Shop Locally: Adopting Community Pets

On any given day, Denise Lauffer feeds between 45 and 65 cats in a corner of Washington Heights she has called home for over 30 years. This animal activist has been lovingly dubbed the “Cat Lady” by neighbors for her dedication to rescuing hundreds of abandoned and abused cats in Washington Heights for over twenty years. As a cat rescuer, Denise fully understands that the problem is rooted in individual choices that depend on the compassion and creativity of community solutions. “My goal every day is to rescue cats locally, immediately spay and neuter them, and streamline the process for my neighbors who are ready to adopt. Easy peazy!”

“You can say I am one of the longest-standing local businesses Washington Heights still has,” she humorously states, referencing the many changes the area has experienced since her arrival in 1994. COVID-19 presented an opportunity to reduce wait times and minimize animal cruelty due to increased access to spaying and neutering services. However, the availability of services has once again diminished as cat overpopulation rises again.

“I have found a family of cats in the trash with umbilical cords still attached," describing a recent harrowing rescue mission. As a passionate supporter of TNR (trap, neuter, and return), Denise emphatically states, "Controlling the population is how I believe these cats' lives can be saved." It was this belief that inspired her to establish Denise's Cat & Dog Rescue & Sanctuary Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization, as a means to increase crowdsourced resources and host regular open houses as a way to streamline the process of getting her sterilized, vaccinated, and socialized cats adopted.

Kate, a public school teacher, and her professor husband, Tariq, are members of a small army of volunteers who stopped by to lend a hand during the Sanctuary’s recent open house on June 29th. They guided visitors through the two current locations, which Denise has arranged for nearly four dozen cats. Families undergo a thorough application process, which includes a home visit and multiple meet-and-greets with the cats. “I have had pet owners change their minds, and that is tough on all of us. But we are a local business trying to meet a hyperlocal demand.” Denise is laser focused on communicating to neighbors to shop locally when adopting, and she does whatever it takes to foster a connection between her human neighbors and her pet neighbors.

She even managed to overcome the most Herculean of all New York City's challenges: Space. The Sanctuary was born from a simple bartering system. Seeing potential for improvement on her block, Denise began planting flowers and trees to enhance the area's beauty. This inspired her landlord to create a large underground space where Denise could “plant” 30 cat trees, along with play, feeding, and lounging areas for 30 to 40 cats. Today, Denise continues her daily routine of managing professional dog walking and boarding services, as well as visiting the Sanctuary every day to care for the over forty cats she has rescued and that are ready for adoption.

Years of building partnerships include the critical alliances Lauffer has made with citywide ASPCA organizations. These have enabled Denise to arrange for all the cats at the Sanctuary to be not only spayed or neutered, but also attended to for a host of injuries only she can rattle off. A Facebook page dedicated to the Sanctuary showcases the organization’s growth along with the heartwarming story of each cat's rescue. And while social media helps connect neighbors to fellow animal lovers, spreading the word goes beyond that.

Increasingly, Denise has cultivated connections with celebrity and media friends eager to help. Carol Alt, the renowned supermodel and local New Yorker, discovered Denise through a 2019 story on NY1. That sparked a one-woman public relations campaign, even as the pandemic raged. An avid animal lover, Carol has become a regular at the Sanctuary, using her platform to raise awareness through podcasts, interviews, and, most recently, an appearance on ABC with Ernie Anastos.

Washington Heights is squeezed between two of the city's most popular neighborhoods for cats, Riverdale and the Upper West Side. Washington Heights' own everyday hero, Denise Lauffer, has taken the arduous first step to putting her community on the map. If you or someone you know is interested in joining this lively group of dedicated animal lovers or needs more information about responsibly adopting locally found pets, there are several ways to get involved. You can email the Cat Sanctuary or scan the QR code above to arrange a visit to the Sanctuary. If your preference is to donate anonymously, the donate QR code links to a “Cat Registry” for items most needed by the Sanctuary family. Whatever you decide, it'll take but a New York minute to realize you made the right move.