Sunday, August 19, 2012

Love vs Hate: The True Story of Puffy Paws Kitty Haven



Puffy Paws Kitty Haven unofficially began 15 years ago in the loving home of Chrissy & Rick Kingston.

Now Englewood, Florida’s “World’s Greatest Cathouse,“ Puffy Paws Kitty Haven is a 501(c) (3) non-profit, no-kill cat hospice and rescue specializing in providing quality and loving care to special needs cats and finding homes for the adoptable kitties under their care.


Puffy Paws is  a cage-less, free roaming, loving home for special needs & unwanted kitties.

We have 200 kitties under our care.

We have a brick and mortar Haven, not a sanctuary in name only and its huge and beautiful !!!!!!!!!




“Puffy Paws cares for kitties with feline leukemia, FIV, feral cats, unadoptable kitties, one eye cats, senior kitties, kitties that do not use their litter box, abused kitties, cats with neurological disorders, and more - basically unwanted and unadoptable kitties that would be euthanized elsewhere. 



 

Puffy Paws is supported by the love of the kitty lovers world wide.


 

This is our true story and our history documented in the media, in how the forces of evil can never trump the true love the founders of Puffy Paws Kitty Haven have for each other and the special needs & unwanted kitties under their care !!! 



THE GOOD OLD BOY NETWORK 

Puffy Paws Kitty is internationally known and supported by kitty lovers from all over the world all because of the cruel intentions of one small Florida town control by a good old boy network.

In the small town Puffy Paws resides in, early on they found out most town folks pick their rescues like a NFL football team. They pick one team and have disdain for the rest.

Some local folks have tried to shut Puffy Paws Kitty Haven down, when power, money and prestige is involved their will always be dirty deeds abound.

Please keep in mind Puffy Paws, does have a handful of local supporters, which we are totally grateful for, but their is not enough local support to sustain our mission.


For more information on the background story, click on the link.

http://www.puffypawskittyhaven.com/id402.html

Check out the story in how the haters made a phone call to code enforcement  and shut the Haven down to adoptions, surrenders and volunteers.

Bottom line Per Code Enforcement  - You can not run a business from a residential home - NO FOOT TRAFFIC.

http://www.englewoodedge.com/2009/11/25/life-has-changed-at-puffy-paws/

Side-note: The Code Enforcement officer looked the other way for years. As soon as he got the complaint , the code enforcement officer had to enforce the code. We have no ill will against a man doing his job.

What We Are Up Against Today 

Today it is still easier for the good old boy network in this small town of ours, to spread rumors, gossip and out right lies about Puffy Paws. But than again is that not what small minded simple folks do in a small Town ? 



These people fail to educate themselves to see all the great work we have been doing in our community for years just by going to our website, facebook page or Googling or asking us in person. 

The Kitties Web Site

Kitties facebook page 

Look What Happens When You Google Puffy Paws Kitty Haven 




We have three buildings that make up Puffy Paws total operation.

Our Thift-tique Shop A.K.A -Thrift Shop is at a different location.
Not combined with the Haven.



Check out the kitties -Thrift-tique Shop

http://www.puffypawskittyhaven.com/id299.html






The 2200 sq foot " Haven Home " on the right, has the healthy adoptable kitties, and our permanent residence who have physical, emotional and behavioral problems.



Our 2nd building is 800 sq foot ( On the left  ) and 400 sq foot of it is solely use for the kitties with feline leukemia, which we have nick named " The Kitty Angel Club " because all the precious fur-babies are living angels who are living out their lives.



THE LOVE OF THE KITTY LOVERS THROUGH OUT THE WORLD PREVAILED

Without local support and an excellent Web site, word spread over the Internet about our daily dilemma and the kitties are now supported by the love of the cat lovers through out the world.
 
Rick has become a " Social Media High Tech Beggar " it may not be pretty but it works. 



 
Everyday we must ask for help from Cat Lovers from all over the world, so that we may keep continuing our mission in helping the special need & unwanted kitties under our care.


Puffy Paws utilize all social media at their disposal.


Click the link to connect with the kitties.
 
http://puffypawskittyhaven.com/id312.html

Our On-Line - “ Just Ask - Hope You Can Help “ - campaign was launched two years ago and has raised over $175,000.
 
Some folks cry they do not like our fund raising tactics. Our reality is the brutal truth. We have never sugar-coated it.

That is why the kitties are alive today because the kitty lovers of the world know about our daily dilemma.
 
Its truth or consequences fund raising. If folks do not donate - We can not take care of the cats and if this happens and if the 3,000 a month operating expense are not paid,we will have to shut down and the cats will die at the hand of others.
 


 
Only through the power of your love can these very special need kitties under our care see the light of tomorrow.
 

At Puffy Paws our fund raising philosophy is a simple one. Keep operating cost and fund-raising cost to a bare minimum. Be transparent, open and honest. Are books are open to the public.


All donations must go for the direct benefit of the kitties not people. We never have to raise funds for salaries or high administrative cost in the name of animals. 


Puffy Paws Kitty Haven believes in 100% transparency in all of our dealing. Chrissy and Rick do not get paid. 100% of all donations goes for the kitties daily needs and operating expenses.




Spike uses - The State of Florida Gift Givers’ Guide which is a resource that provides the financial information reported from charitable organizations .

Check where the other groups funds mainly go to as they raise them in the name of the animals. Do not forget to put in their name. You will see the high administration and fundraising cost.

Than put in Puffy Paws Kitty Haven's name. You will see the difference !!
 
https://csapp.800helpfla.com/cspublicapp/giftgiversquery/giftgiversquery.aspx

Puffy Paws goes one step further it cost over $11,000 a month to take care of 200 kitties under our care and run Puffy Paws Kitty Haven.


The Majority of The funds Are Donated  By The Kitties Lovers Through Out The World.
On an average $10,000 -$12,000 a month is donated on-line, by the kitty lovers of the World.

The unwanted & special need kitties are blessed to have a world wide family that loves them ever so much. Mad Kitty Love To You All. Thank You !!!


As we said, Puffy Paws Kitty Haven believes in 100% transparency in all of our dealing. Chrissy and Rick do not get paid. 100% of all donations goes for the kitties daily needs and operating expenses.




                    It Cost $275 Day  For The Kitties Daily Supplies
                         Puffy Paws New Daily Supplies List & Menu
 
WET CAT FOOD

Wellness - 12.5 oz Cans - Chicken - 37.5 pounds a day.
$2.58 Per Can.
48 Cans Per Day
4 case a day (12 In a Case = $30.96 )
$ 123.84

DRY CAT FOOD

Wellness 12 Ibs bag / 1 bag a day
Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal and Rice Recipe
$36.59

CAT LITTER

TIDY CAT LITTER - 420 pounds a day
14 bags a day at $6.29 each = $88.06

DAILY CLEANING SUPPLIES 
 
$25 A Day
 
Bleach $3.00
Paper Towels $12.00
Black Garbage Bag $ 6.00
Floor Cleaner $4.00


This page is designed to let the whole world know where their donations go and why and when they are needed each and every month.
 

http://www.puffypawskittyhaven.com/id353.html 

In addition to this Puffy Paws our books are open to the public, upon request.

THE HATE NEVER LEAVES

Every day in Englewood the haters spread their hate and call us hoarders.

I have been told that this is the main reason why Englewood does not support us.
 
They tell anyone who listen, that we do not adopt the kitties out.

We do not have even have pictures of the kitties on our Web site.

This hurts us in gaining new supporters locally.

A picture is worth a 1000 words !!!!

We over 2,000 pictures and video combined. Anyone can follow our daily adventures on the kitties Photobucket page !

 

Check out the kitties photobucket page here and it is on every page of our Web site. We have had over 20,000 views, to date.

We are the only rescue in the area that uploads more videos and pictures to the Web for the whole world to see.

Click on the link to see.

http://s1247.photobucket.com/albums/gg635/puffypawskittyhaven/

ADOPTIONS

It would help if these haters knew how to read a newspaper, turn on a computer and watch the TV News. 

Instead of telling anyone who listens we do not adopt cats out.

In the Spring of 2007 - Puffy Paws Kitty Haven started its adoption program. Since than we have found over 350 kitties "Fur-Ever" homes !

Before the Fall of 2009 times were good. We had over 300 adoptions in a very short amount of time by hosting a Open House three times a week at the Haven. Inviting prefect strangers into their home so the adoptable kitties may find a “Fur - Ever” home to qualify applicants. 300 did !

Rick was making a great name for Puffy Paws and raising funds in the community while at the same time, Rick could not believe the high euthanasia rate of adoptable pets, corruption and the misappropriations of funds that where suppose to go for the animals but instead went into high administrative cost and huge salaries by the other animal organizations in the area. All protected by a good old boy network.

Rick spoke out for the voiceless animals that could not  With hard facts in hand all backed up by government documents. Rick contacted the local newspaper , government agencies, wrote letters to the editors , that were denied,
But then when Rick aided in bringing the news of the alleged corruption to a Fort Meyers TV station, payback was inevitable.
 

Rick received a phone call 10 days before code enforcement came out to shut Puffy Paws down, that the good old boy network was looking into calling code enforcement to shut the Haven down.

Not caring if the cats lived or died.

The haters called code to shut the Haven down. So now folks can not adopt straight from the Haven. But that has never stop us trying to find the adoptable cats fur-ever homes.






Check out the story in how the haters shut the Haven down to adoptions, surrenders and volunteers.


Per Code - You can not run a business from a residential home - NO FOOT TRAFFIC.

http://www.englewoodedge.com/2009/11/25/life-has-changed-at-puffy-paws/

Side-note: The Code Enforcement officer looked the other way for years. As soon as he got the complaint, the code enforcement officer had to enforce the code. We have no ill will against a man doing his job. 



What these people did by calling code to shut us down was put the burden of taking care of the kitties on the shoulders of one small woman with the inner strength of a 1000 men - Chrissy Kingston.



Chrissy works in pain everyday with her rheumatoid arthritis.She is under a Doctor's care but it is getting worst as the days goes on. She suffers in silence on most days.

Yet Chrissy makes the best of everyday and gives it her all by working long hours. Up to 16 -20 hours on most days.


Click the link to read the full story.

http://www.puffypawskittyhaven.com/id390.html

We can have family and friends at the Haven but so far no one wants to help cleaning cat poo. If someone wants to help they have to start at the Thrift Shop and become a true friend.

Currently our friends are friends with Handy man skills and have done work and still do that would have cost us $10,000, both at the Haven and Thrift Shop.

So now Chrissy is a one woman show.

Here is a typical day at Puffy Paws for Rick & Chrissy Kingston.
 
Chrissy hauls in 420 pounds of cat litter around the Haven daily & takes in back out. She washes over 20 cat litter boxes daily.Every four hours she puts out the wet cat food at 10 feeding stations, She vacuum & mops and dust daily. She gives out meds. She brushes the kitties. She tends to the sick ones. She runs to the Vet and the store for supplies too. She does this day in and day out


Rick has to raise the $275 dollars a day to take care of the kitties daily needs, plus the $3,000 monthly operating expenses.


On most days they work up to 16-20 hours a day to accomplish this.

Rick runs the Thrift Shop. Raises funds on-line. Takes care of the Media. Runs to the Vet. He is the kitties Web Master. He does all the graphic art work. Rick updates on fb and all the other social media sites. He picks up the kitties daily supplies in the evening,he pay the bills. He picks up donations for the Thrift Shop, Rick puts out the SOS's for help. He puts out all the fires that pop up daily. Rick is Chrissy's venting post.  Rick is the fixer.


With a grueling schedule and the stress of raising funds and taking care of the kitties, the Kingstons go on only by the grace of God and the charity of the kitty lovers through out the World. Now that is the power of love !


Improvise , Adapt and Overcome:
Finding The Kitties Fur-Ever Home.


After the ban we had to work harder. We than had the adoptable kitties at PetSmart in Port Charlotte. But that did not work work cause our kitties were not used to cages and we discontinue the program and the cost was high with driving to the next Town over.

Than we put on adoption events at Mike's Pet Store on Saturdays and the other recuse groups in the area with the strong support of the local media , purposely scheduled adoptions events the sane day as ours. Which meant ours were a bust. ( Sidenote: Our current adoption events will be the first Sunday of every month becasue all the other rescues are closed that day )



After that we even brought a RV for a mobile adoption unit but that did not work out. It was a lemon ....




Watch the SNN6 News Story.

http://youtu.be/2ic8nJKSx2Q


Even now we would like a RV donated to the kitties, so we can have a mobile adoption unit, a cat house on wheels.


Check out the story.

http://www.englewoodedge.com/2010/08/03/puffy-paws-wants-rv-to-make-hotel-room-for-cats/


We even reached out to local churches to hold adoption events at their churches, after services and not one church responded .


Check out the News Story.

http://www.englewoodedge.com/2011/02/02/puffy-paws-reaching-out-to-churches-for-help/


We even wrote a letter to the editor asking for the community help, back in 2011.

No one called.

Editor

My wife and I are only two people running Englewood, Florida's "World's Greatest Cathouse." Puffy Paws Kitty Haven is a 501(c) (3) non-profit, no-kill cat hospice & rescue specializing in providing quality and loving care to special needs cats; we have 100 adoptable kitties that need homes.

Our current help consists of a few volunteers and the court ordered Community Service Personnel. These people are folks who got into trouble and are trying to pay their debts to society.

We have been begging this community for help for years with adoptions , PR, and fund-raising events.

We finally have a handful of volunteers who put on a monthly adoption event but that is not enough; we need more people.

While the Humane Society and other rescue groups in the area enjoy paid employees and a host of volunteers, we do not.

We do not get paid; 100% of all donation goes to the kitties and the operating expenses. Are books are open to the public.

Last year I raised $94,000 by myself, just by asking for help and $54,000 of that came from kitty lovers from around the world donating through Paypal.

The very sad reality is that the only ones who suffered were the community cats that we could not help because we could not take them in and find homes.

You can change all of this by volunteering your time.
For more information call 941-623-8904 or go to our website.

Rick Kingston
Co-Founder
Puffy Paws Kitty Haven

Now the haters are opening up their mouth once again and calling us hoarders and spreading rumors ,gossip and lies.


Really ! Hoarders with Kitties on Petfinder.


Check out the kitties on Petfinder. ( More To Come )

http://www.petfinder.com/pet-search?shelterid=FL1065 

Really ! Hoarders with an internet TV Show.

Puffy Paws is the first rescue in the area that features adoptable & special needs kitties  LIVE on USTREAM.


The Kitty Picker Show - Hosted By The Rick & Chrissy Kingston.
Two News Shows A Week.
Showtime: 10:00 pm - 10:30pm. - Monday & Friday.

Are you looking for a new family member ? 

Chat with us “ Live " -  Or call us at 941 -623 -8904.
You got questions ? We have real time answers !

Like the kitty you see ?  Call us at 941- 623 - 8904 and we we will set up a Play date at Mike’s Pet Store in Englewood just for you.


Click on the link to watch a prerecorded TV Shows or catch us live.







Really !!! Hoarders with an adoption event the first Sunday of every month @ 1pm- 3pm at Mike's Pet Store in Englewood.



Really !!! Hoarders with a Web site and kitties adoption page and adoption policies. !!!


Check out our kitties adoption page. !!!

 http://www.puffypawskittyhaven.com/id149.html

Check out Puffy Paws adoption policy.
http://www.puffypawskittyhaven.com/id147.html


If you see and like a kitty you seen on the the TV Show or on Petfinder , all you have to do is pick up the phone and call us 941-623-8904 and set up a play-date at Mike's Pet Store.



Please keep in mind its Chrissy and Rick that are doing the job of 20.



Through out the years they have been doing all they can,in finding homes for the adoptable kitties under their care, as you read.

A BED & BREAKFAST FOR KITTIES




Haters Tell People The Haven Must Be Dirty

We have had all the major news media in the Haven through out the years. We have even been in the New York Post.

Check out the NEW YORK POST STORY


If the media thought their was a problem at the Haven while they were inside wouldn't they have turn the tides on us and shut us down ?


But instead...

A reporter from the Englewood Sun Herrald wrote - You might think the Kingston household is a crowded, purring, furry mess. It's not.The house is big enough, and the cats small enough, that everyone's got more than enough room to stretch out, which is how cats spend much of their day anyhow.


A Reporter from ABC 7 News has called Puffy Paws Kitty Haven " A Bed & Breakfast For Cats ".


Another reporter from the Gasparilla Gazette, wrote " Puffy Paws Kitty Haven is immaculate and if all the cats hid under the bed, anyone entering the home would have no clue cats even lived there.


A writer wrote from About.Com

Puffy Paws Kitty Haven: The Cat’s Meow of Nonprofit Organizations.


So in closing - Puffy Paws Kitty Haven is about love and let the haters hate.

The more they hate. They more the love grows around the World for Chrissy and I and the special need kitties under our care.

Puffy Paws Kitty Haven will go on with the love of the kitty lovers through out the world.

Watch The Love Grow
Mad Kitty Love To You All

Rick & Chrissy Kingston & Da Kitties

If You Would Like To Help

With all of the heart and soul we can muster, there is no easier, softer way to say this:

We need an influx of working capital to continue with our mission at Puffy Paws Kitty Haven.Our options are limited at this time but there is hope on the horizon, and that is you.
Where Does My Donation Go ?
100% of all donation goes to the kitties daily needs of $250 dollars a day, vet care and monthly operating expenses of 3,000 dollars ! All donations must go for the direct benefit of the kitties. Puffy Paws never have to raise funds for salaries in the name of animals. The Founders Rick & Chrissy Kingston's do not get paid. The cost is $11,750 a month to keep the kitties alive and well.

PLEASE ONLY GIVE WHAT YOUR HEART & BUDGET CAN AFFORD
 
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If we fail at raising the funds needed every day  ( $275 )for the kitties under our care, there will be no other option but to close down. What choice would we have?

An entire cat hospice will be wiped out and only painful and sad stories will be told because we could not round up the worldwide awareness and financial help these beautiful cats deserve.

You have the power to avert this tragedy today.
 

If Everyone Did a Little There Would Be Little Left To Do !


A $1 $5 $10 donation goes a long ways.

In these hard economical times, we all know the personal sacrifices each and everyone of you make when you donate to the kitties at Puffy Paws Kitty Haven and for this we will always be eternally grateful.

CLICK ON THE LINK TO DONATE


Mad Kitty Love To You,
Rick, Chrissy, & Da Kitties




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