After Rescuing Over 8,700 Animals, City Dogs And City Kitties Rescue Looks To Purchase And Renovate A Furever Home In DC

City Dogs & City Kitties Rescue has reached a major milestone in their 10-year history of saving homeless dogs and cats. Over 8,700 animals that came to DC from overcrowded and high-kill shelters have found or are on their way to a new life and a “furever” home in the greater DMV area, and the organization is looking for permanency in DC.

City Dogs & City Kitties Rescue found a location in the Logan Circle/Shaw neighborhood. The facility that would give CDCK’s volunteers and staff needed space, and would afford space for operations and intake of the animals. In addition to serving as its operational center, the building will provide the rescue with critical space for processing its weekly intake of 25+ dogs and cats – space that has until now proved very difficult to find in the District.

Following its public launch on June 29, 2021, CDCK has raised over $100,000 of the $600,000 needed to complete the sale, purchase equipment, and make the required renovations in accordance with DC code. The new building is expected to open in 2022.

The organization was started in 2011 by Darren Binder and Dave Liedman as a rescue – not a shelter – where dogs and cats who were often hours away from being euthanized were saved and fostered by volunteers in their homes or in donated space at community partner City Dogs Daycare. What started as a way to help a few dogs per month, grew into a well-run nonprofit that has become a hometown symbol of love and second chances, and has been voted DC’s ‘Best Nonprofit’ for the past six years by City Paper.

“We are so excited to finally have a home we can call our own,” said Darren Binder, co-founder and board chair of City Dogs & City Kitties Rescue. “This gives us a true sense of permanence in the DC area and will help us continue the amazing and rewarding work of saving animals who are at great risk of being euthanized because of space issues or neglect. It is so important and the benefits for everyone are realized every day in the life of a pet who knows they’ve been rescued, and for the people who made that possible.”

Anyone interested in supporting the work of this rescue – including volunteers, fosters, and past adopters – is encouraged to contribute any amount by going to:  https://www.citydogsrescuedc.org/capital-campaign.html to make a tax-deductible donation. City Dogs and City Kitties is also looking for support from local businesses, grantors, and community organizations.  The goal is to raise $600,000 by the end of 2021.

This campaign is a call to action for the DC community and a way to recognize the importance of cats and dogs in the lives of people who love and need animals. Adopt, foster, and know you can make a difference.

About City Dogs and City Kitties Rescue

Since 2011, City Dogs & City Kitties Rescue a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, has provided a lifeline to more than 4,900 dogs and 3,800 cats – animals that were just days or hours away from being euthanized for no reason other than lack of space. Working closely with high-kill shelters in rural communities with few resources, CDCK rescues at-risk adoptable dogs and cats and finds them loving homes. Once a dog or cat is identified, a vast network of followers and supporters (60,000+ through a variety of social media channels) raise funds for transportation to DC and for quality medical care, vaccinations, and spay/neutering procedures. A trained foster care provider offers companionship until a permanent home is found, usually thanks to social media campaigns and dynamic adoption events. Demand for these services is huge … and so are the rewards.