Chico News and Review Best of Chico Nominee for Best Activist, FUR (Friends United in Rescue)
Following the catastrophic 2018 Camp Fire that ravaged Butte County, CA, a group of determined women came together to establish FUR - Friends United in Rescue ... Their mission? To bring a glimmer of hope to the devastated communities of Paradise and Magalia, where the lifting of evacuations left families in turmoil, separated from their beloved pets. Launching an intense 18-month rescue operation, the steadfast members of FUR scoured the fire-scarred terrain, conducting relentless searches for missing pets and orchestrating emotional reunions with their rightful owners. Amidst the chaos of the rescue efforts, it became apparent to the members of FUR that Butte County was in dire need of a comprehensive cat rescue program to address the burgeoning feline population in crisis.
“We believe in being a voice for the voiceless and giving every cat a chance to live a life,” FUR’s description reads on their Facebook page.
Stepping up to the challenge, FUR expanded their scope to encompass a wide range of cat rescue services, including Trap, Neuter and Release (TNR) programs and the “Fresh Start” program, which allows pet owners grappling with the stress of surrender to do so when all other options have been exhausted. The program has saved more than a dozen cats since its implementation.
Barrick Arnold, a local attorney, adopted one such cat last year. Arnold recalled the cat being turned in by an owner who could not continue caring for him. The aspects of the cat’s personality that made him challenging for other households sounded ideal to Arnold.
“I remember Sunel [Walters, treasurer and one of the organization’s founding members] taking the time to talk through how he would interact with the cat my family adopted previously,” Arnold said. “I was impressed. They have this incredible application of their breadth of knowledge. They really take the time to learn about the cats in their care.”
As a nonprofit, FUR relies on donations to sustain their operations. The agency maintains a busy social calendar of pop-ups, eat-ins, and adoption events. Recently, FUR’s language has been expressing the next phase or their evolution. After about three years, FUR has outgrown their Mangrove location. The goal, as it turns out, is to establish a new haven: a private ranch.
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