Have you ever seen the sponsor list at SAFe Rescue’s Nine Lives Gala and wondered “What’s the story behind these businesses? What inspires them to help cats?” The Gala has many people who help make it possible, and one group of shining stars is certainly the event sponsors. This group of local businesses commits to providing support and funds early in the planning process to help make SAFe Rescue’s yearly event an aMEOWzing success that guests can enjoy while helping kitties in need.
SAFe is grateful to have some of these sponsors return year after year, continuously providing support for cats. One sponsor in particular, took a big leap this year and joined SAFe’s highest level of sponsorship. SAFe Rescue is honored to name Alex the Cat Groomer as the PAWsitively Platinum sponsor of the 2020 Nine Lives Gala.
His business, known as “Alex the Cat Groomer”, began in 2011. After losing his favorite kitty, Gizmo, he found comfort volunteering and fostering for the Seattle Persian and Himalayan Rescue. Looking back at his time there, Alex says, “I did a lot of ear cleaning, nail trimming, and matte removal and realized there was quite a need for a cat groomer in the Pacific Northwest. Long story short, I decided to become a cat groomer and never looked back.” It’s clear that this was a good path for Alex because by 2015, he had created what we know today as the business “Alex the Cat Groomer.”
5 years, 2 locations, and several local partnerships later, Alex decided to take his relationship with SAFe Rescue one step further. Although the beginning of the year looked different than things do now, Alex knew that he wanted his support of helping homeless cats to be bigger and more impactful than ever before. This inspired SAFe to create a new level of sponsorship: the PAWsitively Platinum level. When asked why the Gala sponsorship is so important to him, Alex says, “You guys keep posting all those kitty cat hard luck stories and getting me by the heartstrings. How can I resist?”
A cat lover himself, Alex tends to gravitate towards the older kitties that need more attention, love, and compassion in their last years. “I have a tendency to adopt really old cats or kitties with health issues that most people don’t want.” After Gizmo, Alex realized that it didn’t really matter “what a cat looked like, it was [the] personality that was important.” Sometimes having as many as four cats at once, Alex doesn’t shy away from having a multiple cat household. However, right meow it’s just him and his original cat, Turbo. When asked if he’s looking for a new kitty companion, he says, “I think I’m okay with just one cat for now.”
Community members like Alex are special to SAFe Rescue and their kindness helps many cats and kittens get the care they need to find loving homes. This year’s 2020 Nine Lives Gala may have looked different, but thanks to the generous support from our community, it’s clear the love to make an impact in the lives of homeless cats hasn’t changed. SAFe thanks Alex and all of the Gala sponsors for continuing to commit to make a difference for cats in need as the world changes throughout 2020. With support and compassion like this, SAFe Rescue can continue to save and care for so many feline lives.
