Haven on Earth Animal League

Haven on Earth Animal League We are a no-kill, non-profit 501 (3C) all volunteer animal rescue group dedicated to taking homeless animals off the streets & finding great homes for them.
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06/17/2026

The Kitten Lady Lady is coming to Naples!

We are partnering with Collier County Domestic Animal Services for a full day dedicated to helping cats and kittens in our community. The Kitten Lady is a nationally recognized kitten rescuer, humane educator, and advocate known for her work in neonatal kitten care, fostering, community cats, and lifesaving shelter programs.

Guests can attend one session, both educational workshops, or upgrade to VIP for an exclusive meet & greet and photo opportunity.

Schedule:
Community Cats: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Saving Kittens: 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
VIP Meet & Greet: 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM

A huge thank you to our sponsors Nicolet Bank and Wags to Wishes , for helping make this event possible.

Tickets are available now. Limited VIP spots available! Click here to purchase your ticket: onecau.se/_mdwuy1

06/07/2026

The shelter volunteer told me something that changed everything.
"Nobody's asked about the quiet ones in three months."
I was filling out paperwork when she said it.
Not to me specifically.
Just — to the universe.
The way people do when something has broken their heart so many times they've stopped expecting it to heal.
I looked up.
"Quiet ones?"
She gestured down the hallway.
"We have rooms full of young cats. Kittens. Animals that jump at the glass when people walk by. Those ones get adopted in weeks."
She paused.
"Then we have the old ones. The sick ones. The ones who've learned not to try anymore."
I followed her down the hallway.
Past the noise.
Past the chaos.
Past the bright rooms where people gathered.
To the end of the corridor.
Where there was barely any light.

His name was Chester.
Fourteen years old.
Hyperthyroid.
Anxiety disorder.
The card listed his conditions like they were crimes he'd committed.
When I approached, he didn't jump to the glass.
Didn't meow.
Didn't perform.
He simply looked at me.
With the expression of someone who had learned the hard way that looking hopeful only made disappointment hurt worse.
"How long has he been here?" I asked.
The volunteer's voice was quiet.
"Ninety-one days."
Three months.
Of watching other animals leave.
Of no one stopping to look.
Of learning that being overlooked was his permanent condition.

I was supposed to be adopting a young cat.
I had come in with a plan.
Something playful.
Something that would distract me from the apartment that felt too big and too quiet since my mother had passed.
Three months ago.
Exactly ninety-one days.
I wasn't doing well.
My therapist knew it.
My sister knew it.
I knew it.
But I kept showing up to work.
Kept making the bed.
Kept pretending that not thinking about her was the same as being okay.

I walked to Chester's enclosure.
Crouched down.
And said nothing.
There wasn't anything to say.
He looked at me.
I looked at him.
And something in that silence said everything I couldn't articulate.
I understand.
I'm tired too.
I'm also the one everyone overlooks.
The volunteer appeared beside me.
"He's very gentle. But he needs a quiet home. Someone patient. Most people want a cat that's... easier."
I understood.
Most people wanted a life that was easier too.
Most people wanted to skip the hard parts.
Most people wanted to grieve on a schedule that worked for them.
Chester just pressed his forehead against the cage.
Not begging.
Not trying.
Just — existing.
In the same quiet, patient way I had been existing.

I signed the adoption papers that afternoon.
Not because I felt ready.
Not because it was the right time.
But because looking at Chester in that cage was like looking at myself.
And I couldn't leave myself there.

The first night home, Chester hid behind the couch.
I didn't try to coax him out.
I just sat on the floor beside him.
Didn't talk.
Didn't try to make him feel better.
Just — sat.
The way my mother used to sit with me when I was sick.
Not fixing anything.
Just present.

It took two weeks for Chester to eat in front of me.
Three weeks before he'd sit on the same couch without pressing himself into the corner.
A month before he slept on the bed.
But somewhere in that waiting — in that patient, quiet acceptance of his own timeline — something shifted in me too.
Because Chester didn't need me to be okay.
He didn't need me to be strong or healed or fine.
He just needed me to be there.
And I realized I needed the same.

My therapist asked me last week what had changed.
I told her about Chester.
About how adopting a cat had somehow become grief work.
About how caring for something as broken as I was had been the only thing that made sense.
About how sometimes healing doesn't come from therapists or self-help or doing the right things.
Sometimes it comes from sitting in the quiet with another broken thing.
And deciding to stay.

Chester is still anxious.
Still has his medications.
Still has days where he hides.
I'm still grieving.
Still have days where the apartment is too quiet.
Still have moments where I forget my mother is gone and reach for the phone to call her.
But now we have each other in those moments.
Two overlooked things.
Two quiet souls.
Two beings who understand what it means to wait for someone to come back.

People always talk about rescuing animals.
But Chester rescued me too.
From the moment I chose the one no one else wanted.
Because sometimes the animals people overlook aren't the weak ones.
They're the ones who've learned that staying gentle in a harsh world is its own form of strength.
That waiting quietly for the right person is worth the time.
That being the last one chosen doesn't mean you're worth any less.
Chester taught me that.
And he did it without saying a single word. 💙

#️⃣ Hashtags

Ty went to a foster to adopt and Turin and Onyx were adopted as a pair today!!😻😻😻
06/06/2026

Ty went to a foster to adopt and Turin and Onyx were adopted as a pair today!!😻😻😻

A Massive Thank You to the Incredible Team at Still Waters Veterinary Center🐾❤️We want to take a moment to express our ...
06/06/2026

A Massive Thank You to the Incredible Team at Still Waters Veterinary Center🐾❤️
We want to take a moment to express our deepest gratitude for the absolute heroes at Stillwater's Vet. For weeks, local feeders had been spotting an injured stray cat, watching him struggle but desperately trying and failing to trap him. Finally, after weeks of patience and persistence, he was safely caught on Friday afternoon at 4:00 PM. With the clinic scheduled to close at 5:00 PM on a Friday evening, we were panicking. Instead of turning us away or telling us to wait until Monday, the amazing staff didn't hesitate. They stayed late, sacrificing their own Friday night, to get this sweet boy onto the surgery table.
They successfully patched up his injuries and neutered him, ensuring he will never have to suffer on the streets like that again.🙏❤️

💔We often move so fast in rescue, rushing from the next emergency to the next intake, cleaning the crates, and answering...
06/05/2026

💔We often move so fast in rescue, rushing from the next emergency to the next intake, cleaning the crates, and answering the calls that we don’t take enough time to pause. We don’t stop to honor the ones who didn't make it, or to acknowledge the immense toll it takes on the hearts of the people trying to save them.
Lilbby’s life was short, but because of her foster mom Erin, she didn’t leave this world hidden away, or alone. She left it from a place of safety, warmth, and love.
We pause today to honor little Lilbby, who was far too small for this big world but left a permanent mark on the hearts of those who fought for her. And we honor Erin, and every rescuer like her, who willingly breaks their own heart over and over again just to ensure that these precious babies know comfort and care, if only for a little while.

06/05/2026

For years, the volunteers who care for outdoor community cats have existed in a kind of legal gray zone. In many places, they risk being cited for abandonment simply for doing TNR, which involves trapping cats, getting them spayed or neutered, and returning them to their outdoor homes.

A landmark bill introduced in Maryland in February 2026 aims to change that, not just in Maryland, but potentially across the country.

Ash's Law, House Bill 912 and Senate Bill 750, was drafted by Alley Cat Allies and introduced in the Maryland legislature. If passed, it would make Trap-Neuter-Return the official state policy for community cats throughout Maryland. More importantly, it would prevent any county or city within the state from banning or restricting TNR programs.

The bill is named after a community cat named Ash. It also addresses the abandonment issue directly, amending Maryland state law to ensure that individuals carrying out TNR cannot be criminally charged for returning a cat to its outdoor home after the procedure.

This is significant because the current situation in many jurisdictions is deeply counterproductive. The very act of helping a community cat through a responsible, humane, evidence-based program can expose a volunteer to legal consequences. That discourages participation and leaves cats worse off.

Supporters of the bill include advocates, veterinary professionals, and legal experts. Opposition has come primarily from county government representatives concerned about losing local authority to set their own animal control policies.

The bill is being watched nationally as a potential model for similar legislation in other states.

(Source: Alley Cat Allies press release, February 10, 2026; Alley Cat Allies latest news, May 2026)

06/05/2026

UPDATE: REUNITED!! Rubi is home safe & sound after 5 days, 20 hours :)

🚨Rubi was LOST on June 3, 2026 in Fort Myers, FL 33905 near Orange River Blvd/ Buell Rd.
Please spread the word for this lost dog by sharing this post.

💬 Owner's Message: "Rubi has a pink collar with a tag. She is friendly but may be shy with strangers."

🐾 Description: "German Shephard- Sable colored"

🔗 For more info or to contact Rubi's owner, click here: https://www.pawboost.com/p/72965471

📣 Lost or found a pet? Report it to PawBoost here: https://www.pawboost.com/l/rpl

⚠️ WARNING: Please be cautious of users offering ‘pet tracking services’ in comments. We recommend only working with local shelters and verified organizations. Never send money to unknown services.

Brothers Sage and Coriander were originally adopted together as kittens in 2023 from HEAL, and they’ve grown up side by ...
06/04/2026

Brothers Sage and Coriander were originally adopted together as kittens in 2023 from HEAL, and they’ve grown up side by side sharing everything from playtime to cuddle time.

Due to an unexpected family move, Sage and Coriander are sadly being returned and are now searching for a new forever home where they can stay together. They are deeply connected and truly thrive as a pair, offering companionship not only to each other but to their people as well. If you’re ready to welcome twice the affection, double the purrs, and a lifelong friendship, Sage and Coriander are ready to meet you.

Give these brothers the second chance they deserve. Please share and go to healrescue.com and submit the adoption application.

06/02/2026

Maggie Lou! What a beautiful tortie girl waiting for her furever home🐾❤️ come give her a visit at Petsmart Coconut Point!


🎉Bean & Alex and Iris found their forever homes!!😻😻 , 😻
06/02/2026

🎉Bean & Alex and Iris found their forever homes!!😻😻 , 😻

Address

Fort Myers, FL
33913

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 8pm
Sunday 10am - 3pm

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