Paws on Your Heart Pet Rescue Support

05/14/2026

Catching lost or abandoned animals aided by Paws grant

An Annual Grant from Paws on Your Heart has given a new boost to a unique IA nonprofit, Paws of Hope Animal Rescue, which works tirelessly to find lost or abandoned dogs and cats and to bring them to safety.

The boost involves a set of safety equipment purchased for each of 7 active response team members. Physical handling of scared or injured dogs will be aided by heavy-duty handling gloves, heavy-duty slip leads, and dog catch poles.

Chest-mounted, high-power, hands-free flashlights will aid in trap handling at night, as well as removing caught animals from traps at night. And this crew works ALL HOURS of the night, so these lights will be a big help!

Lastly, brightly colored reflective vests with the Paws of Hope name on them will make roadside recoveries at night safer. Both passing motorists and pedestrians will now be able to not only easily see these vests, but also the name on them, telling them that the wearer is doing animal rescue!

With each team member having their own set of all of this safety equipment, response can be quicker and more efficient, since none of the safety items need to be borrowed from another team member before heading out to a trap site.

And target animals will benefit too. Loose or injured animals can be recovered quicker and safer.

Collectively, the safety equipment has immediate gains in aiding roadside recoveries, emergency trapping, and rescues of frightened or ill animals in unpredictable environments. Paws on Your Heart is proud to be able to help Paws of Hope continue its unique and important work in our community.

05/11/2026

What to do with kittens found outside

For the rescues we work that care for cats, kitten season is a challenge, not only for the rescue, but also the public as well. When kittens are found outside, there are recommended things to do AND not do!

Our grantee All God's Creatures recognizes the importance of educating the public, so they posted the informative poster below made by Alley Cat Allies. In addition, they add some VERY useful tips of their own!

Many stand to benefit from following this guidance: the kittens, community members, and rescues too.

Kitten season is here and we need YOUR help.💪

Knowing what to do when you find a kitten is crucial, and the more community members who are educated on best procedures, the better!🤓
We know how tempting it is to scoop up a kitten, but most of the time, mom is just off hunting or taking a break, sometimes for HOURS at a time. If the kitten isn't crying, looks clean, and isn't in immediate danger, leave them be. Check back after a few hours. You can also sprinkle flour around the area to watch for footprints!

Help us keep our numbers as manageable as possible and avoid being a "kit-napper". 💙

05/04/2026

More litter helps more rescues

We are happy to share the news that 3 more IA rescues have benefited from litter donations sent by Dr. Elsey's! Dr. Elsey’s is a unique, veterinarian-owned manufacturer of cat litter and food. They pride themselves on developing products to provide solutions (to cat health and behavior issues), not products aimed solely at consumer preferences.

The first litter recipient is our grantee Lucky Penny Kitties (LPK) of Waverly. A foster-based rescue, they were helped by a local company that allowed the litter to be delivered and stored at their location. LPK’s director Tasha wrote:

“This [donation] is such a huge help for our rescue. With how quickly we go through litter every single day, this donation truly makes a difference for our kitties, and allows us to continue to say yes to those who need us most.”

The second litter recipient is another grantee Almost Home Animal Rescue of Chariton. Its director Hali wrote:

“We received a pallet of boxes and a pallet of bags! We still have the whole pallet of bags and about 10 boxes left!!! And it's great litter!”

The third rescue receiving a litter donation is Funky Paws Animal Rescue of Buchanan County. Its director Dave wrote:

“Such a relief every time I walk into the shelter and see the litter donation from Dr Elsey's!! One daily stress that we don't have to worry about at this time!”

Paws on Your Heart is grateful to have been able to provide the guidance and support to these rescues on how to get these litter donations, which supplement litter that local supporters are already generously donating. When you have cats in rescue, LOTS of litter is needed and appreciated!

And for the Dr. Elsey’s litter, we once again give credit to Midwest Pets For Life, the rescue who shared their info about their Dr. Elsey’s donations with Paws in 2024. They believed that sharing rescue information is better for all, and so do we.

04/30/2026

Saved from euthanasia

A little grey cat named Goose found itself in a high-kill shelter where it was scheduled to be put down because it was dragging a badly fractured leg. Euthanasia was preferred over surgery, until our grantee Kitty Cat Rehab heard about Goose and arranged to take him into their care.

He underwent surgery to remove his leg, then had to face severe infection as well. But he made it, healed, and got stronger.

Best of all, a repeat adopter of the rescue wanted to adopt a second cat, and when she met those that were available for adoption, Goose chose her!

Goose’s story is a testament to the mission of this rescue, which is to look for and reach out to take in homeless cats with special medical needs, and to get them healed and adopted. Sometimes, these cats come from the local community. In Goose’s case, he came from another shelter where he was not only suffering but also at risk for euthanasia. Kitty Cat Rehab gave him a chance at life, and his new adopter gave him his forever home. What could be better?

04/27/2026

An honor walk for a remarkable dog

On April 2, Honey was released from the care of Iowa State University Hixson-Lied Small Animal Hospital (ISU). Doctors, veterinary technicians, support staff, and friends gathered to say goodbye and to celebrate the recovery of a dog that had become to them, “Our Honey.”

Their connection to Honey began on Christmas Eve when the 5-month-old pup was admitted to their emergency service. She had been hit by a car and had suffered multiple fractures (facial, orbital, ocular, skull, and mandible) as well as bleeding into the brain. She was surrendered by her owner in the hopes that her life could be saved.

A phone call was placed that night to Critter Crusaders of Cedar Rapids; they immediately agreed to be responsible for her medical expenses.

That phone call started Honey’s journey to recovery. Surgeries were performed to fix her fractures, then Honey began daily rehabilitation—all at the same hospital. During that time, she also benefited from the love and care of her experienced foster parents Laura and Matt Bradner with German Shepherd Dog Rescue of Iowa.

And during the 99 days that Honey spent at ISU, Critter Crusaders shared Honey’s amazing story of resilience and recovery on their page. This prompted hundreds of donors to step forward to fund the dog’s extensive veterinary care.

We salute all: the hospital and staff, her foster family, and Critter Crusaders and their donors. Collectively, they gave Honey a chance. As Honey and her foster parents walk the corridors at ISU for the last time, it is a sight to remember.

04/24/2026

Yes, it’s a cat!

Underneath all this scruff was a cat that had spent years eluding being trapped for TNR at a community colony in Cedar Rapids. A volunteer working with our 2026 grantee, The Straygency, finally caught him and transported him quickly to Iowa Humane Alliance to get neutered and vaccinated.

There, the rescue learned the rest of this cat’s story: severe dental issues (missing and broken teeth), scabs from years of outside fighting, and ears lost due to repeated frostbite.

They concluded returning him outdoors was not in his best interest. The volunteer who trapped him found a place, Good Shepherd Pet Alliance of Madison County (GSPA) to offer him a forever home.

TNR (in this case without the R!) does make a difference, not only to cat overpopulation, but also to animal health.

This cat, named Otter by GSPA, is now giving this cat the care he deserves. A UTI has been diagnosed and treated, and caretakers have discovered that Otter loves being brushed. He will be getting his dental work done soon too.

This is Otter. A Good Shepherd volunteer is caring for him while he recovers from a bite on the side of his face. He was neutered and vaccinated at Iowa Humane Alliance last week after a TNR volunteer near Cedar Rapids trapped him in a trailer court. He is about 8 y o and his ears are gone due to frostbite.

Otter has a mouth full of exposed roots and broken teeth and desperately needs a dental. It was decided not to put him back in the trailer court. He will get a dental in a couple weeks.

If you would like to donate for Otter’s surgery you can use the Donate button at the top of this page or on our website:
https://www.goodshepherdpetalliance.org

04/21/2026

What’s special about this photo? LOTS!

This is an incredible story of a dog that had to be rescued and saved more than once:
• First, by the organization that brought her from OK to IA.
• Then, by many after she escaped from her 1st foster home here in IA, and spent months at large, alone and scared.
• Then, by Paws of Hope Animal Rescue after she was captured and transferred into their care. And for this dog, that care was HUGE. This was because Maggie had tested positive for heartworm, a life-threatening disease that is both costly (over $900 for Maggie) and lengthy (a number of months) to treat. Quite an additional expense for a rescue whose resources are targeted toward rescuing lost pets.
• Then, by her new foster mom from Paws of Hope who assured that Maggie received the strict exercise restriction (for MANY months) that heartworm treatment requires.

And now just a few weeks ago, Maggie was adopted! Such a wonderful homecoming for her. And such a monumental event for Paws of Hope: their FIRST-ever adoption!

Congratulations to Maggie and to Paws on these very special firsts.

April 6 will forever be a date we remember at Paws of Hope Animal Rescue.

Because on that day… we celebrated our very first adoption.

And the dog who made that moment possible is a girl named Maggie.

Maggie’s story didn’t start with comfort or love.
It started with survival.

She was brought to Iowa all the way from Oklahoma after already having at least two litters of puppies. Her little body had already given so much, and yet she had never truly had a life of her own. When she arrived here, Maggie tested positive for heartworm and was supposed to begin treatment.

But life wasn’t done testing her yet.

Shortly after arriving in Iowa, Maggie escaped from her foster home and spent months on the run, scared and alone. Eventually she was captured by animal control after surviving out there on her own for far too long.

After Maggie was safely secured, the rescue that had originally brought her to Iowa made the decision to allow her to transfer into our care. And that’s when Maggie’s life truly began to change.

One of our incredible volunteers, Niki, opened her home and her heart to Maggie.
There, Maggie finally received the care she desperately needed. She went through her heartworm treatment, she was spayed, and little by little she started learning something she may have never known before…

What it feels like to be safe.

And then… the moment we had all hoped for.

Maggie found her forever home.

Our very first adoption at Paws of Hope.

For Maggie, it means a warm bed, a full belly, and people who will love her for the rest of her life.

For us… it means everything.

Because this is exactly why Paws of Hope exists — to take animals whose stories started in heartbreak and help them find the ending they always deserved.

From the streets…
To safety…
To love…
To home.

Enjoy the beautiful life you were always meant to have here in Iowa, Maggie.
You will forever be part of our story.

And you will always be the first. ❤️

04/18/2026

From serious neglect to kindness

When our 2024 grantee Golden Retriever Rescue of Iowa - GRRoIowa (GRR) was given the opportunity to take this dog, they jumped at the chance.

Chip, a 4-year-old golden doodle, was being let go as a breeder surrender. Look at that matting, so massive that Chip’s vision was impacted! GRR took the dog right away, then got his huge coat shaved off.

While a foster was being located, Chip was put briefly into boarding. After a fresh shave and some TLC, he started being able to be a DOG again, as the video below shows. AND best of all, a great foster has been found.

Meanwhile, we can all think of this dog’s journey – from incredible, long-term neglect to kindness . . . and being able to RUN again! Thank you, GRR, for giving Chip a chance at a new life.

04/15/2026

Four faces of community support

Support often comes TO rescues, but rescues also PROVIDE community support too.

Our current grantee Lucky Penny Kitties (LPK) recently did just that when they learned about a woman in their community who is not only fighting cancer but also just lost her home, leaving her 4 cats homeless.

LPK had no available foster homes for these cats, but knew they wanted to find some. So, an emergency appeal was made to the community, looking for foster or foster-to-adopt homes.

Homes were found quite quickly for all 4 cats!

LPK is no stranger to providing community support. Last year, they learned about a local hoarder home with many cats, most living in small kennels. LPK rescued 37 cats(!) from this home. But the story doesn’t end there. LPK then went back to the home, cleaned it, and brought in new furnishings to replace the old, soiled ones, so the senior couple had a sanitary, safe, and comfortable place to live.

A big round of applause to LPK for your continued support for your community, Waverly. This town is a better place because of your cat rescue organization and your commitment to community involvement.

04/12/2026

Scam sales are popping up on our page!

Yikes! One of our trusted grantees has contacted us today to tell us that our page has been hacked by a scammer trying to sell T-shirts via a comment added to an OLD post. And more than one post, too.

We have reported these comments as scams and then have deleted them. But we won’t be able to find them all!

So, if you see a Paws-on-Your-Heart-merchandise-for-sale comment on any of our posts, do NOT click on it or attempt to purchase. It is a scam!

So sorry this has happened.