Question: Is Kitty Devore Rescue Network an actual rescue group?
Answer: Yes, we are. We are an incorporated company recognized by the state of California and have 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity status with the federal government. We have a Board of Directors, Administrators and Officers that make the various decisions regarding KD’s operational procedure and policies and who oversee the management of the rescue and the work we do. We have a membership of 150+ members. All are dedicated to the mission of Kitty Devore Rescue Network. However, no one in KD receives a salary. We are all volunteers. KD does not turn a profit. In fact, we are a business in the business of losing money in order to save lives.
Question: How does one become a member of Kitty Devore Rescue Network?
Answer: All interested persons who apply to foster and who are approved are considered members upon approval and are required to be added to our closed KD group list on Facebook where most of KD daily business and rescue work is conducted. Adopters who fill out applications and are approved to adopt have the option to join the membership. Those interested in rescue work in general and who can assist in some capacity to the general rescue work we do can fill out a membership application. We are always in need of pullers at the shelter, short and long distance transporters, temporary foster holding placement homes, those adept at fundraising and networking, etc.
Question: What does being a member of Kitty Devore Rescue Network entail?
Answer: We require all members to be polite, diplomatic and respectful to other members while interacting on and off the network. We require all members to participate regularly in our work or to check in to let us know what’s going on in their lives and their availability. We require all members to adhere to the policies and protocol set forth by KD. Failure to do so will result in a breach of membership and the member will be removed from the network. There are no membership dues.
Question: Do you only rescue from Devore Shelter?
Answer: Primarily, yes. We focus on this one shelter. We do so because it enables us to be aware of all the details of each cat admitted to the shelter so that we can report this information to those networking and those interested in fostering or adopting. Each shelter is different. Each has different rules and policies. By focusing on Devore exclusively, we know their system inside and out and this enables us to do our rescue work there more effectively and network the kitties admitted there with more efficiency. On occasion, we do hear about other cats in need and, depending on the circumstances, we may rally to assist. We also help all KD members with their own cats who may not necessarily be KD cats – again, depending on the circumstances and need.
Question: Are you affiliated with Devore Shelter?
Answer: No! We are not affiliated with the shelter in any way, shape or form. No member of KD is an employee of Devore Shelter or has any direct relationship with a Devore Shelter employee. And, because Devore Shelter does not allow volunteers to work at the shelter, no one from KD volunteers there. However, because our work focuses exclusively on the cats of Devore Shelter, we have developed a relationship with the shelter staff and the administrators. They know who we are and they know many of our members by name. We find that trying to work with them toward the goal of getting more cats rescued and adopted is to our benefit in doing the work we do and, ultimately, to the benefit of the cats we are able to save.
Question: What are your adoption procedures?
Answer: Interested adopters are required to fill out an application. Once received, the application is reviewed and either approved or denied. We do require home checks. Interested adopters who refuse to open their home to a KD home checker will automatically be denied. We encourage the adopter, if possible, to schedule a Meet and Greet with the foster guardian so they can meet the kitty they’re interested in. If everything checks out and everyone feels comfortable with the overall adoption, the adoption is approved and finalized.
In instances where an adopter expresses interest on a photo thread and wants to adopt a cat directly from the shelter with the assistance of the KD team, we still require an application and it is still subject to approval before the adoption can proceed. The reason for this is that when we pull from the shelter, we become the legal owners of the cat according to shelter records so, technically, the adopter is adopting through us and not the shelter. We take just as much care ensuring these adopters are as solid as the adopters who adopt through our foster program. However, because time is of the essence, a home check may be done at the time of delivery of the cat to the adopter. If the member delivering the cat picks up on a bad vibe or finds the adopter questionable, they have the right to halt the entire adoption and bring the kitty back into the KD fold. All fees will be returned to the adopter if they have already paid them and the adoption application will be considered null and void.
We also allow our fosters to adopt their foster kitties and are always delighted when a foster announces they have “foster failed”. We allow one “freebie” foster fail per year. A foster who has already foster failed in a given year but who wants to adopt another KD kitty in their care or in the care of another foster is subject to the $125 adoption fee.
Question: Do you allow Out-of-State Adoptions?
Answer: It depends on the state but, generally, no.
We are limited in our long distance transport abilities. We have one long distance transporter who travels from Southern California to the Canadian border along the I-5. He does not do door to door delivery so interested adopters would need to meet him along the I-5 to take custody of their adopted cat. However, because we do require home checks, we would also need to ensure one of our members would be able to do a home check at the potential adopters home. If this cannot be done, the adoption cannot be approved.
We do have members all over Southern California. We also have a hub of members based in Seattle, Washington. Another long distance transporter that we work with regularly travels from Southern California to Phoenix, Arizona. We do have a hub of members in the Phoenix area who can do home checks in the surrounding area.
Beyond this, no – we do not do Out-of-State adoptions.
They are too complicated to coordinate. Further, we do not cover any of the costs of the transport – and that includes the transport costs, the health certificate required to cross state lines, the rabies vaccinations that are often required to cross state lines, heart worm testing that certain states require, the cost of a carrier for air travel, the cost of food bowls and food, etc. Often the cost of long distance transport out of state runs over $1000. Further, our focus is ALWAYS on the safety and well-being of the cat. For this reason, we would never allow a KD kitty to fly cargo. The expense of flying a cat in-cabin is quite pricey. Most adopters aren’t willing to meet our expectations and cover the costs of these expenses… and we aren’t able to do home checks… so we do not do Out-of-State adoptions beyond Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Colorado and, depending on the circumstances, Nevada.
Question: What does fostering entail?
Answer: To become a KD foster guardian, interested persons must fill out or Foster Application and Agreement. If approved, the new foster is welcomed onto the closed network group list and introduced to the existing team.
Any foster cat that is in their care must be isolated for a minimum of 10 days to ensure the safety of other animals in the household. During this time, there will be additional paperwork to submit to our Foster Coordinator. We also encourage any vetting needed to be done during this time. This includes vaccines if needed, spay/neuter if needed and testing for FeLV/FIV if a cat is over the age of 4 months old. If under the age of 4 months, we either ask that testing be put off until they are of age to generate an accurate test reading or, if there is already an adopter waiting for the kitten, to have it done with the understanding that the test results may not be 100% accurate.
The foster has the option of paying up front for veterinary expenses and being reimbursed or going to a vet that accepts third party payment where an administrator can call to make payment while the foster guardian and cat are there. The former is our preference but we understand it’s not always feasible. We reimburse usually within 72 hours of receiving a reimbursement form and accompanying invoices for our records.
We do have a website where our adoptable fosters are posted. We also have a Petfinder account where our adoptable fosters are listed. We create individual printable flyers for each of our adoptable foster kitties, too. And we have two store venues where KD fosters can be brought in for the day if approved by the members who work these venues.Once an adopter is found, the foster does have a voice in the approval of the adopter. We feel they know their KD foster kitty best and can intuitively sense who would be a good match. Ultimately, final approval of the adoption is that of one of the two KD administrators.
Question: Where can I make a donation?
Answer: You can PayPal a donation directly to KD and avoid the PayPal fees by using the email address: KittyDevore@earthlink.net and choosing the option “I’m sending money to family or friends.”
Or you can head over to our donations page right here on our site and send a PayPal donation.
Question: Where can I see the KD adoptable kitties who have been rescued from the shelter and are currently available for adoption?
Answer: All of our adoptable kitties can be viewed here on our site or on Petfinder.
You can complete an application to adopt right here.
Question: Who can I contact if I’d like more information or if I have further questions that I’ve not found answers to here?
Answer: Please contact President and Co-Administrator Renée Mc Elwee through our Facebook page or by e-mail if you’d like more information or have further questions.