BY ADAM ATKINSONNorth Country This Week

POTSDAM — A cat rescue non-profit needs to expand due to high numbers of strays and is seeking support from the village and town in its search for a new space. 

Christina DeLorenzo, CEO of Pawsitively Purrfect Cat Rescue of Potsdam, who runs the non-profit with her daughter Gabriella DeLorenzo, gave a presentation to the Potsdam Village Board at their meeting Aug. 17 and then made a similar pitch to the town board at their meeting on Aug. 19.  

The DeLorenzos started Pawsitively in September of 2024 and the organization has evolved into a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, providing a safe place for dozens of homeless cats, rescue animals and unwanted pets. 

“I did not think we would still be running, but here we are, and it is going a lot better than I anticipated,” Christina told the village board at the meeting on Aug. 17. “We have noticed an extreme need for cat rescue here in our local community. We have received well over 130 calls over the last year and a half, well, almost two years now, for strays, ferals, surrenders, and of course, we currently have run out of space so we are not able, we are not able to take in any more at this point.”

DeLorenzo said that Pawsitively has over the last few years rescued 37 cats, and have adopted out 19 of them, and has 53 cats on a wait list. The organization gets referrals from Potsdam Humane Society, Gracious Friends Animal Sanctuary, and St. Regis Falls Cat Palace, among others. DeLorenzo said requests to take cats come in from 27 different communities in the region, including a request from the Waddington mayor to help with a community-wide cat overpopulation issue, local schools and even sometimes the sheriff’s department. 

“Ultimately, what we are looking for at the end of the day is a place where we are able to continue to rescue safely and increase capacity, but not just increase the number of cats that we're bringing in,” DeLorenzo said. “We want to be able to do it safely to have separate spaces for their quarantine period when they come in.”

The rescue operation would like to have separate areas set up for felines with medical and behavioral issues and other problems where those can be addressed more effectively.

“So our big ask of the village is that we are looking for assistance in identifying potential properties and any connections in the area,” she said. “Certainly help with navigating any zoning and permitting issues that we may come across and to kind of help us with the community development piece.”

The same request was made of the town board at their meeting Aug. 18. 

Pawsitively is currently running a capital campaign to raise money for a new place and has brought in around $7,400 to date. 

“That doesn't sound like much right now, but being in year two, we are very pleased with that outcome. We have been attempting to do as many networking events and be out in the public as much as we can this year,” she said. 

Future plans to generate income for the rescue include opening a cat café and boarding services so that the organization can become more self-sustaining. Educational outreach with the Canton Animal Clinic, vaccination clinics and other services would be part of the operation as well. 

DeLorenzo said the cat café would be a place where community members could “come together”  to socialize and visit with cats who would be available for adoption. She said the café would have spaces for kittens and senior cats. There has been a good deal of interest in the café idea she said. 

“When the laws changed for shelters and rescues last year, did you find that there were a lot of challenges in finding a location that was well suited with the new regulations?” asked Village Trustee Allison Carney at the Aug. 17 presentation. 

“That is a huge issue because anywhere we go, we have to update any HVAC systems. We have to make sure that we do have the separation,” DeLorenzo said. “Currently in our home, we also had to go with all of those new regulations. They treat us the same as the regular shelter down the road. So we got really high ratings on our inspection the first round, and they had to come back for a couple of record tracking things. But we had everything in alignment, so we have no doubt that if we obtain a facility, that we would be able to meet those goals the same way. 

She said that currently operating the rescue operation from their home, that Pawsitively is not eligible for any of the larger grants. She said a new facility would allow them to apply and possibly access some of that funding for their operation. 

“If we have a secure plan in place with a property, we are eligible this upcoming year for the New York State Ag and Markets state funding. And we would only have to have a 10% match with that. And seeing how we are 7200 right now, I feel like we would hit that no problem,” DeLorenzo said. 

She told the village board that the organization is looking specifically for property in the town or village of Potsdam that they could purchase outright. 

The organization spays, neuters and microchips the cats it takes in, as well as provides feline leukemia testing, and any other diagnostic testing needed. DeLorenzo said initially they were able to pay for those services from the Canton Animal Clinic with donations but have used their own money to fund the operation over the last year and a half. 

For more information on the organization, or to support them, visit https://www.pawsitivelypurrfectretreat.com/en-us/ .

Help St. Lawrence County Stay Connected!

We’re glad you read this article reported by the staff of NorthCountryNow.com.

If you haven’t done so already, please consider subscribing to ensure you have full access to all the news and info about St. Lawrence County.

Your subscriptions make it possible for us to provide trustworthy local news, promote our many community events, and encourage community dialogue.

Please click here to subscribe today!