This is a top notch rescue. It’s apparent from the beginning that the animals under their care are incredibly well taken care of. Gator came to us happy, healthy, socialized with other animals and ready to join our family. I would work with SPAR anytime!
We randomly walked into Petco and I immediately fell in love with this kitten, we have named Luna! Shady Paws allowed us to do a foster to adopt, and our family could not love this kitten any more! Shady Paws was very helpful during the whole process, was super understanding and easy to work with! It is very obvious they love their animals and take great care to make sure they are a great fit with each family!
This rescue is all heart and soul. They operate this rescue for one reason and one reason only. Love. The hours they put in are mind blowing. From my personal experience I'd say they are absolutely amazing and the number of cats they have saved and found homes for is in the huge. They do this work through fosters and volunteers. No one is paid. They give up their weekends - open their homes - and care about each and every cat or kitten they accept. The cost and effort to do this is staggering. They worry on how to keep this all going.... because they care. The need for cats to be rescued is so great, and they have stepped up to do just that.
As a first time pet owner, I could have not had a better experience adopting than with Shady’s Paw Animal Rescue. The process moved quickly, and they were patient in answering all of my many questions. I am so grateful to them for bringing me my sweet kitten, Suki!
I met this wonderful organization by accident when I stopped into Petco to get some plants for my fishpond. Having 4 of my own previously feral rescues, I was not looking to adopt, but I always like to look and pet the cats at adoption events. Three of the team volunteers struck up a conversation with me and I immediately saw this was a group who put the animals first. After talking about their services and how fostering and volunteering works, I went home and applied online to become a foster volunteer. I am so impressed at the high numbers of cats they help and foster. I am amazed at how many animals they have found homes for in the short time I have been a team member. Their standards for healthcare for the animals ensure that adopters are getting healthy and well-adjusted pets. All of the team volunteers I have worked with are kind, friendly and knowledgeable, they put the cats needs first, and I truly love working with them to help as many animals as is humanly possible.
I had wanted to adopt a kitten for some time before I stumbled upon SPAR. Right from the beginning, they reached out quickly after I submitted an adoption application and within the next day, I was able to put a hold on a kitten. The turnaround time was very short, and the process was very seamless. I adopted a kitten very early on and was in the foster-to-adopt program. I really appreciated the groupchat with the foster SPAR created so that I could receive pictures and updates on my kitten before I actually picked her up, and the timely responses from the team when I would ask a question. This is my first time having a cat, and I really liked the resources SPAR provided, like the checklist/timeline that detailed when my kitten would receive her immunizations, have her first vet visit, and be ready to come home. I also was grateful for the info sheet on how to welcome a kitten home and guidelines for their food, play, and homelife setup. It’s also amazing how the adoption fee included all my kitten’s health-related needs like her vaccines, testing, and spay. SPAR also coordinates/plans all of this for you so you just have to show up, which was incredible, and again, I’m so appreciative of. Before coming across SPAR, I noticed other rescue groups weren’t the same so I feel very lucky! Everyone I’ve spoken with from SPAR is so kind, knowledgeable, and caring; from the virtual interview to messaging on Teams to meeting them so my kitten could receive her shot. I feel so happy and fulfilled now that I have a little kitten of my own, and I can’t thank SPAR enough for their part in that :-)
I foster for this rescue group and they ate 1000% for the animal. From taking in orphaned kittens to injured cats, without blinking. They have never turned a kitten or cat away regardless of its needs. I am very proud to say I foster for SPAR and I plan on continuing to foster..
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I have fostered for many animal rescues throughout my life but SPAR stands out. They truly do this for the animals. For their health, well being and not just to adopt them out. They help countless feral/stray cats to get them spayed/neutered and then re-release them back to their colony so they stop producing, so they don't have to fight to compete for the females which makes them (believe it or not) a better stay cat. I love fostering for SPAR!!
I am a volunteer at Shady’s Paw Animal Rescue and the organization has truly changed my life. I working with the cats and finding them their forever home. I also love working with all the amazing volunteers every day because they always make me feel appreciated and helpful. Overall, Shady’s Paw Animal Rescue is an amazing organization that changes the lives of cats and volunteers every day, all while building a community.
I began with SPAR as a foster and quickly fell in love with the rescue's commitment to service for the animals. Their generosity and kindness are contagious. I now consider myself a full-time volunteer, doing whatever I can to help the cats. The programs they offer from TNR to adoptions to educating the community help not only the cats but the neighborhoods and family pets in those communities. I have loved volunteering with this organization and anticipate volunteering for years to come.
We started our cat adoption journey with Shady’s Paw Animal Rescue and could not be happier. From 2 sweet kittens we adopted just after moving here from across the country, we’ve now added a total of 8 adopted cats and have also fostered for the group. We have had nothing but positive experiences with SPAR and are delighted to volunteer with them ongoingly. The team at SPAR cares deeply for these cats and gives their all to help provide safe and happy homes for them all.
SPAR saved my cat! He was missing for 3 weeks and Tina worked with me until we caught him. Can't say enough good things!
Our family has adopted from Shady’s Paw on 2 separate occasions. The adoption process has been very smooth both times and the cats have been well socialized. The compassion SPAR has for community feral cats and those who are able to transition to an inside environment is highly valued in the community and the love they have for them certainly shines through. I’d recommend adopting one of their kitties any day, and if your not open to adopting, becoming a foster or making a donation to help support their mission will go a LONG way.
This non.profit was founded during the pandemic in honor of safely serving and homing Shady, a beautiful and kind black cat in our community. The founding director of this non profit is fully committed to honoring the health, wellbeing and safety of stray cats and finding them foster and adoptive homes with love. I’m so grateful for this organization finding good match long term homes at adoption and for allowing each kittie to have a fair chance at a stable and safe life.
I first came into contact with this rescue when a feral cat I fed had babies that we couldn't find. Tina came out one evening and helped me find them and she cared for them overnight till we were able to capture the mom. Since then they've helped TNR the rest of the local cats and I've become a foster parent and volunteer. A great org and when greater people!
Very friendly and inviting. A place where you can tell its all about the animals. They make you feel welcome and want to find pets their forever home.
SPAR is fantastic. They truly do an amazing job not only with fostering and adoptions, but also with TNR and education. There are few situations SPAR isn’t ready to jump in and handle. Our community is a better place because of them!
SPAR is a wonderful rescue. They really care for their community. Such an amazing resource for both the humans and the animals. Thank you for all your hard work.
Best rescue I’ve ever worked with. Was extremely helpful with educating us through the transition of adding cats to our home with a dog. Their fosters do an excellent job acclimating their cats to real life—smoothest adoption ever! And yes they were right—it’s better to adopt two cats together than just 1!
Great people doing great things to save kitties!! Rescue is hard work, Thank you for caring so much.
I began fostering with SPAR due to having an "only cat" rescue that I adopted from the SPCA in Annapolis, MD. This cat, Furi (an 11-year old Bengal), had always been skittish around people, couldn't be held, and absolutely HATED other cats to the point where I had to sit on the dog side at the vet's office!
I reached out to SPAR to inquire about fostering 1-2 kittens to see if Furi would learn to tolerate them as I felt she was lonely. She never played with toys and mostly hid. I began fostering Johanna and Kevin, a Torti and a Grey/White tabby. Furi was not impressed, but I received LOTS of good tips and tricks for slowly introducing an older cat to kittens. It took 3 months, but Furi began to barely tolerate their presence in the same room.
It's been more than a year now, and Furi is doing fine. We adopted Johanna and Kevin and renamed them Emma and Frank. Furi has even started to play with some toys and loves chasing Frank and sometimes being chased by him. She has really come out of her shell and bonded with more humans too! She barely notices new kittens now, and we have the expertise of SPAR's director and the treasurer to thank.
Since that time, we have fostered dozens and dozens of felines for SPAR and have been very impressed by the support and resources available to us so much so that I recently joined the Board as Vice-President! Now I'm a SPAR advocate and pass along the same knowledge that I gained when I first began to volunteer for SPAR.
SPAR has been great to work with, both as a foster and now an adopter. I have volunteered with others and I am really impressed with how SPAR is so attentive to the critters in their care and will go the extra mile. It’s not just a pile them in and shove them out deal. They truly give them the best chance possible and do what is best, not necessarily the cheapest. They’re also very receptive to their volunteers and any needs or concerns. They work with adopters as needed after the adoptions to ensure everyone (people and kitties) are doing well. The focus is on the positive outcomes for the animals in the present and going forward and I love that level of dedication.
We have both fostered for and adopted from Shady’s Paw and each experience has been amazing. SPAR makes sure every cat is set up with the best future possible, providing top notch medical care, socialization, fostering, and vetted adoption. They are open and transparent with their books, you know where every dollar SPAR takes in is going. I have personally seen animals that come from a situation that is seemingly beyond help be rehabilitated and find a new lease on life thanks to SPAR!