CRAN News
April 2025 Volunteers of the Month
Congratulations to Monique and Brett B, CRAN’s April 2025 volunteers of the month!
Monique and her son, Brett, have been volunteering with CRAN since 2023. Monique and Brett have been valued volunteers at the PetSmart Cattery.
Nicki G nominated Monique and Brett and in her nomination said:
“Monique and her son, Brett, did an incredible job of navigating a very tough situation involving an upset person on one of their first shifts as CRAN volunteers. They handled themselves like senior volunteers, remained calm and worked as a team to calm the person and resolve the issue.
Brett is not only a valued volunteer with CRAN, he also has his own business called NinjaCat’s Toy Factory. Brett hand makes catnip toys and a different rescue is picked each month to be the recipient of these toys, sometimes it is CRAN. Brett has raised over $6,000 for rescues around the world.
When asked what they liked about volunteering with CRAN and how they got started Monique said:
“Brett and I started volunteering in 2023. We had moved to the area in 2022, and loved connecting with CRAN volunteers at local events where Brett supported CRAN through his business. We are a family full of cat lovers and wanted to do more for our local cat community, so we signed up to volunteer at the North cattery.
What we love most about volunteering is getting to connect with fellow cat lovers and help educate our community about the importance of rescue, fostering (we do that too – through another local rescue) spay/neuter, cat behavior and care, etc. We are both very passionate about making the world better for humans and cats alike, and volunteering is just one of many ways we get to do that. “
Thank you Monique and Brett for all your hard work making CRAN the best rescue it can be!
March 2025 Adoptions
30 Cats were adopted in March! Thank you to all of our volunteers, partners and supporters who made it happen!
March 2025 Volunteer of the Month
Congratulations to Hannah Esquenazi, CRAN’s March 2025 volunteer of the month!
Hannah has been volunteering with CRAN since 2019. Hannah has been a valued volunteer at the PetSmart Cattery as well as an adoption finalizer.
Rachele R nominated Hannah and in her nomination said:
“Hannah E is a long-term volunteer at the PetSmart cattery on 29th & Willamette where she’s become known as the Cat Whisperer. Hannah can take the shyest kitty and have them purring and rubbing up against her. She freely offers tips to our other socializers to help them understand the quirks of each of our cats.
Hannah manages to consistently volunteer even though she has a full time job. Besides volunteering in the cattery, she also volunteers as a finalizer. After an adopter is approved for a particular cat, the finalizer meets with them, completes the adoption paperwork & hands over their new family member. Finalizers also take the photos of the smiling adopters & cats.
Hannah has finalized adoptions for over two years and she always has great advice for adopters. Hannah’s warmth and her love for cats is obvious to all who meet her.”
When asked what she liked about volunteering with CRAN and how she got started, Hannah said:
“I have been volunteering with CRAN since 2019. I was drawn to CRAN because I was looking for a charity to volunteer with that catered to animals, and as a cat owner and lover I loved what CRAN did and does for their hundreds of rescues and the model of having them in foster versus a facility with cages. I 100% believe a majority of the success of CRAN and the cats goes to them being socialized in foster homes.
What I love most about volunteering with CRAN is that I get to meet so many incredible kitties and help find their perfect homes. When I started I wanted to take them all with me, and now I just want them all to go to good homes with families that will love and cherish them.”
Thank you Hannah for all your hard work making CRAN the best rescue it can be!
February 2025 Volunteer of the Month
Congratulations to Sarah Tuttle, CRAN’s February 2025 volunteer of the month!
Sarah has been volunteering with CRAN since 2019. She is a great addition to the TLC team and helps with transporting cats when needed.
Marci S nominated Sarah and in her nomination said:
“Sarah T has been a long time Volunteer at TLC. She has an amazing attitude and is always ready to help. She has been a very loyal, consistent, reliable volunteer. One who steps up to volunteer for extra when help is needed. She has bonded with many cats at TLC and has become an advocate for Sasha, one of our special cats. She has also volunteered to do cat transport and to cover other shifts when needed. She is amazing.”
When asked what she liked about volunteering with CRAN and how she got started Sarah said:
“I originally started volunteering in 2019 because of my love for animals. I wanted to be able to make a difference, while showing shelter cats a love that they may not have experienced.
I love being able to connect with cats. I love learning each of their personalities and earning their trust. I love bonding with them, including those that may be more difficult. Sasha is no exception. A difficult kitty indeed, that with time, and patience, grew into a loving relationship. All cats deserve that love. And I find joy in knowing I can love them, even if for only a short time.”
Thank you Sarah for all your hard work making CRAN the best rescue it can be!
February 2025 Adoptions
21 cats were adopted in February! Thank you to their adopters for giving them a home and to our volunteers, partners and donors who make our work possible.
January 2025 Volunteer of the Month
Congratulations to Chris Blum, CRAN’s January 2025 volunteer of the month!
Chris has been volunteering with CRAN since 2020, starting out as a foster and is currently volunteering on the marketing team.
Lyllian B nominated Chris and in her nomination said:
“Chris Blum works with the marketing team promoting cats. She has been an awesome volunteer and has helped so much. She quickly learned the process and recently learned the Meta Business Suite when our old software was no longer working effectively. She manages to post cats at least every other day without fail. Getting these cats posted and scheduled is a lot of work. She even checked with me and scheduled cats ahead when she was going on an international trip over Christmas! When we’ve had special requests, she responds right away. She has even been willing to post items outside of her scope of work when asked. I appreciate Chris so much and all the effort she puts into helping to get CRAN cats promoted and adopted.”
When I asked Chris what she liked about volunteering with CRAN and how she got started she said:
“I began my journey with CRAN in April 2020, shortly after the loss of our beloved cat, Bugz. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, we weren’t quite ready to adopt another cat, but the thought of a cat-less home was unbearable. That’s when I discovered the opportunity to foster cats with CRAN, and it seemed like the perfect solution. Over time, we fostered several pregnant cats, and the experience was incredibly rewarding. Not only did the kittens get to grow up in a home with two young boys and a dog, preparing them for any environment, but we also got to shower them with love and affection. Eventually, we adopted four of the kittens from one of the litters, and they have become cherished members of our family. After a year of fostering, I decided to shift my focus to helping CRAN with their social media efforts.
Volunteering with CRAN has been a fulfilling experience, and I’ve been inspired by the dedication of the organization and the positive impact that volunteering has on mental health. I wholeheartedly encourage everyone to find a cause they’re passionate about and dedicate a few hours a week to making a difference.”
Thank you Chris for all your hard work making CRAN the best rescue it can be!
January 2025 Adoptions
Thank you to all of our volunteers, partners and donors who made this possible!