Furry Friends

RESCUE, CARE, & ADOPTION OF PETS

FURRY FRIENDS IS A 501(C)(3) NONPROFIT NO-KILL CAT RESCUE SERVING CLARK COUNTY, WASHINGTON, AND ADJACENT COUNTIES. FOUNDED IN 1999, WE ARE A VOLUNTEER RAN ORGANIZATION THAT RESCUES AND ADOPTS OUT HOMELESS, RELINQUISHED, AND ABUSED CATS. WE SHELTER AND CARE FOR THEM AS LONG AS IT TAKES TO FIND THEM FOREVER HOMES. WE PROVIDE MEDICAL EXAMS, MEDICATIONS, SPAY/NEUTER, FOOD, AND LITTER FOR UP TO 600 CATS EACH YEAR. WE HAD 682 ADOPTIONS, WITH OVER 4,000 ADOPTIONS DURING OUR TWO DECADES OF OPERATION. WE DISTRIBUTED OVER 12,000 POUNDS OF FOOD WITHIN THE COMMUNITY AND INCREASED OUR FOSTER NETWORK TO 45 HOMES. WITHOUT OUR HELP, AND THE HELP OF OUR SUPPORTERS, MANY OF THESE CATS WOULD HAVE BEEN EUTHANIZED, LEFT ON THE STREETS TO FEND FOR THEMSELVES, OR CONTINUED TO OVERPOPULATE THE COMMUNITY WITH KITTENS. FURRY FRIENDS HAS MORE THAN 200 COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS WHO COME FROM DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS TO CONTRIBUTE THEIR TIME, SKILLS, AND TALENTS FOR THE CATS. THERE ARE ALSO SEVEN ACTIVE VOLUNTEER BOARD MEMBERS AND TWO PAID STAFF. IN 2023, OUR VOLUNTEERS DONATED A RECORD OF OVER 30,000 HOURS, MAKING IT THE LARGEST NUMBER OF VOLUNTEER HOURS RECORDED IN THE HISTORY OF THE ORGANIZATION. HOUSING THE CATSWE REGULARLY HOUSE AROUND 28 ADULT CATS IN OUR VANCOUVER SHELTER, WHICH WE LOVINGLY REFER TO AS OUR HALFWAY HOUSE. WE DONT DISCLOSE THE PHYSICAL LOCATION OF THE SHELTER TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC, BECAUSE WE AREN'T LARGE ENOUGH TO TAKE IN UNWANTED CATS THAT MIGHT BE LEFT ON OUR DOORSTEP. MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC INTERESTED IN ADOPTING ONE OF OUR CATS CAN EITHER CALL OUR MESSAGE LINE OR SUBMIT AN ONLINE REQUEST TO MEET AT THE HALFWAY HOUSE. BECAUSE OUR ADOPTION TEAM HAS FLEXIBLE HOURS, THE PUBLIC CAN USUALLY MEET THE CAT WITHIN A FEW HOURS. WE HAVE UP TO 170 CATS AND KITTENS ON OUR ROSTER. THE CATS/KITTENS THAT ARE NOT AT OUR HALFWAY HOUSE ARE IN FOSTER HOMES. MANY ARE KITTENS. WE ALSO PROVIDE CARE AND SUPPLIES FOR APPROXIMATELY 10 UNADOPTABLE SENIOR AND MEDICALLY ILL CATS THAT WE HAVE PLACED IN PERMANENT FOSTER HOMES. KITTENS ARE ALWAYS CARED FOR IN TEMPORARY FOSTER HOMES, BECAUSE THEIR HEALTH TENDS TO BE FRAGILE AND BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THEY'RE SOCIALIZED AND TAUGHT TO USE A LITTER BOX. THE KITTENS CAN BE PRE-ADOPTED, BUT THEY DONT GO TO THEIR NEW HOME WITHOUT THE REQUIRED IMMUNIZATIONS AND BEING SPAYED OR NEUTERED. EVERY CAT TAKEN IN BY FURRY FRIENDS HAS A 20-30 MINUTE HEALTH CHECK PERFORMED BY OUR VOLUNTEER MEDICAL TEAM. THIS CAN INCLUDE BLOOD TESTS FOR FIV/FELV, VACCINATIONS, TREATMENT FOR FLEAS/MITES/WORMS, MICROCHIPPING, AND NECESSARY MEDICATIONS. OUR VETERINARY PARTNERS GIVE RABIES SHOTS, PERFORM SPAY/NEUTER, AND PROVIDE NONROUTINE PROCEDURES (E.G., DENTAL WORK, X-RAYS, SCANS).2023 WE BEGAN OUR HOARDING SPECIALISTS' PROGRAM, WHERE WE ASSESS CAT HOARDING SITUATIONS, FORMULATE A PLAN FOR REMOVAL AND SUPPORT THE OWNERS AFTER THE FACT TO HELP ENSURE IT DOES NOT GET TO THAT POINT AGAIN. FOR 2023 WE FOCUSED ON INJURED, SICK, STRAY AND CAT HOARDING CASES MAINLY TO ENSURE OUR CARE IS GOING TO THE MOST NEEDY CATS IN THE COMMUNITY.WE ARE EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE THAT THE CITY HAS APPROVED OUR PLANS TO BUILD A NEW MEDICAL CLINIC. THIS WILL BE A GAMECHANGER FOR FURRY FRIENDS AND THE CATS IN OUR COMMUNITY. NOT ONLY WILL THIS ALLOW US ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE SPAY/NEUTER SERVICES FOR THE CATS IN OUR CARE, WE WILL BE ABLE TO LAUNCH A TNR PROGRAM FOR COMMUNITY CATS TO HELP REDUCE THE NUMBER OF KITTENS BEING BORN OUTSIDE WITHOUT HOMES. THIS WILL GREATLY LESSEN THE BURDEN ON OUR SHELTER AND OTHER SHELTERS IN THE AREA. WE WILL ALSO BE ABLE TO OFFER AFFORDABLE SPAY/NEUTER SERVICES TO SMALL RESCUES WHO CURRENTLY DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE CARE.