North County Paws Cause

08/06/2026

Here are those reunion photos we promised! Sasha is home with her family tonight.

An 8-year-old cat from a military family slipped into restricted brush near the San Ardo Oil Field during a roadside stop. After a tireless effort a happy reunion took place Wednesday at San Luis Obispo County Airport.

08/05/2026

I have very sad news. Whoppers did not survive this illness.

The vet called me Monday morning to let me know that they'd tried to take Whoppers out of the oxygen chamber, but he struggled to breathe so much that they had to keep him in it. In the afternoon, the vet called me again to say that Whoppers was continuing to decline and it was looking bad.

I asked if there was anything else we could do, but there wasn't. Whoppers was receiving oxygen and had an IV with two different antibiotics and fluids. The doc said that, as a comparison, if this were a human, they would be intubated and put on a ventilator at this point.

I went to the vet shortly after that call so I could see Whoppers. He looked so weak. When he saw me, he did raise his head, and he even stood up! But I could tell he was having a terrible time trying to breathe. At 2 am last night, I got the call from the on-call doc that Whoppers had passed away.

I collected his body today, and I will lay him to rest.

I am really sad about this sweet little kitten. It doesn't matter how long I foster for; losing a kitten will always be awful. I am playing the "at least" game: at least he didn't get put to sleep in the shelter. At least he knew love and comfort for the month that he was with us. At least his siblings made it out, too, and they will go on to get homes. It's a small consolation as I hold the little zippered pouch with his body inside. But we continue on to save the next one.

The final bill is $2,012. I appreciate so much that I have the chance to try with these little kittens. It's a tough call to choose to spend rescue funds on a hard case like this, knowing how many animals are in need and that the funds could help several others. I feel like we are saving individual kittens all of the time, though, every time we take one in. If we are helping them, then let's help them. Thank you for giving me the chance to try.

Exactly one year ago today, I had another kitten at the pet ER, in the oxygen tank, with pneumonia. They didn't think Cheerio would make it, either - but he did! And he was adopted by a neighbor and is living a charmed little life. It's always worth having hope.

I posted a video, just of me talking about this, in the GFM updates. -Liz

https://gofund.me/e6ccb4230

08/03/2026

We were asked about a GFM, so we made one. Whoppers the kitten is fighting for his life with pneumonia and anemia, and his emergency vet bills have already reached $2,420. We are doing everything we can to help him recover, but we need support to cover these urgent costs. 🐱💙

Every donation helps us give Whoppers the best chance at a full recovery and supports our mission to rescue and care for vulnerable cats in our community. Please consider donating or sharing this to help us reach more people who can support Whoppers and the other cats we care for.

Thank you so much for your kindness and help - every bit makes a difference! Message us if you have questions or want to learn more about our work.

Hi, I’m Liz, and I’m the Treasurer and a foster home for North C… Liz Gillingham needs your support for Save Whoppers the Kitten: Urgent Medical Fund Needed

08/03/2026

Update 8/4: I have very sad news. Whoppers did not survive this illness. I posted an update in the GFM. https://gofund.me/e6ccb4230

I am really sad about this sweet little kitten. It doesn't matter how long I foster for; losing a kitten will always be awful. I am playing the "at least" game: at least he didn't get put to sleep in the shelter. At least he knew love and comfort for the month that he was with us. At least his siblings made it out, too, and they will go on to get homes. It's a small consolation as I hold the little zippered pouch with his body inside. But we continue on to save the next one.

The final bill is $2,012. I appreciate so much that I have the chance to try with these little kittens. It's a tough call to choose to spend rescue funds on a hard case like this, knowing how many animals are in need and that the funds could help several others. I feel like we are saving individual kittens all of the time, though, every time we take one in. If we are helping them, then let's help them. Thank you for giving me the chance to try.

Update 8/3 afternoon: Whoppers is still struggling to breathe when he is not in the oxygen chamber, so he is staying another night. New bill is $2400. 😰
Thank you to those who have donated so far; we have received $345 so far. Please share, and ask your employer if they offer a corporate match to your donation.

Whoppers is sick! We rescued Whoppers and his siblings from an animal shelter a month ago. They were deadlined and at risk of euthanasia due to having ringworm. They were friendly and otherwise healthy so we rescued them and have treated them for ringworm.

Whoppers, however, became suddenly very ill over the last day and a half. When he presented gasping for breath this morning, his foster rushed him to the emergency vet. X-rays and bloodwork showed that he has a bad case of pneumonia and anemia, so we had him hospitalized in order to give him the best chance of survival.

This is not an expense we can easily absorb. Can you donate to help us cover his veterinary bills? We are $1800 in for this emergency so far. You can donate to us directly, you can donate to us through Fidelity charitable EFT, you can Venmo us at GlamLiz, and we also take checks and cash. https://www.northcounty-pawscause.org/donate-here
And our GFM: https://gofund.me/209994a91

Little Whoppers is such a sweet kitten. He deserves a chance.

07/30/2026

Update 2: holy crap, we got her! Stay tuned for a new post, but we got permission to trap out there, and we caught her!

Update: A contact has been made! We are heading there tonight. If you are a trapping expert or you do drones with heat detection and can join our efforts, please message us.

Military Family's Cat Runs Loose Near San Ardo Oil Fields - Local Rescue Groups Ask for Help Reaching Site Contact

PASO ROBLES, Calif. - July 30, 2026 - North County Paws Cause is asking the community for help reuniting a lost cat named Sasha with her military family after she ran off during a late-night stop near the oil fields in San Ardo.
Late in the evening on Tuesday, July 28, a family in the U.S. Air Force Special Forces contacted North County Paws Cause for help. The family was en route to a new duty assignment in Washington State and had stopped near the San Ardo oil fields to let their two dogs and their 8-year-old cat, Sasha, out for a bathroom break. The family says the area had no visible signage indicating it was restricted, and that they are careful to follow posted restrictions wherever they travel. During the stop, Sasha slipped out of her harness and ran into nearby brush.
The family searched for Sasha through the night but was ultimately forced to leave the next morning to report for duty at their new base, unable to delay their military orders any further.
North County Paws Cause has since partnered with SAV-Cats to search for Sasha and coordinate her return to her family. Volunteers attempted to access the area again the following day but were asked to leave, as the location where Sasha was last seen is on restricted property belonging to the Chevron oil field operation in San Ardo.
North County Paws Cause is now asking for the public's help identifying a point of contact at the Chevron oil fields in San Ardo who can grant rescue volunteers authorized access to search the restricted area for Sasha.
"This is a family that serves our country and did everything right - they just need help getting back into that field to bring their cat home," said Laura Hughes, Director of North County Paws Cause. "We're not asking for anything except a name and a phone number so we can do this the right way and get Sasha back where she belongs."
Anyone with a contact at the Chevron San Ardo oil field, or with information about Sasha's whereabouts, is asked to contact North County Paws Cause immediately.

Media Contact:
Laura Hughes, Director
North County Paws Cause
805-674-8664
[email protected]
Paso Robles, CA
northcounty-pawscause.org
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07/30/2026

Moon Pie hasn’t received any inquiries 😿

Let’s get this girl a home!

07/22/2026

Ready for a sweet treat? 🍰🍪🥮
Meet Moon Pie! This gentle sweetheart is roughly 5-6 years old, a domestic shorthair, and she is spayed! Moon Pie loves her independence, and enjoys quietly lounging in the sun. However, she absolutely LOVES her pets and snuggles!

Moon Pie is FiV positive. While that sounds scary, it really isn't! FiV is only contagious through deep bite wounds, and since she gets along well with other cats, you don't need to worry! FiV is only transmitted to other cats, so humans, dogs and other animals are not affected. There is no cure for FiV, but that doesn’t mean it is a death sentence by any means. She will need regular vet visits (about every 6 months!), and a little extra care, but that's not hard to do with such a loving kitty!

If you are interested in meeting and adopting this angel, please reach out to us!