A Kitten Place
A Kitten Place, established in 2019, is a volunteer-based animal rescue giving overlooked cats in the area a second chance at life. This organization was founded by Alicia Pollock and Michelle Bass, who have experience in rescuing with other groups but felt as though they were called to create their own rescue to reflect their own ethics and standards of care.
“From the beginning, our priority has been to step in where the need is greatest and to provide comprehensive, compassionate care, regardless of the time, effort or resources required,” said Bass.
A Kitten Place focuses its efforts on rescuing neonatal kittens in the county shelters. These kittens are euthanized on the daily at local shelters due to lack of resources for these special-needs kittens. It also saves cats that are pregnant or have freshly given birth, along with older kittens that possibly have critical medical needs.
These cats are taken into the homes of the volunteers and given the attention and support they need until they are adoptable. Some of these cats also spend their time at Sassy Cat Club Cafe in Brandon, where they become well-socialized and interact with potential forever owners.
Recently, a young kitten named Ham who was rescued by the organization was suddenly diagnosed with feline infectious peritonitis. An 86-day treatment process was immediately begun for this kitten. Now he is thriving, and the rescue is hopeful that he will be ready for adoption with a clean bill of health in the coming months.
Pollock and Bass mentioned, “As founders of a nonprofit, our favorite part of this work is how deeply rewarding it is — not only because we’re saving animals but because we’re also giving people purpose.”
More in-depth information about the process of fostering, along with information about how to support this cause and save more kitties, can be found on A Kitten Place’s website at https://akittenplace.org/.
Sassy Cat Club Cafe
Sassy Cat Club Cafe, located at 735 W. Lumsden Rd. in Brandon, is a unique place where the community can interact with cats that are available for adoption. Since opening its doors on March 1, 2023, it has welcomed cat lovers to come and enjoy the company of its fosters.
To spend time with the cats, it costs $10 for 30 minutes and $15 for an hour per person; children under 2 have free admission. The cafe invites people to study, work or just relax. It offers a variety of drinks, including coffee, tea, hot chocolate and cold beverages, but it also allows outside beverages to be brought in.
This cafe partners with A Kitten Place, where Sassy Cat Club Cafe receives its cats from. Through the cafe, cats are able to become socialized and connect with potential owners. Currently, it has 15 adoptable cats and three permanent residents.
Owner Nicole Duffey is a licensed animal nurse who spent her time working in the veterinary hospital.
She said, “Clients would always ask how great it is to get to play with cute puppies and kittens all day long. That was hardly ever the case in a veterinary hospital, but it had other rewards that were amazing. Now, at Sassy Cat Club Cafe, I literally get to play with cats and kittens all day long every day. I have the best job in the world, in my opinion.”
Sassy Cat Club Cafe’s efforts have allowed it to find forever homes for 368 cats. Duffey, as the owner, enjoys seeing the bonds that cat owners make with their feline friends.
Check out its website, https://sassycatclubcafe.com/, and social media pages for more information, as their hours fluctuate depending on the day.
Raining Cats and Dogs Shelter and Sanctuary
Founded in 2017, Raining Cats and Dogs Shelter and Sanctuary has made it a priority to rescue unwanted and homeless pets in the Hillsborough and Polk County areas. This rescue is not only a shelter but also a sanctuary, meaning if an animal is not adopted, it will have a forever home with the organization.
This shelter and sanctuary is located at 2708 SR 60 in Plant City and is 100 percent volunteer-run and donation-based. All the volunteers are passionate about their love for animals, and it shows through their impact as a program.
Laura Santo is the founder and president of this organization. Here, Santo imagined a place where cats and dogs could learn to be loved by people and not have any time limit on how long that might take.
For example, a dog named Stormy has been at the shelter since Easter of 2022. She arrived as a pregnant stray who ended up having 10 puppies a couple days later. All the puppies have since then been adopted into loving homes. Stormy is an all-around great dog, but she needs to be an only pet. Stormy and the volunteers still have hope that they will find the perfect forever home for her as well.
Within the rescue is a group called Dog Moms Doing Good. This group was created to help give back to the community, which has supported the rescue. The rescue-dog moms meet quarterly to assist other organizations in the community. For example, the group is focusing its next efforts on “bringing a little bit of joy to homebound senior citizens within the Plant City area by teaming up with Meals on Wheels.”
All adoptions are done by appointment only, as Raining Cats and Dogs does not accept walk-in visitors. More information about this rescue and adoptable animals can be found on its website at www.rainingcatsanddogsshelter.com.
You must be logged in to post a comment.