RedRover funds transport of cats belonging to a Superstorm Sandy victim from New Jersey

Peanut and six other cats will travel from a storm-devastated area in New Jersey and arrive at the Sacramento airport on December 5.

SACRAMENTO (December 5, 2012) – Seven cats affected by Superstorm Sandy are making the journey from coastal New Jersey to Sacramento today, bound for new homes and new lives. The cats will arrive at Sacramento International Airport at 7:50 p.m. on Wednesday, December 5.

Two of the cats became homeless after their owner passed away during the storm. Joy Smith, a relative of the cats’ deceased owner, who runs FieldHaven Rescue of Lincoln, California, tracked down the location of the cats through numerous phone calls. The cats had been taken in by Shore Area Volunteer Enterprise (S.A.V.E.) of Tom’s River, New Jersey, a small volunteer-run rescue group.

“I heard such heartbreaking stories from the areas devastated by the storm,” said Joy. “I realized that FieldHaven could make a real difference by taking not only the two cats from my relative, but by relieving S.A.V.E.’s burden and taking five more cats who were at the rescue group before the storm hit.”

Joy reached out to RedRover, a Sacramento-based national organization dedicated to bringing animals from crisis to care, for recommendations and assistance with the cross-country travel. RedRover provided an emergency grant to cover the costs of the transport. Additionally, RedRover connected S.A.V.E. with the airline-approved crates and other items needed to transport the cats safely.

CATS: Winnie, Tippie, Smokey, Blackie, Buttons, Reggie, Dallas
WHERE: American Airlines ticket counter at Sacramento International Airport – Terminal B
WHEN: Wednesday, December 5, 2012 – American Airlines Flight 1827 scheduled arrival 7:50 PM

Through its volunteer-driven RedRover Responders program, RedRover provides free temporary sheltering for communities that become overwhelmed by natural disasters or animal cruelty seizures. In the weeks following Superstorm Sandy, RedRover deployed trained volunteers to care for displaced pets at three sheltering sites in New Jersey until the pets could be reunited with their owners.

FieldHaven Feline Rescue is a not-for-profit organization whose purpose is to provide sanctuary to homeless cats and kittens while in transition to permanent homes and to educate the community on responsible pet ownership.

MEDIA CONTACT: Leili Khalessi, 916.429.2457 or lkhalessi@redrover.org

Now celebrating its 25th year, RedRover focuses on bringing animals out of crisis and strengthening the bond between people and animals through a variety of programs, including emergency sheltering, disaster relief services, financial assistance and education. The volunteer-driven RedRover Responders program has provided free temporary sheltering services to more than 120 communities overwhelmed with animals displaced by natural disaster or rescued from large-scale cruelty cases.