Cat Care Society Encourages Year-End Giving on Colorado Gives Day, Throughout December

Lakewood, CO, December 06, 2014 --(PR.com)-- The Cat Care Society (CCS) will once again participate in Colorado Gives Day, which takes place this year on Tuesday, December 9. The annual statewide movement celebrates and increases philanthropy in Colorado through online giving opportunities benefitting local nonprofit organizations. In celebration of this initiative and the goodwill of the holiday season, CCS has built its 2014 year-end giving appeal around the success of the shelter’s work with a rescue cat named Wakko. Like so many nonprofits, CCS depends on the generosity of the community and is encouraging donations throughout the month of December.

“We’ve cared for and placed some extraordinary cats this year, including a special-needs feline named Wakko, who tugged at the heartstrings of our entire community,” said Diane Stoner, CCS board president. “We couldn’t serve cats, and the people who love them, without help from our generous donors. Our annual year-end giving appeal and participation in Colorado Gives Day allows CCS to raise the necessary funds to continue providing second, third and fourth chances at life for thousands of cats and kittens.”

This year, thanks to Community First Foundation and First Bank, Colorado Gives Day features a $1 million incentive fund, one of the largest gives day incentive funds in the country. Every non-profit receiving a donation on Colorado Gives Day receives a portion of the incentive fund. As in previous years, Colorado Gives Day credit card processing fees will be covered by Community First Foundation, FirstBank and local foundations, ensuring that 100 percent of donations go directly to participating nonprofit organizations.

To donate, visit the www.catcaresociety.org/how-to-help/donations and click the "Donate Now" button. Donations to CCS can help homeless, injured and abused cats in the Denver area in the following ways:

· $5,000 feeds 60 cats for 9 months.
· $1,000 cares for 30 kittens, including shots, spays/neuters, microchips, food and litter.
· $500 provides medical care for one geriatric cat for one year.
· $125 purchases one month’s worth of kitty litter.
· $50 provides antibiotics for a sick cat.

Wakko’s story:
In August 2013, a mother cat and her two kittens were abandoned in a cardboard box outside of CCS. The three cats were in relatively good condition, with the exception of a gray-and-white male kitten, just a few weeks old, who was suffering from a suspected upper respiratory infection. Dubbed “Wakko,” the kitten was treated with several rounds of antibiotics but showed little improvement. After further exams and x-rays, the CCS veterinarian speculated that Wakko had a birth defect in the roof of his mouth, severely obstructing his nasal passages.

The shelter’s medical team consulted with a specialist who recommended additional, expensive testing, which would likely be followed by continued treatment. As the costs mounted, it far surpassed the budget CCS could afford for just one of the 75 cats in the shelter’s care. CCS turned to the community for help and established a crowdfunding campaign for Wakko’s care. The kitten had touched the hearts of staff, volunteers and visitors who gave selflessly, allowing Wakko to receive the tests he badly needed. Sadly, veterinarians concluded that the malformations in the young cat’s skull, sinus and nasal passages weren’t repairable and he would always need special care.

The staff and volunteers at CCS set out on a mission to find a home that could devote extra care to Wakko. In July 2014, the shelter’s efforts paid off when a family with a young, special-needs child recognized the cat’s wonderful temperament and agreed to give Wakko a loving, engaging home. Wakko, who has since been renamed Jake, has found his forever family and receives continued care from CCS under the shelter’s PerpetuCare program, which helps cover medical expenses for senior and special-needs cats.

CCS does not receive government funding – all financial support for the shelter comes in the form of private donations. Using the financial gifts the shelter received for the care of Wakko, CCS was able to find a doting family and special child to match with a lovable cat who needed extra care and attention. Charitable contributions help CCS bring about life-changing moments like these, both for cats and the people they bond with.

The Cat Care Society is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for homeless, injured and abused cats in the Denver metropolitan area. In an effort to prevent animal neglect and abuse, CCS offers educational programs that promote responsible pet ownership and humane treatment of all animals; provides shelter for cats in a healthy, cage-free environment; and works to find compatible families for every feline that comes into the facility. The shelter provides a loving, temporary refuge for more than 50 cats at any given time, affordable veterinary services to the general public and a free food and litter bank for cat owners experiencing temporary financial challenges. For more information, please visit www.catcaresociety.org, follow us on Twitter or like us on Facebook.