When an animal welfare organization faces a crisis, we believe in showing up. That is why Berkeley Humane is launching the Aloha Kitty Project, a disaster relief effort to bring dozens of cats and kittens from Kauaʻi to the San Francisco Bay Area, where they will receive care and the opportunity to find new loving homes.
Recent hurricane damage, power and water outages, and severe overcrowding have placed tremendous pressure on Kauaʻi Humane Society. More animals continue to arrive while the shelter works with limited space and resources. For an island shelter, overcrowding can be especially challenging because transferring animals to other communities requires significant coordination and air transportation.
Berkeley Humane, working with Kauaʻi Humane Society and our Bay Area partner Nine Lives Foundation, is stepping in to help.
Two Flights. Dozens of New Beginnings.
The Aloha Kitty Project will transport approximately 50 to 60 cats and kittens from Kauaʻi to the Bay Area on two rescue flights scheduled for October 5 and October 12.
Moving these animals off the island will immediately create critically needed space at Kauaʻi Humane Society, allowing its team to continue caring for animals affected by the ongoing crisis.
“Kauaʻi Humane Society is facing an extraordinary situation, with more animals continuing to arrive while their resources and capacity are stretched,” said Jeffrey Zerwekh, Executive Director of Berkeley Humane. “When another animal welfare organization is facing a crisis, we believe in showing up. By working together across the Pacific, we can immediately relieve some of that pressure and give dozens of cats and kittens a fresh start.”
From Kauaʻi to New Loving Homes
The journey does not end when the cats and kittens land in California.
After arriving in the Bay Area, the animals will receive any necessary veterinary care and be placed into foster homes as they prepare for adoption. They will then gradually become available to families ready to give them new loving homes.
This operation comes at a challenging time for animal welfare organizations across the country. Shelters and rescues are confronting increased intake, longer lengths of stay, and limited capacity. On an island, those pressures can become even more difficult because geography limits opportunities to move animals to communities where adoption capacity is available.
The Aloha Kitty Project is about animal welfare organizations doing what we do best: working together, sharing resources, and stepping up when animals and our colleagues need us most.
You Can Be Part of Their Journey
Soon, dozens of cats and kittens will make the long journey from Kauaʻi to the Bay Area. Their next chapter will depend on this community.
You can be part of the Aloha Kitty Project by opening your home as a foster, adopting one of these special arrivals, or making a donation to support their veterinary care, food, supplies, and other needs.
From an overcrowded island shelter to a foster home in the Bay Area and, ultimately, a family of their own, every step of this journey is possible because people choose to come together for animals.
Aloha means love, compassion, and kindness. We cannot think of a better spirit in which to welcome these cats and kittens to the Bay Area.