Help Jackie Care for Her Rescued Cats

My name is Karin and I'm hoping to raise funds for my friend Jackie and the homeless cats she has rescued over the years. I'm going to let Jackie tell you what her situation is.

Jackie: "I live with and support 21 rescued cats and one darling rescued dog. I’ve been rescuing cats for almost 40 years, but before living in Texas, I’d never had more than an easily manageable three at a time. Where I live now, there are feral/stray cats/dogs everywhere. People don’t fix their pets but let them roam, pets get displaced by floods but aren’t chipped, guardians die without leaving a plan for their pets, everyone who wants to live with cats or dogs already has several, the shelters are always full, and the weather here is harsh. I came to Texas with three cats and one dog nine years ago and since then I've taken in every cat that came to my door asking for help. At the time, I had steady work and could take care of all of them. I neutered and micro-chipped each of them at my own expense and they all now live safely indoors.

Before the COVID shutdown, we were doing ok. I didn't have much in the way of savings, but I had two at-home gig jobs and no debt, and we were comfortable. (I have Asperger's, which keeps me from working in an office or a lab so I work online.) But then, in March 2020, both my jobs disappeared overnight and it was 18 months before work started to come back a little. By that time, I was carrying a great deal of credit card debt. One of the companies I worked for also changed their business model so there was less work available, and I had to take on a third job to support myself and my rescue friends. The pandemic changed everything.

Over the past year and a half, I've cashed out my personal pension and taken out a mortgage on my house to pay off the credit card debt, but I just haven’t been able to get back on my feet. There’s always a vet bill or some part of the house that needs repair, and the mortgage must be paid every month. My life is now entirely about work and caring for the animals, and I live every day on the verge of panic because I’m terrified of not being able to pay my bills and losing my home.

So… (deep breath)… I don’t know what else to do but ask for help. I can't lose my home and wouldn’t be able to live with myself if my rescue friends had to go to an animal shelter or back out on the streets. Right now, keeping them safe is the reason I get up every morning and continue trying to get ahead. I am hoping to find a better job that I can do at home, and have tried to think my way around this every which way because I do not like asking for help or admitting I’ve failed, but I am at the point of having to do both.

The cat food and litter alone cost around $700 per month and I also need pee pads, cleaning supplies and flea and ear mite treatments on a regular basis. Some of my cats are aging--several are in their teens or approaching that--so there are already recurring vet bills on top of accidents and final goodbyes. I originally took in 25 cats over nine years and four of them have died in the last 18 months. Of course, I won't be taking in any other animals in need unless I'm back on my feet again and can afford it by myself."

Karin here again. I'm handling this GoFundMe for Jackie so she can focus on working and taking care of her animals, but any donations made here will go directly to her. I've known Jackie for a number of years and have been helping her as I can, but she needs more help than one person can provide. She's basically maintaining a cat shelter all by herself and would be grateful for any help. Her need is ongoing at this point.

If you've ever thought that you'd like to support a caring and safe place for cats, Jackie would be very grateful for your help. Even just passing the word about this GFM to friends and family would be enormously helpful.

Jackie, the cats, and Daisy the dog thank you.