A cat reaches out from its enclosure at a Houston animal shelter on Wednesday, June 28, 2023 in Houston.
Brett Coomer/Staff photographer
A no-kill animal rescue serving Galveston County is asking for community donations to pay off expensive veterinary bills and support its adoption center.
Lifeline of Galveston County is hoping to put any extra donations toward vet bills for services such as spaying and neutering services, which adoption fees do not fully cover.
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The vet bill for one kitten named Pepper, who was fighting a viral issue, cost the rescue around $4,000 for three months of treatment, said Caroline McKenna, the executive director and co-founder of Lifeline of Galveston County.
The nonprofit initially focused on spaying or neutering local cats to help reduce the number of strays on the street when it started operating in the fall of 2020. It also has worked to foster cats and dogs in the community, and more than half of the animals the rescue supports are fostered. In 2023, the organization’s leaders decided to open a physical space to help get more animals off the street and out of kill shelters.
The rescue helps animals that it says might “fall through the cracks.” That includes feral and stray cats, neonatal kittens, pit bulls and nursing dogs and puppies, according to its website.
“So, we opened an adoption center in an old hair salon, kind of on a whim, and our expenses exploded,” McKenna said. Since the space opened, costs have gone up to $20,000 each month. “Obviously, the big jump in expenses for us has been tough.”
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Donations have been the main way Lifeline of Galveston County has financed itself since it opened. When the physical space opened in 2023, community members stepped up to offer kennels, tables and blankets. Another way to support the rescue is to volunteer. Volunteer requirements are on the organization’s website.
“We just want the community to know that we’ve grown really rapidly,” she said. “We would love for more people to just come see us and come see what we’re doing involved. And if they want to donate to help us with the work, that’s really appreciated too.”
