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Non-Profit Status

River Cities is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization under the IRS Code and is also registered with the Louisiana Secretary of State as a non-profit organization.

Mission Statement

The purposes of the River Cities Humane Society for Cats are to provide a safe haven for abused, neglected, stray, and unwanted cats and kittens until they can be adopted into permanent homes, to extend relief to cats who are suffering, to provide a means of relieving cat overpopulation by spaying and neutering, and to provide the community with humane education materials concerning animals.

History

The group was first organized in 1989 and opened a “no kill” Cat Shelter in 1992 in a donated house which we moved to land leased from the City of Monroe. Over the years, our building deteriorated and our 10-year lease expired. With a bequest from a dedicated animal lover and monies raised through an intensive four-year building fund campaign, we were able to build a new facility, which is located at 5302 DeSiard St. in Monroe, Louisiana.

Organization

River Cities is governed by a eleven-member volunteer unpaid board.

Funding

River Cities is a private non-profit organization and does not receive any city, parish, state, or federal government funding whatsoever. We operate solely on contributions, adoption and surrender fees, and monies we are able to generate through fundraisers, such as garage sales, craft sales, book and bake sales, etc.  We currently have no significant source of income that we can rely on from month-to-month.

Operations

Since 1992, the River Cities Humane Society for Cats has provided a safe haven for abused, sick, and unwanted cats and kittens in Northeast Louisiana. During this time, we’ve taken in and adopted out over 14,000 cats and kittens into loving homes. With the help of local veterinarians, we make sure that every animal that leaves our shelter is spayed or neutered to help reduce pet overpopulation and the suffering that it causes.

Most of our animals are rescued strays brought to us by compassionate members of the public; others are pets whose owners must give them up because they are moving to a nursing home, have a serious illness, have lost their job, or some other major life change. We are able to give these people peace of mind by caring for their beloved animals until we can find an adoptive home for them. We also take in many animals whose caregivers have passed away.

Because our Cat Shelter is “no kill,” space is very limited. When we are at maximum capacity, we cannot take in any new animals.