Our Mission:
To improve the welfare of cats and kittens on the island of Puerto Rico
Contact email:
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Your donations support TNVR (trap, neuter, vaccinate, return) efforts for cat colonies, as well as the care of adoptable cats and kittens from these groups. They also help cover veterinary care as needed. Additionally, your contributions fund public training and education on the importance of spaying/neutering household pets and proper cat colony management.
We are entirely operated by dedicated volunteers and are a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. Click here for documentation.
Our Foster Program:
Just fill out our foster application and we will call you and place you on our foster list. When we need a foster residence in your area, we will contact you. Fostering is very flexible! You can say "no" if the timing isn't quite right. We will keep you on the list and when we contact you again, you can let us know if you are ready! No pressure.
We need fosters on and off island! Thousands of homeless cats and kittens in Puerto Rico are in need of help. Please fill out our Foster application below!
By transporting these animals off the island, we increase their chances of finding a loving forever home. Our foster program provides temporary care for these animals while we search for permanent adopters.
At no cost to you, we arrange a flight to the closest major airport to you. Together, we arrange transfer of the cat(s) or kitten(s) into your care. You can then provide affection, security, care and a nurturing environment so a sweet kitten(s) or cat(s) to flourish.
We provide expert guidance and assistance throughout the fostering journey, a special "cat bag" containing your feline's food, a collar, his or her toy, and their favorite blanket.
We will continue our efforts until we find permanent homes for the kittens or cats we place in your care.
Cat Adoption:
Mango and Tango are headed to their forever home in Massachusetts! Anna and Miriam (traveling buddies) are accompanying them for the entire flight until they hand them to their new family at the airport.
Check out our Facebook and Instagram pages for available adoptees!
We need adoptors on and off island!
But, did you know that taking a Puerto Rican cat or kitten home for adoption on the mainland is as easy as 1-2-3?
Please fill out an ADOPTION APPLICATION. We will review your application and meet you via FaceTime or Zoom. Each cat and kitten has a unique character and we want to match the best home to the best pet.
If you are traveling to your off-island home with your new cat or kitten, you will need to purchase a ticket for your pet (costing between $95 to $150) which can be added to your existing reservation. The Sanctuary can help you organize this. We are happy to provide you with the required airline approved carry-on bag for $35.
If you live off island, the Sanctuary can organize cat or kitten travel through "Flight Angel" networks of traveling cat buddies that will accompany your future pet during travel.
Ruth Kaplan, President
Danielle Michail, Secretary
Linda Kee, Vice President
Laurie Powsner, Treasurer
Rick Jeffries, Vice President
Leadership, Caregivers and Volunteers
Each of these compassionate and loving caregivers and volunteers
brings a special skill set to our nonprofit!
Ruth
Ruth Kaplan, the current President of Chateaux De Gatos Sanctuary holds a doctorate in physical therapy and lives most of the year in Princeton NJ. She recently sold her physical therapy practice, and she now intends to spend more time enjoying Rincon, PR working to TNR cat colonies. Ruth owned and operated a physical therapy clinic in Princeton for 12 years. She is knowledgeable about running a business, bookkeeping, state and federal requirements, and business record keeping. Ruth has never NOT owned a cat; cats tend to find her wherever she goes. When she bought a house in Rincon with her husband, it was fitting that many cats would come into her life!
Linda
Linda is a current Vice President at the Chateaux De Gatos Sanctuary. She grew up in California, where she has spent the majority of her adult life. She and her husband also have a residence in Puerto Rico. Linda has a Masters degree in Speech and Language Pathology. Her 35 years working in Special Education, as a Speech-Language Pathologist also required patience, empathy, attention to detail, knowledge of Special Education laws and the ability to implement these laws for the benefit of her clients. Working with other professionals , as a team with a common goal, was a vital part of her career. She grew up in a home that always had cats and dogs. As an adult she and her husband have always had cats and/ or dogs in their home and in their lives. Linda and her husband have helped rescue several dogs and cats in Puerto Rico before becoming involved with this non-profit.
Rick
Rick is joining the Board of Directors of Chateaux De Gatos Sanctuary as a new member. He has worked as a mental health professional for over 35 years. Twenty four with incarcerated adolescent offenders with serious psychiatric conditions and thirteen in privat practice serving adolescents, families, and individuals. "Compassion and the pursuit of improved functioning for my clients was always my primary focus." Rick was raised in a family who always had pets, mostly cats and dogs, but at least two sets of turtles. He and his wife alternate their time between Northern California and Puerto Rico. They have made many trips back and forth between the island and the mainland with both cats and dogs. They have also been involved with rescues, fosters, and transporting animals from PR to the mainland. Rick sees his role on the Board as a continuation of his efforts to provide care for small animals.
Danielle
Danielle Michail is a seasoned entrepreneur with over 25 years of experience running a successful bodywork business in Los Angeles. After relocating to Evergreen, Colorado, she expanded her skill set by owning and managing a pet care business for three years. Now based in Puerto Rico, Danielle is dedicated to animal welfare, working with organizations like Santuario de Francis de Assisi and the Puerto Rico Dog Fund to promote spay and neuter programs. Her commitment to service and community impact underscores a career devoted to well-being and compassionate care.
Laurie
Laurie Powsner, MSW, LCSW is a social worker in private practice providing individual, couple and family counseling with specializations in grief, aging, chronic and terminal illness. In addition, she does consulting with families around issues of aging in place. She has worked for over 30 years at Penn Medicine Princeton Hospital as a hospice, acute
rehab and post-surgical social worker. She has been on several boards currently serves on the boards of the Funeral Consumers Alliance of New Jersey and Marian’s Natural Burial Grounds (green cemetery). She volunteers for Meals on Wheels of Trenton and does fundraising for the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Princeton. She has a cute dog and two lovely obstreperous cats.
Business address:
9 Erdman Avenue Princeton, NJ 08540
We are located in Rincon, PR 00677
EIN: 93-3287424
100% of your donation goes towards the care of the cats at the Sanctuary, public education regarding spay/neutering, and feral cat colony care (TNR.) All workers are volunteer and receive no salaries. Your contributions are tax-deductible for federal income tax purposes.
This nonprofit was incorporated in October, 2023. Annual Report and Form 990-N will be published in April of 2024.
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