Tonight we're highlighting a small, but strong group of people who have built a non-profit animal rescue from the ground up.

Eden Animal Haven is located about 20 minutes north of Springfield in Brighton. It was founded about 10 years ago by founder Leslie Sawyer, and its shelter is now caring for hundreds of cats in need every year. 

We stopped by this week to say thank you and provide a free lunch to the founder, staff and volunteers working tirelessly to give cats in Southwest Missouri the highest quality of life possible, both in and outside of its shelter. 

To date, Eden Animal Haven has cared for more than 2,000 cats in need. 

Our visit comes at a time when the shelter is well over capacity because of their efforts to rescue two large cat colonies in the Ozarks in the last few weeks.

"I think the greatest toll that it takes is knowing that you can't save them all," says Sawyer, who built the no-kill, no-cage shelter on her property nearly a decade ago.

The non-profit is now one of the few in the Ozarks dedicated to caring for cats and kittens. They are called upon day and night to step in when a cat is dumped, surrendered, or in need of medical attention. 

“The downside of being no kill is that we have to say no a lot, and then not knowing what the fate of that cat or kitten is going to be,” says Sawyer. “We don't euthanize to make room for cats. And if there's a cat with an illness, we do everything we can to treat that cat if there's a chance of it having a good quality of life.”

The organization is on track to far exceed the 300 adoptions it facilitated last year, but says right now, Southwest Missouri is facing a crisis of cat - and dog - overpopulation.

"We'll go to different cat colonies and trap cats. Some cats are feral and so they have to be what's called TNR, which is trapped, neutered and released," Volunteer Ashley Price tells OzarksFirst.

The shelter is currently having to turn away people on its waitlist. It’s due in part because of two cat colonies they responded to within the last month. 

Sawyer says one situation had 17 cats on one property, and the more recent had well over 50.

She says any feral adult cats will typically be trapped, neutered and released, while kittens will be taken to Eden Animal Haven to be socialized, and then placed in a room at the shelter or in a foster home until they can be adopted. 

Through education and compassion, as well as a handful of staff, plus volunteers and fosters, Eden Animal Haven continues to serve the Ozarks one rescue at a time.

“It's very stressful, but also very rewarding when you're able to save little lives like this and know that you're making a difference for them,” Sawyer adds.

The shelter provided several tips on what to do if you find yourself in a situation where cats are multiplying on or around your property.

Sawyer says if you are in any way caring for a cat, you have the right to take it to get spayed or neutered.

There are also a couple of ways to tell if they are already fixed. A cat will either have the tip of one ear clipped, or it may have a small green or blue tattoo on its belly.

A reminder there are several low-cost options for getting cats spayed and neutered in Springfield.

They include: SAAF Spay Neuter Clinic, Rescue One, and the Humane Society of Southwest Missouri.

Nearly all of the cats and kittens in this story are available for adoption, so if you're interested in adopting, volunteering, or donating at Eden Animal Haven, click here.

News Source : https://www.ozarksfirst.com/serving-the-ozarks/serving-the-ozarks-eden-animal-haven-2/