My Nonprofit Reviews

In the 2 ½ years that I have been volunteering at CARE, I have led many tours, cleaned up a lot of tiger poop, and helped with fund-raising and special events. I am now a member of the board and dedicate as much of my free time to working for the cats as I possibly can. I have learned so much about these cats.
It is such a tragedy to know of the loss of species in the wild and the consequences of irresponsible private ownership.
We all know that there is a strong possibility that many of these great cats will disappear in the wild within our lifetime. The only way that people will know they exist is to see them in captivity, which is a horrible shame. These animals deserve better than that, and by being advocates for their cause, hopefully we can turn the tide and ensure that there will always be tigers in the jungle and lions on the savanna. In the case of the cats at CARE, they have never known that freedom, and never will. They were born into captivity and will live the remainder of their lives in enclosures. All we can do is dedicate ourselves to providing them with the best care possible. Giving them large enclosures with lots of enrichment, fresh food that provides them with all of the nutrition that they need and medical care to make sure that they are healthy and live without pain. And of course, lots of love. I may not have a lifetime of experience working with big cats, but I know what I see. Our cats are cared for, cherished and protected. And they respond to the love and attention they are given. No, it is not a natural occurrence that these wild predators have a relationship with humans. Yet, because of their situation, these cats have formed powerful bonds with their caretakers. They enjoy our company and affection almost as much as we do.
It is no surprise that I love these cats. They are precious to me and hold a very special place in my heart. But it isn’t just the cats that make CARE special.
The people who are the backbone of CARE are amazing! People from all over, with so many different stories. These people keep CARE going. They are volunteers, interns, partners, visitors and donors. They all contribute to our purpose-giving our cats a loving, safe home for as long as they live. I have enjoyed getting to know all of the people at CARE. I love sharing my stories of the cats with visitors and watching their reaction to being in such close proximity to these guys. And I cannot begin to express my respect and admiration for our Executive Director, Heidi Krahn, her husband Derek and their children. They are an amazing family, full of humor, dedication, and love. Heidi has dedicated her life to these cats and to watch what she accomplishes on a daily basis is simply astonishing. The Krahn family are the heart and soul of CARE and it is an incredible honor to be a part of the CARE family.
I get to work around animals that I have appreciated for most of my life, but only from afar. I continue to learn and above all, I get the satisfaction of knowing that I am doing something to protect animals that I cannot imagine this earth without. With some luck and a lot of hard work, we will continue to educate people about the consequences of keeping big cats as pets or using them for entertainment and monetary gains. We want to continue to provide a home for cats that have been abused or abandoned. Hopefully we can work as advocates to save these species from extinction, so that someday years from now, someone like me can fall in love with these animals and know that they have a protected place in this world.

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