You’ve got until 2pm today to help our beloved Cat Cafe win an additional $25,000 from Petco Love.
Vote here in the People’s Choice Competition; the top five stories with the most votes will earn additional grant funding from $5,000 to $25,000.
On Tuesday, the Cafe was surprised with a $35,000 check from the organization, the result of a winning submission by Brooklyn’s Debbie Zhang in the Petco Love Stories campaign and the number of Cat Cafe adopters who submitted stories–more than adopters from any rescue group in the northeast region.
Zhang is an essential worker who took a new job in a hospital just as New York City was shutting down in 2020 for the COVID-19 pandemic. The workload and the necessary isolation to protect her family and friends took a toll on her mental health, and that’s when she decided to adopt Hotaru from Brooklyn Cat Cafe. Debbie says that caring for Hotaru taught her to also care for herself and to love life again:
“The moment I arrive, Hotaru scampers to the door to greet me and rub herself against my legs. She’s happy that I am home—and that it’s feeding time. It did take her a while to open herself up to me, but it’s amazing to have a companion to watch TV with and to give her little head nuzzles (even if it annoys her).
“She really helped pull me through a dark time during the COVID pandemic—so much so, I adopted another cat through Brooklyn Bridge Animal Welfare Coalition as well!” (from Zhang’s winning story)
“Debbie’s story shows how adopted pets change our lives for the better and we are so thankful she shared her story in the annual Petco Love Stories campaign to help us receive a grant award. These funds will help us bring more pets in need together with loving families,” said Anne Levin, Executive Director of Brooklyn Bridge Animal Welfare Coalition (BBAWC), the organization that runs Brooklyn Cat Cafe. “Now you can help us save even more pet lives by voting for our story in the People’s Choice competition.”
Click here to vote in the People’s Choice Competition.
