Grassroots Rescue
Our Mission
Welcome to Grassroots Rescue!
“Grassroots - The term implies that the creation of the movement and the group supporting it are natural and spontaneous, highlighting the differences between this and a movement that is orchestrated by traditional power structures.”
Grassroots Rescue is a different kind of rescue. We are not a shelter, nor an organization with a single structure or a single set of rules. We are an organization dedicated to helping the individual, grassroots rescuer – the people out on the streets who are saving the abandoned, lost, and unwanted cats in our communities. Grassroots Rescue is a site created to help independent rescuers find homes for the cats they rescue. Animal rescue is a challenging field, and what many who are not involved don't realize is how hard it is for individuals who simply want to help the cats and dogs. Most of those in the Grassroots group are involved with TNR of cats - trap, neuter, return. This is a worldwide phenomenon aimed at helping the free roaming cats in our communities by trapping them, having them neutered, and returned to live in their territory. We are working to get a handle on the population problem in a humane manner.
The cats and kittens posted on our site are all rescues, and frequently you will see kittens - that's not because anyone is breeding them, but because if kittens are found outside before they go too wild, we can tame them, have them altered and vaccinated, and find them homes. Many of the adult cats have been trapped in colonies but are found to be friendly, so they too can go to a home. Sometimes in doing rescue we end up the recipients of sad stories - "my mother died and left behind 10 cats, I can't keep them, can you help?" is actually not uncommon. While none of us can take them all, when we have space we try to help as much as we can.
The individuals who post on this site are totally independent - they are responsible for their own fosters and for arranging their own homes. The rules are pretty basic - all cats and dogs are required to be altered and vaccinated before they are adopted out; it is recommended that all cats are viral tested, microchipped, and treated for fleas and worms before they go home. If there are any medical issues that are ongoing, it will be listed in the post, and what has been done to the animal will be outlined as well. Rescuers each establish their own adoption fees - some will not require a fee, some will reduce a fee for older cats or cats with issues, and some will charge the maximum of $100. The fee goes to cover the expenses the rescuers have incurred - not only the spay/neuter, but the vaccinations, viral testing, flea and worm medications, and microchip, but also the food they eat and litter they use while in foster and the gas used to drive to and from trapping sites and clinics! There are often some vet bills too - it's inevitable with rescue you will find sick animals and need some treatment. The fees rarely cover all the expenses in the long run, but people doing rescue are in it because they love animals and want to help, and by having a posting site for adoptions we are working to help them find homes.
We do not have a website or Facebook page, but most of the rescuers on this site are members of the Community Cat Coalition. That is an organization founded 6 years ago, and it is primarily an educational site to teach people about TNR and to help make it affordable for those doing rescue to be able to continue. www.communitycatcoalitionwa.org is the website and https://www.facebook.com/CommunityCatCoalitionWa/ is the Facebook page. Please visit the Facebook page for information on the rescues we do and ongoing events (like adoption events). The CCC is an all-volunteer organization and all donations go to help the cats!
Adoption Policy
When adopting a cat from Grassroots Rescue, you will be dealing solely with the rescuer of that cat. While we have a generic questionnaire for you to fill out, the most important thing will be for you to connect with the rescuer and find out more about this cat; discussing the cat and your lifestyle will help your rescuer know if this cat will be a good fit for you! Your rescuer may have a different application or different questions. Filling out the adoption application will answer the basic questions for your rescuer, but we look forward to answering your questions as well. The application has been pasted below, and you may copy/paste it into an email and send directly to the rescuer in order to hasten the process; alternately, the rescue will send you the application as an attachment. You may sign the application electronically.
