Hearts That Purr is a small but mighty nonprofit, taking care of vulnerable cats, with a mostly volunteer staff.
"We take in the hard cases that other places wouldn't take," said Janice Reed, a volunteer with the organization.
Reed has been a volunteer at Hearts That Purr for nearly six years.
She calls the organization the "gold standard" for cats made homeless because their owners became terminally ill or passed away.
"We provide a final home for all of these cats," Reed said. "You know they've lost their owners or the owners have moved and they end up here. We also get cats from different shelters that are in need. They have a lifelong home here."
Jeanmarie Schiller-McGinnis and her husband opened Hearts That Purr in 2013.
"We try to keep a low profile to keep it peaceful for the cats," Schiller-McGinnis said.
Jeanmarie said Hearts that Purr has just one full-time employee.
The rest are volunteers.
They take care of nearly 30 cats, with many more in foster homes.
Hearts That Purr was recently named by catster.com, one of the "10 Most Unique Cat Rescues & Sanctuaries in the US."
"For us to have our little sanctuary here in Tucson to be included with some of the big rescues is a testament to the devotion of our volunteers, and the work we do," Schiller-McGinnis said. "It's nice somebody recognized that."
It's easy to see why it has been recognized.
Hearts That Purr feels more like a kitty retirement home than a rescue.
"Other than at home, this is my happy place," Reed said.
Hearts That Purr relies entirely on donations.
You can donate directly to the nonprofit through this link.
KGUN 9's partners in The Giving Project, The Community Foundation for Southern Arizona, will match the first $500 in donations.
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Pat Parris is an anchor and reporter for KGUN 9. He is a graduate of Sabino High School where he was the 1982 high school state track champion in the 800 meters. While in high school and college, he worked part-time in the KGUN 9 newsroom. Share your story ideas and important issues with Pat by emailing pat.parris@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
