Changing Lives One Meow at a Time
Written By David Bates, Active Media Contributing Writer
About four years ago, a family asked Brittney Hazel and her wife Kendall if they could help find a home for a stray litter of kittens that had been found in a barn. That was the beginning of Hazel’s House, a cat-and-kitten rescue operation that continues to this day. It is a mission that has put hundreds of stray and abandoned cats in homes where they’re safe, healthy and loved.
The name “Hazel’s House” might be a bit misleading for some, conjuring an image of some cramped, smelly facility full of frightened cats. That is certainly not the case in reality. “We don’t have a site,” Brittney explains. “We do all this out of our own house. The majority of the rescue work is all in foster care.”
That means a lot of networking with volunteers, screening families that want to help, and matching them up with cats before they go to a permanent home. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, they’re not doing in-home visits at this time, and communication is done through the non-profit’s Facebook page, where messages are returned quickly.
Hazel’s House can help with semi-feral kittens, mothers with litters, abandoned litters and orphaned kittens, and bottle babies. They can set traps to contain the cats if necessary, and are able to work within a 25-mile range of Newberg. They also have helpful information about low cost spay/neuter clinics and vet care.
Hazel’s House started out handling around 50 animals a year, but it’s been growing rapidly. In their second and third year, they started a partnership with the Newberg Animal Shelter, and the 2 organizations have a wonderful working relationship which has helped support that growth. This year, Hazel’s House has taken care of about If you’re interested in fostering or adopting, contact Hazel’s House on Facebook at facebook.com/hazelshousepdx, call 971-264-0760, or email hazelshousepdx@gmail.com for more information.
