14 Lives Saved

Sep 16, 2025

Escaping a hoarding situation was just the start of these 14 survivors' story.

It started quietly, with cats appearing outside a neighborhood business. At first it was one, then another, then more. The business owner—who also happens to be a PAWS Chicago donor—realized these cats needed help and reached out to us. What our team discovered was heartbreaking: 14 cats had been living in a nearby hoarding situation, struggling without food, care, or safety. 

Thanks to the steady support of Lifeline donors, PAWS was able to respond immediately. Fourteen cats were brought into our care. For the first time, they were safe. But their challenges weren’t over yet. 

Not long after intake, our medical team learned that five of the cats were battling panleukopenia, a highly contagious and often deadly virus. Jolanda, Joyce, Joliet, Jace, and Joseph would need urgent medical help. For many shelters, this diagnosis would have meant the end. But because of you, PAWS could give them something much more powerful: a fighting chance. 

With intensive treatment, constant monitoring, and all the love and care our staff could give, these cats began to recover. Joliet has already made a full turnaround and is thriving in her new home, as are Joyce, Jolanda, Joan, and Jace. Still in foster care, Jaylee and her litter of 6-week-old kittens continue to grow big and strong on their road to adoption. 

Stories like theirs are only possible because of our Lifeline supporters. Your monthly gifts ensure PAWS is always ready to act the moment animals are in crisis—whether it’s cats abandoned to fend for themselves, dogs from overcrowded shelters, or kittens battling serious illness. You are the reason Jolanda, Joyce, Joliet, Jace, and Joseph have the chance not just to survive, but to heal, to trust, and to one day curl up safely in the homes they were always meant to have.