Gaske Cat Foundation x PAWS NY
At Gaske Cat Foundation, every campaign begins with the same question: what is driving surrender before it ever reaches the shelter door? Our newest partnership with PAWS NY answers that question with clarity and compassion. This campaign focuses on one of the most overlooked causes of cat surrender: aging, illness, and physical limitation.
This work is about stability. It is about dignity. And it is about making sure that hardship does not automatically mean separation.
The Power of Staying Together
PAWS NY, which stands for Pets Are Wonderful Support New York, serves low income seniors and individuals living with illness or disability across the five boroughs that make up New York City. Their mission is simple and profound… They help clients keep and care for their pets through volunteer assistance, pet food delivery, litter support, and access to veterinary resources.
For many of their clients, a cat is not just companionship. It is routine. It is emotional grounding. It is often the only daily source of comfort in an otherwise isolated life.
Without support, small barriers can quickly become overwhelming. A heavy bag of litter. A hospitalization. A limited income. A temporary loss of mobility. These are the moments when surrender becomes a consideration. PAWS NY exists to interrupt that trajectory.
A Connection Years in the Making
This partnership is deeply personal to our board. Years ago, our board member Nancy worked directly with PAWS NY. She saw volunteers show up week after week to walk dogs, scoop litter boxes, deliver food, and check in on clients who would otherwise be navigating hardship alone. She witnessed the quiet, consistent dignity of their model.
What stood out most was how preventable many surrenders truly are. With the right infrastructure, a small amount of logistical support can keep a household intact.
Nancy’s experience with PAWS NY left a lasting impression, and when the time came to select our next campaign partner, the alignment was undeniable.
Prevention in Action
Over the coming months, Gaske Cat Foundation will raise funds to directly support PAWS NY’s pet retention services. Contributions will help provide:
Pet food and litter delivery
Subsidized veterinary care
In home volunteer assistance for daily pet care tasks
Temporary support during medical events or recovery
This campaign reflects our core philosophy: most people do not surrender their cats because they want to. They surrender because they feel they have run out of options.
By funding preventative services, we reduce shelter intake at its source. We keep cats in loving homes. We preserve the human animal bond during life’s most vulnerable chapters.
Why This Matters Now
Across the country, seniors are aging in place. Many live alone. Many are navigating chronic illness or fixed incomes. Companion animals are proven to reduce loneliness, lower stress, and improve emotional well being. Yet when practical barriers arise, that bond is often at risk.
The choice should never come down to this: pay a medical bill or buy cat litter. Recover in the hospital or worry about who is feeding your companion. Ask for help or surrender your pet.
PAWS NY provides a safety net that allows people to ask for help without losing the animals who anchor them.
This is prevention at its most humane.
How You Can Be Part of It
Gaske Cat Foundation will share impact updates throughout this campaign so supporters can see exactly how their contributions are making a difference. Every dollar raised will support tangible, on the ground services that keep people and their cats together.
This partnership expands our reach to New York City, but the mission remains consistent no matter the geography. Whether in Maine, Texas, or New York, we focus on the same truth: protecting cats requires protecting the people who love them.
We invite you to join us in this next chapter.
Because sometimes saving a cat does not mean rescue. Sometimes it means making sure they never have to leave home at all.
