1st Annual Critters & Co. Re-Homing Fundraiser

 So, what’s the bottom line here? Critters & Co. provide a critical but unofficial service to our community, entirely at the businesses’ expense by caring for animals in need of re-homing. They give people an option to make a good decision for the care and safety of needy animals, which can help people who are struggling to avoid animal welfare problems. They do this in addition to providing re-homing services, and care in the interim, for animals that are well cared for but need new homes for a variety of reasons. And they do all of THIS for all of US and the ANIMALS at their OWN expense.
To help reduce the financial burden we are launching the 1st Annual Critter’s & Co Re-Homing Fundraiser! Donations will be used throughout the coming year to cover habitat, veterinary, feeding, and direct labor costs associated with the “surprise” animals that are lucky enough to get a second chance. My own family has brought home: 3 kittens, 2 rabbits, a snake and a bird, all in need of re-homing. Read on for a more detailed description of why Critters & Co needs your help!




If you are like our family then you love visiting our local pet store, Critters & Co. This little business does it all, from stocking a trove of supplies (no waiting on a package from an online retailer!), to offering walk-in nail trims, grooming services, and caring for a wide variety of pets. And of course there is Raja, the tortoise who is always on a mission!

Some of these critters are purchased by the store for the purpose of finding forever homes on Whidbey.

But do you know where the rest come from? No, a stork doesn’t deliver kittens. A good number of live critters are dropped off with little to no warning, without permission, and often without staff knowledge that an animal has been brought in and abandoned. To people’s credit, they are trying to do the right thing and help these animals; and they know Debbie and her staff will make every effort to ensure the critter’s health and safety, and hopefully be able to re-home them.

However, this in turn causes a substantial labor and financial burden on the store. Extra staff are required to keep up with the needs of the newly acquired “surprise” critters, in addition to some of them of them having experienced abuse, neglect, animal attacks, being feral, or are the result of accidental pregnancies. Sometimes owners have taken great care of an animal, but for personal reasons just cannot continue to do so, and look to Critters & Co for placement. All of these situations lead to animals with a great deal of social/emotional/health needs finding their way to Debbie and her crew.

And the result…is a huge financial burden. This leaves Critters & Co operating as an unofficial shelter, which makes operating a small business extra difficult. A single kitten can easily cost the store $150 in vet/health care/feed, but is sold to the public for $50, leaving the store $100 in the negative. It’s not uncommon for 3-10 kittens to be dropped off at the store on any given day.

Many animals arrive too young and/or too ill for quick placement and incur a lot of costs before they are ready. All of this extra care is paid for by Critters & Co. With the help of local vets who frequently provide services at reduced costs, Debbie and her staff make every effort to expedite this process, but some animals, like reptiles, can take up to a year to recover! Some never fully recover and become store pets, leaving Critters & Co with the responsibility of caring for them, no matter the cost, for life.