Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
Wednesday, September 30, 2020 - Joe Kiedinger
Ah, the Neapolitan Building. As I sit at my desk each day, brainstorming, writing and considering the next steps for clients, I gaze out my second-floor window overlooking the Broadway District. Directly across from me, the downtown storefronts layer pink, white and black into one fun, eclectic look—thus the ice cream moniker I’ve given it.
I thought to myself, I want to reach out to some of our neighboring businesses and spread some dignity in the world. After all, that’s why Prophit Co. exists: to give people credit for what they do because of who they are.
Today, let’s get to know Safe Haven Pet Sanctuary:
You may have heard of Grandpa Terry, the catnapping volunteer whose tendency to drift off while brushing cats helped Safe Haven go viral on social media last year. It was big. I mean, Good Morning America, People Magazine and Huffington Post big.
Behind the scenes, founder Elizabeth Feldhausen’s vision and grit has powered Safe Haven through stacks of challenges in its first five years—all starting when her own cat developed health issues and special needs. She quickly realized the Green Bay area was lacking resources for pets like hers and many were being euthanized. She and her good friend Jeremy began fostering and rehabilitating cats in her home and had to self-educate on many feline illnesses and disabilities so they could care for the animals they took in. The costs were staggering, but sheer determination urged them on.
As a young, 24 year-old opening her own business, Elizabeth also struggled to being taken seriously—not to mention finding a location to rent, having many live animals, setting up financing, insurance and contractors.
The growth since then has been exponential. After six months of operating out of Elizabeth’s home, Safe Haven opened their first formal location in De Pere. A mere ten months later, the organization moved to their current location across from Prophit Co. in Green Bay, in addition to opening their new cat café, The Pawffee Shop, in Appleton. In 2021, they plan to break ground on a brand new facility.
None of this success was the luck of the draw. This has all been the result of incredibly hard work and dedication. Because Safe Haven has such a solid purpose and drive, their success has blown similar organizations out of the water.
Safe Haven Pet Sanctuary is a 501(c)3 no-kill, cage-free cat sanctuary and rehabilitation center that rescues kitties with special needs. Safe Haven accepts cases of abuse, neglect, FIV+, blindness, missing body parts and other physical and psychological disabilities upon review of medical documentation. They also accept neonatal kittens and senior cats who are at risk for euthanasia.
-Safe Haven Pet Sanctuary’s Purpose
Looking to adopt? As Elizabeth said, “These cats are such unique and resilient creatures, and it is an honor to be their owner. They will exceed your expectations every day. There are misconceptions that adopting a cat with special needs will be a lot of extra work, extra money and extra care. We certainly have some that will be. However, we also have cats who are injured and will live a normal healthy life without breaking the bank, or requiring a ton of extra work.”
Other ways to help the cause:
- Donate online to help rehabilitate cats in need of intense medical care.
- Download the ReQwalk app then simply walk! Your steps translate to real monetary donations by corporate sponsors.
- Shop Amazon Smile and a portion of your purchase will go to Safe Haven.
- Volunteer your time by calling 920.489.2462 and asking for Jenny.
JOE KIEDINGER
ACTION PLAN: Whether you are a cat person or not, you can’t deny this powerful story that deserves recognition. Please consider donating today.