By Judy Carmack Bross
Po, the first cat ever to be adopted through Paws and Claws Rescue Center five years ago.
“More than 95 percent of the cats we save come from municipal shelters, where limited space, time, and resources often lead to difficult euthanasia decisions. By working alongside these shelters, we strive to ease their burden, giving more cats a second chance at life,” Paws and Claws Cat Rescue Founder Ashlynn Boyce.
Paws and Claws Executive Director Ashlynn Boyce.
How lucky to have the dual pleasure of sitting in the sunshine with purring cats as companions at Evanston’s Paws and Claws Cat Rescue and talking with the inspirational Ashlynn Boyce, a true community catalyst, about the organization she founded five years ago which offers second chances. The non-profit has welcomed so many community donors, advocates and fans that their first ever Catalyst Ball is sold out for May 17, but supporters may participate in the silent auction featuring sports tickets, hotel stays, and other temping prizes and other benefits of the evening.
Every week, Boyce, who has always loved animals and grew up with cats, reviews list of hundreds of cats held in animal control facilities that are under-resourced and often falling apart. She regrets that she can’t take them all but is proud that in the first five years they have place over 2500 cats in homes. In addition to the cats physically available for adoption at Paws and Claws, there are 50-70 cats with foster families who will soon be ready for forever homes. Foster families receive all necessary cat food and other supplies from the Center.
“Our organization has experienced remarkable growth over the past five years. For the first three years we operated remotely and were entirely foster based, supplying supplies, medical care and handholding. We grew so quickly! Transitioning from this model to a brick-and-mortar rescue on Chicago Avenue in Evanston two years ago has enabled us to take in more vulnerable cats, provide a higher standard of care, and foster lasting connections within our community.”
A cozy cat room at Paws and Claws Cat Rescue
. “Our goal is to provide every animal in our care with behavioral, emotional and medical care and to eventually match them with a family. We are a small, close-knit organization that believes in community, support and inclusion, responsibility, and kindness, making a difference in the lives of people as well as we break down barriers to companionship and build community.”
One of the joys of being Executive Director is reading the letters of thanks that she receives, such as the one from Rebecca who gave Salem his forever home.
“I adopted my cat Salem last year after a divorce; I work from home and had never gotten the chance to adopt a cat, so I was beyond excited to introduce this beautiful former stray into my home. Salem and I became fast friends and since then she’s made a massive difference in my life, whether it’s sleeping on the desk as I work or curling up with me to read.
“One of her biggest contributions has been at night: I have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Salem consistently wakes me up during PTSD-related nightmares. I learned after she started that cats could smell spikes in cortisol, and Salem seems particularly attuned to my sleep states. I sleep so much better since she arrived.”
One of the many events honoring the life-saving work of Paws and Claws Cat Rescue.
Guests large and small are invited to celebrate the lifegiving Paws and Claws, whether for kitty yoga or birthday parties onsite, and for a recent “Mewsical Purrformance” offered by Musical Offering faculty at their Evanston site.
“Owning a pet can be really expensive and sometimes people are put in a horrible position of having to choose whether to pay their own bills or take care of their pet. They feel that surrendering to animal control is their only option,” Boyce said.
Having the opportunity to watch two siblings who arrived that day get to know a ginger cat sitting in the sunshine was fascinating to watch.
“We see cats almost breathing a sign of relief as they settle in and have good food and medical attention,” Boyce said. “We are all about second chances.”
For further information about Paws and Claws Cat Rescue, visit: pawsandclawscatrescue.org
