Our roots began in the Gilbert Riparian Preserve, Arizona. In 2006, a Good Samaritan named Donald Bloom made it his daily mission to save the lives of cats who had been abandoned in the preserve.
“When I started volunteering at the Gilbert Riparian Preserve, I noticed abandoned cats going into the trash for food,” Bloom says. “You could see their bones. It broke my heart.”
Bloom could not just stand by and let the animals die, so he started a rescue effort and eventually the nonprofit organization, Save The Cats Arizona.
“I’ve been working to undo the injustice to these animals,” says Bloom. “I’m trying to give them a second change at life because domesticated animals belong with humans.”
Then late in 2010, tragedy struck when an agressive campaign was launched by Riparian staff to remove the cats. After caring for these animals for many years and knowing each one by name, volunteers noticed that overnight many of their favorite cats disappeared. The fate of these cats is not known, except for two who were found within an hour of being euthanized at the Humane Society.
Early in January 2011, Save The Cats’ volunteers rallied to form a more structured organization. Negotions with the Town of Gilbert were successful in allowing Save The Cats Arizona to remove the Preserve’s cats and relocate them to a new Sanctuary.
Our Sanctuary is home to 50+ wonderful cats who enjoy both indoor and outdoor areas without worry for their safety. Many of the Sanctuary’s kitties will likely live out their lives at the Sanctuary where they are treated with lots of love and caring from the volunteers. For those who are adoptable, we have an adoption program to help them find their forever home.
