Maine Coon Adoptions Says Farewell After 17 Years of Rescue Work
One of the Bay's most respected animal rescue organizations, Maine Coon Adoptions, is closing down its operations after 17 years with the retirement of its founder and Director, Elaine Lyforn-Nojima. The entirely volunteer-based organization has helped more than 3,400 cats find homes.
While they're still winding down adoptions, Maine Coon Adoptions has already made sure that their remaining cats land safely on their feet by collaborating with the Oakland-based rescue, Cat Town. Says founder and Director Elaine Lyford-Nojima, "We've committed to care for these cats for their entire lifetimes. I'm thrilled that Cat Town will be keeping that promise for us." Maine Coon Adoptions is making a significant grant to Cat Town to create a new, dedicated fund that will completely cover the expenses of this commitment.
While the move comes at a time when many nonprofits are closing down, this plan was in the works long before Covid struck. "We did extensive research to find an organization that would really understand our vision. I wanted to find an organization that was fiscally stable, with a strong track record of stepping up for the same kinds of senior cats, shy cats, and cats with exceptional medical needs that we help so often, and a commitment to caring for their cats for life. Based on these criteria alone, there was no question: Cat Town was without a doubt the best choice for us to entrust this work to."
A Legacy of Compassion
Elaine was inspired to rescue cats by the first Maine Coon she ever adopted, Buzz. "That cat is responsible for saving more lives than anyone," she laughs. "But of course, we don't help only Maine Coons ? we've helped any cat who doesn't stand a chance in a shelter, precisely because they needed us, and because we could," says Elaine. "This year, we've adopted out more cats than ever, which has made our final year an incredibly rewarding one."
Volunteers at Maine Coon Adoptions have supported roughly 200-250 cats per year, filling animal welfare needs that had been overlooked or were unable to be filled in many communities. The organization has helped cats from as far away as Mexico and Lebanon, but the heart of their work focused on cats in California's Central Valley. There, Maine Coon Adoptions rescued cats at municipal shelters with high euthanasia rates, and supported smaller rescue groups to help meet the overwhelming need for animals in the region.
When a cat arrives into the care of Maine Coon Adoptions, it benefits from a lifelong promise: no matter what, no matter how long ago they were adopted ? that cat will always have a safe place to return to.
In 2006, Maine Coon Adoptions launched an initiative to increase rescue of older, special needs, and shy kitties. Within a year and a half, their rescue rate for these cats rose from 4% to 17% of their total adoptions. Since then, about one in five cats in their care has been a senior cat, or a cat with special needs. The organization even has a crew of specially trained volunteers, the Kitty Cuddlers, who ensure shy or traumatized cats get plenty of human contact so they can learn to trust again. It is primarily these special cats who will come into Cat Town's care after December 31. In addition, Cat Town has committed to accepting returns of any cat adopted from Maine Coon Adoptions for the rest of the cats' lives. If the guardian is no longer able to care for them, Cat Town will provide a vital safety-net to keep these cats out of shelters.
As of November 15, Maine Coon Adoptions has stopped accepting new cats into their care, and is now focused on adopting out cats already in foster homes. Andrew Dorman, Cat Town's Executive Director, shares, "For Elaine to start a nonprofit, keep it going for nearly two decades, and now to entrust her life's work to Cat Town is a huge honor. The cats who will come under our care are precisely the ones we save every day as part of our core mission. They'll fit seamlessly into our programs. Plus, everyone deserves a retirement after a career making the world a better place. I'm happy that Cat Town can help ensure Maine Coon Adoptions' legacy of compassion."
To learn more about Maine Coon Adoptions and Cat Town, visit their websites: www.mainecoonadoptions.com and www.cattownoakland.org.
ABOUT MAINE COON ADOPTIONS
Maine Coon Adoptions is a California no-kill cat rescue dedicated to rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming abused, abandoned and homeless Maine Coon mixes and other kitties of all ages, and to reducing the rate of euthanasia of older and special needs kitties. Maine Coon Adoptions was selected by Independent Charities of America as one of the best charities in America.
ABOUT CAT TOWN
Cat Town's mission is to transform the approach to saving shelter cats, reducing euthanasia nationwide. Our focus is to find great homes for cats who are considered unadoptable in the traditional rescue model. Cat Town focuses on the elderly, frightened, stressed, and sick or injured cats who would otherwise be killed. Cat Town's approach proves these cats are highly adoptable, and since 2011, has helped reduce the euthanasia rate for cats at Oakland Animal Services, Oakland's municipal shelter, by more than 70%.
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