BEFORE THE BAN, WE HAD VOLUNTEERS AND KITTY LOVERS COULD COME TO THE HAVEN THREE TIMES A WEEK DURING OUR OPEN HOUSE AND ADOPT

In the Spring of 2007, Puffy Paws Kitty Haven started its adoption program.  Since then, we have found over 350 kitties "Fur-Ever" homes!

Before Fall of 2009, times were good.  We had over 350 adoptions in a very short amount of time by hosting an Open House three times a week at the Haven.  Inviting perfect strangers into their home so the adoptable kitties may find a “Fur - Ever” home to qualify applicants.

Rick was making a great name for Puffy Paws, and raising funds in the community.  At the same time, Rick could not believe the high euthanasia rate of adoptable pets, corruption, and the misappropriations of funds that were supposed to go to the animals, but instead went into high administrative cost and huge salaries of the other animal organizations in the area.

All protected by a good old boy network.

Rick spoke out for the voiceless animals that could not.  With hard facts in hand, all backed up by government documents, Rick contacted the local newspaper, government agencies, wrote letters to the editors that were denied, yet when Rick aided in bringing the news of the alleged corruption to a Fort Myers TV station, payback was inevitable.

Rick received a phone call 10 days before Code enforcement came out, that the good old boy network was looking into calling code enforcement to shut the Haven down.

Not caring if the cats lived or died.
One phone call to Code Enforcement shut the Haven down. So now folks cannot adopt straight from the Haven.

But that has never stopped us from trying to find the adoptable cats fur-ever homes.

Per Code - You can not run a business from a residential home - NO FOOT TRAFFIC.

What these people did by calling Code to shut us down, was putting the burden of taking care of the kitties on the shoulders of one small woman with the inner strength of one thousand men - Chrissy Kingston.

Chrissy works in pain everyday with her rheumatoid arthritis.  She is under a doctor's care but it is getting worse as the days goes on.  She suffers in silence on most days.

Yet, Chrissy makes the best of every day and gives it her all by working long hours. Up to 16 -20 hours on most days.

Please click on Chrissy to read the full story.

We can have family and friends at the Haven, but so far, no one wants to help cleaning cat poo.

If someone wants to help, they have to start at the Business Center and become a true friend.

Yet, Chrissy and Rick are really a two man band running Puffy Paws.

Here is a typical day at Puffy Paws for Rick and Chrissy Kingston.

Chrissy hauls in 600 pounds of cat litter around the Haven daily, and takes it back out.  She washes over 20 cat litter boxes daily.

Every four hours, she puts out the wet cat food at 10 feeding stations.  She vacuums, mops, and dusts daily. She gives out meds.  She brushes the kitties.  She tends to the sick ones.  She runs to the vet, and to the store for supplies too.  She does this day in and day out.

Rick has to raise the funds to keep the doors open.

Rick runs the Business Center. He raises funds online. He runs to the vet.  He is the kitties Web Master.  He does all the graphical artwork.  Rick updates on Facebook and other social media sites.  He pay the bills. Rick puts out the SOS's for help.  He puts out all the fires that pop up daily.

Rick is Chrissy's venting post.  Rick is the fixer.

With a grueling schedule, and the stress of raising funds and taking care of the kitties, the Kingstons go on only by the grace of God and the charity of the kitty lovers through out the World.

Now that is the power of Mad Kitty Love!

Today, it is still easier for the good old boy network in this small town of ours to spread rumors, gossip, and out right lies about Puffy Paws, as confirmed on WENG Radio, by Dee Anne Roberts, on her radio talk show

All About Pets.

These people fail to educate themselves to see all the great work we have been doing in our community for years just by going to our website, Facebook page, looking us up on Google, or asking us in person.

THE LOVE OF THE KITTY LOVERS THROUGH OUT THE WORLD PREVAILED

With no local support and an excellent website, word spread over the Internet about our daily dilemma and the kitties are now supported by the love of Cat Lovers throughout the world.

Rick has become a "Social Media High Tech Beggar."  It may not be pretty, but it works.

Every day, we must ask for help from Cat Lovers of the world so that we may keep continuing our mission in helping the special needs and unwanted kitties under our care.

Puffy Paws utilizes all social media at their disposal.
Our On-Line - “ Just Ask - Hope You Can Help “ - campaign was launched eleven years ago and has raised well over $1,000,000.00

Some folks cry they do not like our fund raising tactics. Our reality is the brutal truth. We have never sugar-coated it.

That is why the kitties are alive today: because the kitty lovers of the world know about our daily dilemma.

Its truth or consequences fundraising.

If folks do not donate, we can not take care of the cats.
If this happens, and if the $40,000 a month operating expenses are not paid, we will have to shut down and the cats will die at the hand of others.

Rick has to raise the funds to keep the doors open.

It cost well over $40,000.00 a month to run Puffy Paws Kitty Haven.

Funds are like the tide over here at Puffy Paws. Funds in and funds out.

The priority of incoming funds are in this order: the kitties daily needs, cat food, vet care, and operating expenses.

After that, funds are used for the maintenance and improvement of the Haven for the kitties, and the care and maintenance of the vehicles.

We do this just by asking for help when the kitties need it.
The unwanted & special needs kitties are blessed to have a world wide family that loves them ever so much.
Only through the power of your love can these very special need kitties under our care see the light of tomorrow.

At Puffy Paws, our fundraising philosophy is a simple one. Keep operating cost and fundraising cost to a bare minimum.  Be transparent, open and honest.  Our books are open to the public.

All donations must go for the direct benefit of the kitties, not people. We never have to raise funds for salaries or high administrative cost in the name of animals.
Puffy Paws Kitty Haven believes in 100% transparency in all of our dealings.

Chrissy and Rick do not get paid. 100% of all donations goes for the kitties daily needs and operating expenses.

The State of Florida Gift Givers’ Guide is a resource that provides the financial information reported from charitable organizations .

You may check to see where the other local groups funds go to, as  they raise them in the name of the animals.

Click Here To Go To The Florida Givers Guide.

Do not forget to put in their name.

You will see the high administration and fundraising cost.

Then, put in Puffy Paws Kitty Haven's name.

You will see the difference!!

Puffy Paws Kitty Haven is the only local rescue that posts operating expenses online when they are paid: the cat food bills, vet bills, power bills, and the Business Center Rent.

We post then on the kitties Facebook page, and you can see years of them by clicking here.

We also send them out to the kitties world wide family via our SOS's and updates, which we send out each week.

The kitty lovers of the world deserve to see where their hard earned donations go.

We believe in 100% transparency in all of our dealings.
Chrissy and Rick do not get paid.  100% of all donations goes into running Puffy Paws.

The priority of incoming funds are in this order: the kitties daily needs, vet care and operating expenses.
After that, funds are used for the maintenance and improvement of the Haven for the kitties, and the care and maintenance of the vehicles.

The Operating Expenses page is designed to let the whole world know where their donations go, and why and when they are needed each and every month.

In addition to this, Puffy Paws books are open to the public, upon request.