Our Work
What, Who, & How we help
Pearl's Piece is striving to help the most underserved animal populations in our area. While our organization is small, we work with what we have to make the biggest impact.
We rely on volunteer manpower and the generosity of our community providing donations to run all of our operations.
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Read more about how we serve our community below:
Animal Intakes
warm beds and full bellies
Because we are a private, volunteer-led, foster-based, non-profit organization, we are only able to accept animals into our custody as resources allow, and within the parameters of our local laws. Therefore, animals must meet the following criteria to be considered for intake and will be prioritized based on urgency of specific cases.
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Please note, if we can't accept a particular animal into our care, there may be other ways we can help, and are happy to look into the situation!
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Intake Candidates Include:
Stray Kittens with no mother
Stray Pregnant or Mother Cats with Kittens
Feral Cats (Trap/Neuter/Release Only)
Owner Surrender kittens
Owner Surrender Pregnant or Mother Cats with Kittens
Injured & Special Needs Animals
Small Breed Dogs
Small Breed Pregnant and Mother Dogs with Puppies
Animals transferred from other organizations (based on details of individual case)
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Animals we are unable to take into custody:
Owned adult cats, including outdoor cats (Protected by local and personal property laws)
Feral Cats who cannot be returned to the same area after s/neuter (Protected by local laws)
Large Breed Dogs (No available housing for large breeds currently)
Small Pets including Rabbits, Ferrets, Hamsters, Reptiles, Birds, & Fish (No available housing for small pets)
Livestock (no available housing)
Wildlife (Protected by local laws)
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However, we can get you in touch with the local organizations that can help these animals, please ask!
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Although we don't have a specific territory we cover, distance, transportation needs, and local laws and policies may factor into our intake acceptance.
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All of our adoptable animals enter our custody through one of these means. Interested adopters are given a full history of the animal as we know it.
TNR
(Trap/Neuter/Release)
Feral cats, also known as stray cats and community cats, are unowned cats that live as wildlife outside and are often unsocialized and unfriendly toward humans. While they are not tame and friendly like other cats you've met, they pose very little risk to humans unless they feel cornered or threatened. In most cases, they try to be seen as little as possible, unless they have become accustomed to human presence, especially if someone has been feeding them. As social creatures, they often live in colonies, meaning if you see one cat, there are probably others nearby. If not managed, a feral colony can reproduce and become a nuisance to the surrounding area.
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Cats can become pregnant at three months old, with a pregnancy that lasts two months, and can even become pregnant again while still nursing their young! Additionally, cats tend to have large litters, so a single pregnant female can quickly turn into an entire colony in just a few months!
TNR is the most effective and humane way to help feral cats and control their population.
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After discussing with nearby humans we form a plan to fit that particular situation. The whole process takes several days to months depending on the size of the colony and their environment.
Owned cats are identified and accounted for and left alone. Feral cats are observed, identified, and targeted for trapping.
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When trapping begins, specially designed traps are set out that catch the cat alive without harming them, and hold them for transport. Cats are picked up as soon as they are caught, and taken to a safe, low-stress, climate controlled holding area where all their needs are met while awaiting their vet appointment.
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Once at the vet, cats are safely sedated in a low stress manner. Once they are under anesthesia, they receive a full veterinary exam, necessary vaccines to prevent illness and spread of disease to both humans and other animals, receive treatment for any injuries or illnesses, are spayed or neutered, and receive an ear tip identification mark so that they can be identified from a distance to everyone that they have already been TNR'ed and are a good kitty citizen. They also receive a long lasting pain control injection to help them stay comfortable for the next few days during surgery recovery.
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While still sedated, they are transported back to the holding area for their recovery period, and receive continued care until they are fully recovered and ready to release.
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When release day arrives, they are transported back to the exact place they were trapped, as they know this as their home territory. They are released at a safe and low stress time and are once again free to live their life as they always have, unaware of any change except a strange past few days.
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If not already in place, we also try to set up a volunteer caretaker who comes to their territory each day to provide food, clean water, and observe them from a distance, overseeing any health issues or injuries, in which case the cat would be trapped again to receive needed vet care. These caretakers are often local neighbors recruited during the beginning of the TNR process, and require no special training, and all supplies are provided by the rescue if necessary.
