This is a series of diaries highlighting animal rescues around the country and noting and celebrating the work they do to help animals who have no voices but ours to speak for them. I have decided to make this a daily series because there are so many wonderful rescues out there who need human help and weekly just doesn't seem to be enough. I have long wanted to start a rescue but lack the resources or time available to do so right now so this is my attempt to do my part. My little Babycakes was a black cat with a tiny dust of white on her chest. Losing her has changed my life in every way and I carry her and her brother Junior with me everywhere I go. This rescue is in her memory. I hope that these rescues will benefit from the kindness and benevolence of the community here at Daily Kos. They are amazing organizations and worthy of Kossack attention and care.
I am here, alive and all around you
I have no voice
In your trees, your air, your fields, your oceans, your world
I have no voice
I am a mother, a father, a protector, a soul
I have no voice
I can walk, crawl, sing, fear
I have no voice
You must be my voice
Black Cat Rescue
The website is here
You can donate here
Adoption info is here
Foster info is here
About Us
Black Cat Rescue is a No Kill cat rescue organization in Boston, MA. Did you know that black cats are only half as likely to get adopted as cats of other colors? Neither did we! Black Cat Rescue strives to change those odds for black cats in Massachusetts. Our all-volunteer network of foster homes is dedicated to saving the lives of homeless black cats and kittens by providing quality foster care while actively seeking loving, permanent adoptive homes. As an organization, we work to improve the public image of both black cats and animal adoption by making black cat adoption a positive experience for all involved. We fully embrace the tenets of the No Kill movement. Our foster cats come from all over Massachusetts. We accept owner surrenders as well as strays directly off the streets or from local shelters and rescue organizations.
Meet Our Team
Jennifer Stott, Co-Founder
Jen has always been that person who is far more concerned about the fate of pets in a horror movie than the people. She fell in love with black cats in particular in 2004 when she adopted her black cat, Isabel. Inspired by this spunky little black cat who could have been overlooked because of her coat color, Jen co-founded Black Cat Rescue in 2007, after having volunteered in shelter settings as well as for smaller rescue groups. Jen is a full time human services professional and devotes her nights and weekend to homeless black cats.
Samantha McDuffee, Co-Founder
Sam has been involved with Black Cat Rescue since the beginning, co-founding the rganization in 2007. Sam has always had a passion for animal welfare, spending her early years in the local 4-H club and raising barn cats. Although horses are (and always will be) her favorite animal, cats are like family for Sam. By day, she works for a team building company in Boston, enhancing inbound marketing and retention strategies. By cover of night, she unleashes her marketing superpowers to consult for non-profits, start-ups and small businesses. Sam’s house kitties are Gizmo and Cheeto.
Jillian Quigley
Jill joined Black Cat Rescue as a Foster Volunteer in 2008. Since then, she has fostered dozens of cats and helped many more find loving, permanent homes as our dedicated Adoption Coordinator. Jill is a full time victim services professional. One of her many triumphs on behalf of black cats is having successfully converted her husband from a dog man to a cat man. They now live happily with Gellie, Mo and Lucy, all formerly homeless kitties.
Daisy Jane Spear
Growing up, Daisy’s family always had at least three cats in the house at any given time. She is even named after a cat that her mom had before she was born! Daisy joined Black Cat Rescue as a Foster Volunteer in 2010. She had just moved to Boston and it felt weird not to have a cat! Always having wanted to foster, she decided to give it a try! Since then, she has fostered many cats with various temperaments and medical needs. Daisy currently works in a neuroscience lab that uses animal models.
Susanna Finn
Susanna got involved with Black Cat Rescue when she adopted her beloved fluffy black cat, Olivia, in 2010. Susanna is a research scientist, and she began volunteering in 2012 because she loves animals and wanted to help get more cats into loving homes. She has had three phenomenal shelter/rescue pets: Chocolate and Maya (dogs) and now Olivia! Her favorite part of cat rescue is most definitely the cats- the happy stories, the adorable pictures and knowing that they’ll have happy, cozy lives.
Lisa Jean Treacy
Lisa first found Black Cat Rescue at a Yelp Helps event and got involved with the organization in early summer of 2013. Lisa is currently working on her MS in Communications at Regis College, writing a thesis on strategic communications for animal rescue groups. Lisa’s animal sidekicks at home include Annabelle (a black cat), Gus (a beagle mix), and Liam Neeson (a cute hamster!). Few thing in life make Lisa as happy as her pets, and being able to bring that to other people through Black Cat Rescue is her most rewarding job.
Elayne Burke
Elayne is a pharmacist by training, but an animal lover at heart. She grew up with plenty of pets around the house. When she got her first apartment, it felt empty without a furry, four-legged family member. In 2008, Elayne adopted Kitkat and Tootsie Pop through Black Cat Rescue. She was impressed with their foster care model and how well-socialized her cats were when they arrived home. Elayne and her cats are now proud to be paying it forward by fostering other kitties who are waiting for their forever homes. She considers her role as surrender coordinator to be very exciting and finds rescuing cats to be extraordinarily rewarding
From The Blog
Happy Tails: Lucy has been adopted!
Posted on August 7, 2014 by bcrbloglisa
It is with the utmost pleasure that we announce Lucy has been adopted!
Lucy is a 14 year old cat in the care of Black Cat Rescue who has found her new forever home!
Lucy came to BCR way back in February when her owner died and she moved in with a family member. At 14 years old, a full house with several other cats and dogs was a bit too much for the grief-stricken Lucy. Foster volunteer Raquell stepped up and provided Lucy with a tranquil place to recuperate and get ready for a new loving home.
Lucy developed a minor ear infection, and then was diagnosed with some chronic kidney problems. Other than needing special food and low dose antibiotics, you would never know Lucy was a senior lady with special needs! She is petite and soft and sweet as can be.
As we posted about Lucy through the months, one of our other foster volunteers, Holly, took notice and would ask about Lucy. When Raquell was going out of town this month it seemed like a perfect time for Holly to meet Miss Lucy! Lucy’s forever home has been a long time in coming and we hoped Holly would fall in love. We moved Lucy to Holly’s home for foster care and after one night Holly’s home went from a foster home to a forever home!
Holly is so happy to have Lucy join her gang at home, and we could not be happier for Lucy to live out her golden years snuggled up on Holly’s pillow!
Congratulations to Lucy and her new mom Holly!!!
Click here to learn more about Black Cat Rescue.
Click here to support our mission and help us save more black cats.
A Fundraiser for Ronaldo
Posted on July 28, 2014 by bcrbloglisa
Poor Ronaldo! He came off the streets and was adjusting to life in a home when we received some upsetting medical news.
Ronaldo is a 2 year old cat that was trapped in a Trap-Neuter-Release program for feral cats in Clinton, Massachusetts. Ronaldo was neutered and vaccinated, but he seemed way too friendly to be happy outdoors. He may look like a tough, feral tom cat, but under that gruff exterior is a heart of mush!
Ronaldo entered foster care with BCR Foster Volunteers Andrew and Kristen. He was pretty shy at first, hiding under the futon and only coming out for Kristen with some coaxing. Over the course of several days, Ronaldo started to warm up and learn that chin scratches and treats are totally worth the hype! His battle scars from life on the streets are fading and his fur has started filling in.
Andrew and Kristen noticed a mass on Ron’s leg. We immediately consulted our veterinarian, hoping the lump was just a post-injection reaction to his vaccinations. Unfortunately, the news at the vet’s office was not good.
Ronaldo’s lump is very dense, which is unusual and alarming. The vet attempted a needle biopsy, but the mass was too dense and fibrous for the vet to get enough tissue for a definitive diagnosis. We aren’t sure what the mass is, but it could be a fibrosarcoma, a cancer that can be very aggressive. If Ronaldo does have a fibrosarcoma, the veterinarian recommends amputating his leg to give Ronaldo the best chance of a cancer-free life.
The next step for Ron will be a small surgery to determine what the mass is. If the mass seems benign when the vet sees it, we will remove the lump immediately and biopsy it to confirm. If the mass seems malignant, the vet will biopsy the lump, but leave it intact because it would be cruel for Ron to recover from one surgery only to have to go under the knife again later. When the biopsy comes back, we will have the appropriate information to decide on next steps for Ron. Our sincere hope is that the mass is benign and Ron can have a speedy recovery at Kristen and Andrew’s!
Ronaldo is very vocal, he’s always available to help Andrew and Kristen catch up on the latest in gossip.
All together, we estimate that Ronaldo’s care will come to around $1000 and we need your help! Please help Ronaldo receive the care he needs by making a donation to Black Cat Rescue today. Our organization is dedicated to making sure every cat we take in has all appropriate medical care, even when the prognosis is grim or the future uncertain.
The one thing that we do know is that Ronaldo is a strong, loving cat with a huge heart! We know that cancer or not, tripod or not, we will find Ronaldo the loving forever home that he deserves! Help this former street kitty get the surgery he needs to live a long happy life in someone’s lap.
Ron deserves a long loving life with a forever family! Make a donation today to help him get the care he needs before finding his new family.
Donate through Paypal
Mail check or money orders to Black Cat Rescue headquarters:
Black Cat Rescue
191 Cedar Street, Apt 1
Somerville, MA 02145
You can follow Ronaldo’s journey on facebook
See more of their blog here!
Some Of Their Adoptable Cats
See more of these black beauties here!