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Sue Harrington

My name is Sue Harrington, and caring for cats in need has been a part of my life for more than 20 years. I began working with community cats through Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) in 2005 and helped start the TNR program for the City of Chandler. Over the years, I realized there was another group of cats that desperately needed help, the ones who had nowhere else to go. In 2015, I founded Save a Stray Foundation, and today much of my life revolves around our cat sanctuary. At any given time, our sanctuary houses at least 100 cats. That number is always changing as some cats are adopted into loving homes, new cats in need arrive, and our oldest residents eventually cross the Rainbow Bridge. Our sanctuary is home to cats with many different stories. Some are too shy or unsocialized to be adopted. Others are seniors, have medical needs, or simply need a safe place to call home. We provide them with food, shelter, veterinary care, and, most importantly, the security of knowing they will always be cared for. I have an especially soft spot for our older and medically fragile cats. When a longtime community cat becomes too old or sick to safely remain outdoors, I bring them into the sanctuary whenever possible. Whether they have years, months, or only a short time left, I want them to know comfort, kindness, and love. The sanctuary has become much more than a place where cats live. It is my life's work and a promise to every cat who comes through our doors: you are safe here, and you will not be forgotten.

Sammy

Sammy

Feral Cat Enjoying Catio Life

Sammy

Sammy

Catio

Lover Boy

Lover Boy

Posing for Petfinder

Smurfie

Smurfie

Cozy Spot

Macchiato

Macchiato

Kitten

One of Senior Cats

One of Senior Cats

Catio

Cats Inside

Cats Inside

Cat Tree

What happens to a cat who has nowhere else to go?
Some rescued cats are fortunate enough to be socialized and adopted into loving homes. But others are too fearful of people, too old, medically fragile, or simply not able to live successfully as traditional house cats. Those cats still deserve safety, comfort, medical care, and a place where they belong.
That is why Save a Stray Foundation's sanctuary exists.
Our sanctuary provides a permanent safe haven for at least 100 cats at any given time. The number changes as cats are adopted, new cats in need arrive, and our elderly residents eventually cross the Rainbow Bridge. Some stay with us for a short time. Others will spend the rest of their lives here. Some of the cats we help eventually find families of their own. Others become part of ours.
One of those cats is Sammy.
Sammy was rescued about four years ago from a landfill in Apache Junction, Arizona, where he was living with several other cats. The kittens in the group were young enough to be socialized and eventually adopted, but Sammy and some of the adults were extremely fearful of people. A traditional home wasn't the right place for them, so they were given something different: a permanent home at our sanctuary.
Sammy is still a shy boy. He often retreats to the safety of his favorite hiding places when people approach, but he has spent the past several years with food every day, shelter, other cats around him, and people quietly watching over him without expecting him to become something he isn't.
Recently, we noticed that Sammy wasn't doing well. His ears looked different, and we knew something was wrong. A veterinary examination found a serious case of ear polyps as well as teeth that need to be removed. Now the same little cat we promised to protect years ago needs us again. Sammy's story is just one example of what lifelong rescue means to us.
Our commitment to these cats doesn't end once they arrive at the sanctuary. We provide food, shelter, veterinary treatment and ongoing care throughout their lives. We have an especially important commitment to our senior and medically fragile cats. When an aging community cat can no longer safely live outdoors, we do everything we can to bring them into the sanctuary. Whether they have years, months, or only a short time remaining, they deserve to spend it without worrying about their next meal, where they will sleep, or whether they will receive care when they are hurting.
A grant would help us continue providing that promise. Funding would help with veterinary care for cats like Sammy, food and supplies for our sanctuary residents, and the ongoing needs of senior and special-needs cats. Every dollar we can put toward those necessities allows our small nonprofit to continue saying yes when another cat needs somewhere safe to go.
Save a Stray Foundation is also supported by a wonderful community of volunteers and supporters who give their time to care for the cats, socialize those who may eventually become adoptable, help maintain the sanctuary, transport cats to veterinary appointments, foster, and provide the many other things it takes to keep a sanctuary running.
The cats give something back to us, too. They remind us that trust can take time, that every animal is an individual, and that a life does not have to be perfect, or even conventional, to have value.
For a cat like Sammy, rescue didn't end with adoption. Rescue meant finally having a place where he could simply be Sammy, and knowing that place would always be there for him.
That is what we hope this grant will help us continue providing: a safe place for the cats who have nowhere else to go.