Setting up your own rescue and helping all types of cat makes Janette and Sam of Cat’s Guidance Rescue worthy winners of our award.
This award acknowledges those cat lovers who have gone above and beyond in their communities to make the lives of their local cats better.
After we posted an appeal on social media for our online followers to nominate their community cat heroes, we received more than 1,000 nominations from all across the UK, ranging from dedicated cat rescues to individual cat lovers who just try to make a difference in their communities.
This month’s Community Cat Hero Award goes to the two brains behind Cat’s Guidance in Wigan, Lancashire — Janette Barton and Sam Gallagher.
Nomination:
Cat’s Guidance received so many nominations on the Facebook post. One of which was from Mandi O’Neil Hugill, who said: “Cat’s Guidance Rescue in Wigan is an amazing charity, started and run by two ladies with a love of helping cats. The charity is marvellous; they take in all cats/kittens in need — abandoned, strays, and feral. They have a wonderful rehoming procedure and they go out day or night when they get a call. All this while working full time and having families. The work they do is utterly remarkable and they deserve this recognition for their devotion to our furry friends.”
Diane Holcroft also nominated Cat’s Guidance, saying: “Cat’s Guidance Rescue based in Wigan — they are a very small team of volunteers doing an amazing and, at times, a thankless job of rescuing and helping cats. They provide the utmost care and support and are always ready to help.”
Jennifer Rowlands added: “Cat’s Guidance Rescue — they’re volunteers who work hard to rehome cats and kittens, rescue, neuter and rehome ferals, and help out when owners can’t afford vet bills. Fabulous organisation!”
Cat’s Guidance was founded in October 2018 by Janette and Sam after they had been volunteering at another cat charity in Wigan, and decided that they had the expertise and know-how to set up a rescue of their own.
Janette said: “We wanted to do some things differently and said we’d take a break first before going it alone. But then the next day Sam said she’d already chosen a name and had set up a page, and that was that!”
Sadly Chloe was too ill to survive.
Small beginnings
The charity started out with just Janette and Sam and no money in the bank. However, as they had developed such a rapport with supporters at their previous charity, they developed a loyal band of supporters and before long, they had more than £2,000 in the bank.
Within the year, they had registered Cat’s Guidance with the Charity Commission and were well-known in the community for their work helping to rescue and rehome cats, as well as providing a TNR scheme (trap, neuter, return) on feral cat colonies.
Read the rest of the feature in the ‘April 2022’ issue, available to read instantly on our digital edition HERE or purchase the print edition HERE.
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