Stronger Together – RedRover Responders and PAWS of NE LA
May 2nd, 2025
By Devon Krusko, Field Services and Community Programs Manager –
In April, our RedRover Responders volunteers headed back to West Monroe, Louisiana, to partner with PAWS of Northeast Louisiana (PAWS NE LA), a local nonprofit providing spay/neuter services, pet ID tags, animal therapy and humane education, and an animal rescue program. They are a vital resource to their community, and we are so grateful to partner with such wonderful, hardworking folks!
Our relationship with PAWS began long before our official RedRover partnership. Our Field Services and Community Programs Manager, Devon Krusko, began fostering for PAWS in New England back in 2009. In fact, fostering was what initially guided her to make a career switch to animal welfare! After Devon’s work with PAWS for 13 years virtually, a new, in-person partnership was formed with RedRover to provide free wellness clinics to the Northeast Louisiana community, offering life-saving vaccines, flea-tick prevention, pet ID tags, spay/neuter vouchers, pet food and supplies, and most recently, even behavior support and additional veterinary services to keep pets and people together. Over the last four years, our partnership has blossomed into a staple in the community, holding events twice a year in the spring and the fall.
This past month was a record-breaking event! All given by one incredible volunteer veterinarian, 541 pets received a total of 969 vaccines! Also, 112 pets received spay/neuter vouchers, and 466 individual pet ID tags were engraved. Events like these are truly a collaborative effort: the PAWS team put in endless hours on the ground in planning, BISSELL Pet Foundation provided all of the vaccines, Simple Pet Lab donated much needed skin and ear kits to keep pets healthy, White’s Ferry Road Church provided an easily accessible location to host the event, and RedRover funded the flea/tick prevention, pet food, and provided volunteers – a reminder that we’re stronger when we work together!
BONUS: Kitten Side Quest with the Pretty Pittie Committee
In March, our RedRover Responders team partnered with the Pretty Pittie Committee and Advanced Pet Care in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. We provided a free spay/neuter clinic for pets and their people – 120 pets received spay/neuter services, as well as vital vaccines, flea/tick prevention, nail trims, and additional veterinary care as needed.
On our last clinic day, I headed out to pick up lunch for the team. While driving, I noticed a man in a parking lot holding a large handwritten sign that simply said, “FREE.” I quickly made a U-turn and pulled in. It’s not uncommon to see animals being given away for free when folks have exhausted their options for rehoming. The reality is that shelters and rescues are full, housing that allows pets, especially multiple animals, is extremely limited and not accessible, and many pet guardians are forced to make difficult decisions due to financial concerns, a lack of resources, and more.
When I stepped out of my car, I could see that the man walking to greet me was defeated. It was hot, and there were two handmade milk-crate carriers in the back of his truck. “I have two cats,” he said, “My mother is sick. We can no longer care for them and I’ve tried everything to rehome them. Can you help?” Thankfully, we were just the right people to ask! A quick video call to The Pretty Pittie Committee secured placement for the kitties, and a wave of relief washed over him. At the same time, he was hesitant to give them to me. It was clear he loved the cats and wanted to be sure they were going to be okay. Could we provide them with veterinary care? Where would they be going? Would they be safe? He apologized repeatedly for not having cat carriers for them and having to use what he had to contain them safely. I offered comfort and let him know there was no judgment on my end – I truly understood. What he had made for them was creative, innovative, and allowed him to transport them. He was doing his best, and he was kind.
A few weeks later, I received the most wonderful update: the two kitties had found homes! One had gone on transport to a Pretty Pittie Committee rescue partner, and one had stayed in Hattiesburg at the Cattiesburg Cat Cafe, where he quickly found a family, including his own tiny human to snuggle – and he loved to cuddle! This was a wonderful outcome that I was able to share with the previous owner, who had reached out for updates – fantastic news that put both him and his mother at ease with the difficulty of having to rehome beloved pets. And so, with kindness and empathy, and a little bit of luck with our lunch timing, we were able to meet the needs of both the family and kitties: A reminder that it’s important to not only meet folks where they are, but to also meet them with curiosity, without judgment, and to work collaboratively to provide resources and support. That’s what community is about, after all
