Rustic Acres Wildcat Rescue (RAWR)

We are a 501(c)3 nonprofit, wild cat Sanctuary. We rescue and provide forever care to unreleasable wild cats, and wild cats who we...Learn more

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Karle Edith is fundraising
Bigger Spaces, Better Lives: Expanding our Bobcats' Habitats
Hi Friends & Supporters,

As many of you know, we achieved GFAS-verification (Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries) last year. This is a milestone we are incredibly proud of, as it distinguishes bona fide sanctuaries and holds them to higher standards. Our goals are to improve everything from operations, finances, veterinary care and most important of all, quality of life for the animals.

We are ready to launch our most exciting fundraiser yet: expanding the sizes of all 3 enclosures for Meemie, Manka, Moxie & Dakotah! They deserve the best, and we humbly ask for your help in funding each cat's enclosure expansion.

Our plan is to nearly double their space to roam, and fill their new habitats with different terrains, trees, plants, dens and platforms. We will also include a shift area, where they can be quarantined for medical care.

This is our most exciting fundraiser yet, because we get to give these amazing cats more room to run, play, lounge and live their best lives. Thank you so much for considering a donation.

Our estmated cost of expansion per enclosure is about $12,000+. We use heavy duty chain link, covered and reinforced tops, and an 8' perimeter fence is required. We also have to clear some dangerous trees to ensure they don’t fall on the enclosures. We will start expansion on the first enclosure (Meemie's) as soon as we raise our first $12k.
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49 supporters
Karle Edith is fundraising
Help Us Finish our On-Site Veterinary Clinic!
Dear Friends of Rustic Acres Wildcat Rescue,

We are thrilled to announce our next big endeavor: building an on-site Veterinary Clinic!

We have dreamed of having a veterinary clinic on-site since we formed RAWR Sanctuary, and we are finally ready to make it happen.

As most of you know, we are on a mission to provide a safe haven for wild and domestic cats in need, offering them a lifetime of love, safety, enrichment and quality medical care. Since 2018, we've rescued many cats from unfortunate situations, and with your support, we have given them wonderful lives. But our work is far from over.

As you can probably imagine, veterinary care for wild animals is challenging. Having a clinic on-site would provide so many benefits -- the most important being immediate access to treatment and reduced stress on the cats by not having to travel for medical care.

The great news is that we have completed the building; it just needs to be finished and transformed into a clinic. This means getting plumbing, water, and electricity to the structure, as well as finishing the interior with the proper walls and flooring that can be kept sterile and sanitary.

We would be so grateful for your financial support to make this happen for the animals in our care. It's a crucial step in the responsible expansion of our sanctuary.

Thank you for your unwavering support and for being a champion for cats in need,

Karle

Executive Director

Rustic Acres Wildcat Rescue (RAWR)

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62 supporters
Karle Edith is fundraising
Help Us Build a New Enclosure to Save More Cats
Hi Everyone!

As some of you may know, two years ago, I uprooted my life in MA to pursue my dream of saving cats (big and small) -- by moving to rural Rhode Island. I formed a small non-profit called R.A.W.R. (Rustic Acres Wildcat Rescue). It has been a huge amount of work, but it's truly been a dream come true.

At R.A.W.R., we have six domestic cat rescues, a few of which are special needs. As some of you already know, we also have Meemie the bobcat. Meemie has been such a joy to care for. She was saved as an abandoned kitten by a wonderful wildlife rehabber (Abbe-Freeland) in Western New York, who bottle-raised her and planned on giving her a lifelong home with two other unreleasable bobcats. Unfortunately, they started to attack Meemie, and she needed to be placed where she could have a lifetime home of safety, stimulation, nutrition, and veterinary care. We jumped at the chance to provide her that forever home.

We are asking for your help in raising funds to build another enclosure to save more cats like Meemie, who otherwise might not make it.

There is a captive wildlife crisis in this country. For example, more tigers exist in captivity in the U.S. than in the wild! A lot of them live in deplorable conditions, or even in small apartments. The same can be said for wild and hybrid cats of all species. Sometimes these cats are confiscated and placed at sanctuaries. Other unfortunate times, they are euthanized, or live short, miserable lives due to the fact that people try to keep them as pets and can't provide proper care, nutrition, and space.

There are some wonderful, accredited sanctuaries in the U.S. who are taking in so many cats, they are running out of room. There are currently no large cat sanctuaries in New England. Our aim is to be the first accredited one. We are incredibly lucky to be able to follow the best practices and advice from two of the largest and most respected sanctuaries in the country -- we truly are learning from the best.

It took about 10 months to build an enclosure and get all of the state and federal permits to allow us to have her legally. We firmly believe in responsible, sustainable Sanctuary practices, and we only build to the the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries (GFAS) standards, with the intention of becoming fully accredited with them in the future. One thing this means is building larger than the legal standard (which in our opinion is not big enough) and providing the best enrichment to give these animals the most natural and wild life possible given their circumstances.

The enclosure we built for Meemie cost around $13,000, and that is because we were lucky to have a great builder who believes in our cause. A few places quoted us as high as $60,000! We are trying to raise $10,000. A bit of the breakdown aside of labor is the materials: we used a strong gauge chain link fence, with a fully fenced-in roof, to prevent any escape or structural damage. There is 1/3 full coverage roof protection from the rain and snow. There is a perimeter safety fence to prevent contact with humans or other animals. Meemie has a number of trees, perches, pools and toys. She also has a lockout crate with a guillotine door that we can trap her in to safely go in and clean, or give her veterinary care.

Here are a few photos from when we started building her enclosure to the finished product.
basic layout posts for perimeter and interior.

Finished product, at the time.

The enclosure has evolved a lot over the past year, with more perches, trees and toys for her.

Meemie enjoying her play pool.

... playing in a hole in the ground that used to have a plant in it.

With her teddy bear toy.

She is a very happy cat, and if you'd like to see more videos of her and the other rescues, please visit https://www.instagram.com/rawr_sanctuary/

We would love nothing more than to provide more cats with a forever home and great, healthy life.

Thank you for reading and considering a donation!

We would love if you would share our cause on social media, so we can have the best chance of hitting our goal. Thank you so much, kind friends!
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86 supporters

About Rustic Acres Wildcat Rescue (RAWR)

We are a 501(c)3 nonprofit, wild cat Sanctuary. We rescue and provide forever care to unreleasable wild cats, and wild cats who were illegally owned or seized would otherwise be euthanized. We also have a number of domestic cats who were discarded or have various disabilities. We never buy, breed, or sell animals. We are are a true, no-contact sanctuary whose mission is to educate the public that although these animals are beautiful (even adorable), they are not pets. We don't touch or pet them - we respect their wildness and let them live as true to their nature as possible.

87 Rustic Acres DriveChepachet, RI 02814

Find Rustic Acres Wildcat Rescue (RAWR) at

Causes

Animal welfare, Wildlife sanctuaries, Wildlife rehabilitation

Established

2018

Tax ID

82-4905838

NTEE code

Wildlife Preservation/Protection

Rustic Acres Wildcat Rescue (RAWR) is a 501(c)(3) public charity, EIN 82-4905838. Donations are tax-deductible. Select content is provided by GuideStar.

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