overpopulation by educating the public on responsible pet ownership and by providing alternatives to abandonment or neglect. In time, we plan to visit schools to educate children on the importance of humane care for animals of all kinds. 2. We encourage volunteerism by advertising through the media, flyers, and on our web site. Volunteers are encouraged to communicate openly with all of us at Precious Paws. In the interests of retention, we encourage them to tell us about their area of interest and any special skills so that we can match them up with work they enjoy. 3. We provide spay/neuter information as well as information on available programs. We also offer alternatives in respect to the surrender of domestic pets. Our web site http://www.mypreciouspaws.org includes pet tips and information about our organization and how people can get involved. We have added a forum to share information & ideas and we encourage foster care by the community. 4. We have recently formed a network of concerned citizens from various animal welfare groups so we can exchange ideas and collaborate effectively. By combining our efforts, we believe we will have a greater impact on the problems facing both our community and the surrounding ones. Precious Paws' web site (http://www.mypreciouspaws.org) is being provided as a service donation to the organization. The web site is hosted and maintained at no cost by a member and offers a great deal of options for visitors. It provides photographs of pets available for adoption and animals lost and found list updates and services being offered. These services help connect people with the animals and increases adoption rates. Our web site is a great way to connect people with pets. It saves time for potential adoptee's and helps increase adoption rates. We strive to keep the site updated and user friendly. Our new forum is a great way to communicate with our viewers. We welcome your comments or suggestions. Information about the people who help keep Power Paws Rescue going |
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