GREEN BAY (NBC26) — A cat overflow has Safe Have Pet Sanctuary calling out for community support.
- Video shows the variety of cats in need of care at Safe Haven Pet Sanctuary.
- Founder Elizabeth Feldhausen said they are currently at an "overcrowding" of cats as a result of fewer adoptions as more cats are being sent to the business.
- Caring for the cats has become more expensive, especially as many of the cats have special needs.
- Business hours had to be adjusted in order to manage limited funding to care for the animals.
- Click here to access Pet Sanctuary website.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
For Safe Haven Pet Sanctuary founder, Elizabeth Feldhausen, her passion for animal care started at a young age.
"When I was younger I had a cat that had a stroke-like event and he made a full recovery and so after that experience, it was kind of always in my head that I wanted to open a place that could be for animals like that," Feldhausen said.
She opened the business in 2016, bringing in a variety of cats, especially those with special needs.
Business boomed in 2020 as adoptions skyrocketed during the pandemic, but soon after, business ran into a problem.
"We have been overcrowded," Feldhausen said.
Feldhausen said because of the rising costs of taking care of a pet, there are fewer adoptions.
"With our cats having special needs and disabilities, those cost a lot more, so we have to be financially responsible and conscious of that when we take animals in," Feldhausen said.
In addition, the sanctuary continues to receive pets nationwide from other shelters.
That’s mainly because Dr. Emily Basten is an on-staff veterinarian who provides treatment to cats in-house, which saves costs on medical expenses.
"There is only so much space in every single shelter," Basten said. "A lot of people want to have these animals, they take them in and then there's a lot of costs that come up that they aren't expecting."
Feldhausen said the overcrowding plus a period of low staffing, forced Safe Haven to significantly reduce its hours.
Now, the business is leaning on community support, something that Feldhausen said has helped grow the business impact.
"We have a community that always shows up for us, and so I know that this is a hard time but I know that this is just another time where we have to hang in there for a little bit and that something is coming," Feldhausen said.
Staff members said an easy, effective way to help any struggling non-profit is to like, share, and re-post social media content to get the word out to larger audiences.
