We responded to one of the most heartbreaking hoarding cases we've ever faced.
In rural East Texas, a man had passed away, leaving behind a home with no running water—and cats and kittens left to breed unchecked for over a year, struggling to survive. There’s no animal control, no shelter, and no access to low‑cost veterinary care in this area—just desperation.
Some of the cats were sick. Many were pregnant. A neighbor had already shot four dogs—and planned to do the same to the cats.
And in rural places like this, when the animals become “too many,” they’re not rescued. They’re shot or drowned.
A photo from inside the home. Cats were typically fed lentils from the dollar store instead of cat food. There is no running water. New Hope Animal Rescue delivered water, food and supplies to the deceased man's friend caring for the animals.
We Couldn't Let that Happen.
New Hope Animal Rescue took in over 52 cats and kittens just in one day, many of them malnourished, sick, and terrified—and several heavily pregnant.
Shortly after, even more kittens were born in foster care—moms giving birth just days after being rescued, and some delivering en route to safety. We spayed and neutered as many of the adults as we could immediately with the exception of nursing and birthing moms.
To cover even just the VERY basic vet care for the East Texas cats, we need to raise $10,000. But we have an amazing matching gift challenge to help us get there! Thanks to five generous donors—including Samantha Larsen and Jerry Becker, and three other anonymous heroes—your donation will be MATCHED up to $4,000. That means your donation will be DOUBLED: $25 becomes $50 (helps vaccines & parasite treatment, $75 becomes $150 (fully vets a kitten!), $150 becomes $300 (covers TWO kittens, $500 becomes $1,000 (covers a whole litter!)
This is Riley Fizzel who gave birth on the 4 hour drive back to Austin! She and her 4 kittens are being spayed and neutered this Friday, July 18th and will be available for adoption soon!
Every cat and kitten was infested with fleas and intestinal parasites. Most had ringworm or mange from long‑term neglect. They were severely undernourished—despite a well‑meaning neighbor doing the only thing she could: feeding them lentils. It kept them alive—but not healthy.
❤️ East Texas Success Stories: Lou & Dr. Tiny Cat
Our cat adoptions are always in full swing so we can save more and we are happy to announce two recent adoptions from our East Texas rescue effort! Two of the East Texas moms—Lou and Dr. Tiny Cat—were just adopted!
Thanks to your support, spay surgery, and foster love, both moms are now in wonderful forever homes.
Their happy endings give us hope. But dozens of kittens still need that same chance—and must be vetted and fixed before we can place them. We never adopt out kittens without being spayed or neutered.
With the bottleneck of Kitten Season upon us, over the next 7 days alone, we have 30 cats and kittens scheduled for spay neuter surgeries and anticipate a $4,500 bill in addition to our other vet bills.
Every act of kindness makes rescue possible.
Whether it's donating, volunteering, fostering, or adopting—we’re so grateful to have you on this journey.
With gratitude,
