Cat overpopulation in Athens County is a problem, mostly due to poverty in the region, according to the Athens County Humane Society. April Sole, owner of Paws of Hope Cat Sanctuary, said she has found a calling in being a caregiver with a love of animals and wanted to lend her home to rescue cats because of this.
Sole started Paws of Hope Cat Sanctuary in July and has many years of experience rescuing cats.
After an incident last year where a group of college students found a bag of kittens in a dumpster, Sole noticed a lack of places in Athens that take in stray cats and decided to start Paws of Hope Cat Sanctuary.
“Here’s my chance to do good and be good and show my children how to be a good person,” Sole said.
Athens County Humane Society said it cannot keep up with the demand of stray cats across Athens.
“In 2023, we took in and found homes for approximately 250 animals,” Angela Marx, executive director of the Athens County Humane Society, wrote in an email.
Sole currently operates Paws of Hope out of her own home but wants to expand the sanctuary into another building.
“The intention at first was to rent out two retail spaces, one for a thrift store and the other one would be the cat shelter (and) sanctuary,” Sole said. “The thrift store was to help fuel and fund the cat shelter.”
Sole said she wants to create a space where people can come and play with kittens, even if they are unable to adopt one, and to bring in volunteers to help with care.
Paws of Hope Cat Sanctuary has a GoFundMe page where people can donate money that will go toward a down payment on a property. As of Thursday, there have been 22 donations made totaling $910.
“This is going to happen regardless of how much is raised on the GoFundMe,” Sole said. “Whatever is on the GoFundMe is going to go toward our down payment on the property when we find something that is reasonably priced.”
Sole has run into several complications trying to get people to rent to her and is now looking to buy a place.
“Nobody wants to rent to us because of the cats,” Sole said. “Everyone is like, ‘Oh well aren’t they going to pee everywhere?’… We decided that our only option is to buy something.”
Since starting the sanctuary in July, Sole estimates she has taken in and rehomed over 40 kittens.
Marx said spaying and neutering is a priority when it comes to addressing the stray cat population in Athens and urges people to take responsibility for stray cats they feed or that show up on their property.
India Dyer, a sophomore studying studio art, has taken in several stray cats with her mother that have shown up at their house.
“They just kind of showed up either in looking through the trash, looking through the compost,” Dyer said. “Our reaction was ‘I have cat food in the house, so here,’ and then they just kind of stay. “
Dyer said it is important to pay attention when taking in a stray cat and take the cat to the veterinarian to make sure it has the vaccinations and medications it needs.
“Cats can’t talk,” Dyer said. “Be really good with reading body language.”
People interested in adopting or fostering a cat through Paws of Hope Cat Sanctuary can reach out to Sole by email or through her website. People interested in volunteering can fill out this form.
