Simply put, our mission is to rescue animals. Staten Island Council for Animal Welfare (SICAW) is one of New York’s longest operating non-profit rescue groups.
Founded in 1972, SICAW is 100% volunteer driven, and funded by generous public donations. Volunteers rescue, foster and care for animals, and perform a host of other functions. Donations are used for animal care, medical services, advertising, and administrative costs.
MEET LAURA Click to find out more.
MEET SCREECH Click to find out more.
AUTUMN: A TORTIE WITH TORTITUDE
When Susan and her family adopted Autumn, she was a little different than their resident cat, Willow.
Sweet Willow was an instant fit in their home, lovable and trusting right from the start. Autumn’s journey was a little different. Autumn had a rough start in life - she knew humans could be cruel and it made her cautious and watchful.
Susan had some tearful days thinking she would never be able to hold, hug or even pet Autumn. But she knew that Autumn needed time and patience and was willing to give her the space she needed.
With her family’s love, Autumn’s come far! She still gets frightened easily by sudden movements, but she is relaxing more and more. She sleeps easier, cuddles on her own terms, and cries at the door if anyone leaves. She’s started reaching out from her cat tree for petting sessions too.
Her serious (and sometime judgmental) looks make her family laugh daily! With her quirky personality, Autumn is different than what the family is used ...but they love her just the same.
And the best part is that she LOVES their other cats, and the bonding (check out our pic) gets better with every passing day!
Susan says: “I was so afraid she was going to be a loner, but no worries anymore! It's been a learning experience for both her and us. She's our family. So if you adopt, give your new family member a chance...they have a lot of love to give, but sometimes like us...they have quirks!”
Sooo true, Susan, so true!
BONDED BROTHERS
SICAW always does the best we can to adopt out bonded siblings together, so they have each other forever!
Vanessa says: “We have had Sam and Whiskey for almost a year now, and we couldn't be happier. We love these boys more and more each day! Sam is so loving and sweet, and he LOVES to cuddle with mommy. Whiskey is so loving and funny, and is SO full of personality…he LOVES to give kisses. We are so happy we kept these brothers together….they love each other so much!
Want to start our own adoption story? Check out our adoptable cats right Me-ow.
Have a SICAW Adoption story to share? Send it to us and we may feature it!
If you’d like to get more involved and be a part of saving the lives of hundreds of pets per year, we’d love to have your help. Here are just a few ways that you can join our team of volunteers.
We are 100% volunteer run. Whether at weekly adoption events or planning fundraising events, there are several opportunities for you to make a difference.
Many of our pets live with a wonderful “foster parent” until they are adopted into their forever home. Because we do not have a single physical location to house our animals, our fosters are vital.
We operate on generous donations from our members and friends. Whether a one-time monetary donation or a recurring donation, your gift is used solely to care for our animals.
“I just adopted my beautiful cat Athena! The volunteers are such wonderful people who really care about the animals first and want to place them in their forever homes. I truly thank them!!”
