Brandyn Jones - AH Founder

Animal House is 10 years old this year!  As Founder, it has been quite a journey!  

I remember everything about that very first day when we took in the 75 cats/kittens living at the deplorable City shelter that was in the process of closing. 

We lovingly loaded each kitty into a carrier amid the din of barking dogs, the drips from the leaky ceiling, and the stench of an overused and under maintained decades old building.  The neglected facility hung heavy with the air of death and despair.  Lives lost.  No hope.

As we drove away from that place with the kitties we knew life would be better for cats in our community starting that day.  We would create a place of healing, hope, and joy where each cat is celebrated and loved.

Over time we have grown to be the largest cat-only rescue and adoption center in the St. Louis region.  We have rescued thousands of cats and kittens in desperate need, giving them the stability, medical care, consistent nutrition, play, and love they needed to thrive and to prepare for joining a family of their own .  

We do this every day, all year long.   Below is a more detailed description of what we do.  I hope you will donate and join us in our life-saving efforts!

Animal House rescues, rehabilitates, and adopts cats who have been neglected or abandoned and are in desperate need of compassion, lifesaving care, safe shelter, and a place to call home. We are the largest cat-only sheltering and adoption organization in the St. Louis region, caring for a rotating population of 200 + cats and kittens each day. We strive to see the day when every cat has a safe loving home to call his/her own!

Animal House opened its doors in August of 2010, with the arrival of dozens of cats and kittens from the St. Louis' overcrowded animal control facility that was in the process of closing. We opened Animal House to offer a future to the 75 cats living at that shuttering facility, and to offer that opportunity to the cats of our region on an ongoing basis.

Today, Animal House remains a vital resource committed to providing refuge for cats who have lived through difficult circumstances and who find themselves with nowhere else to go.

We provide shelter, nutrition, medical attention, socialization, and loving care for all of the cats who come to Animal House. It is a large undertaking, with 200-225 cats residing on site at any given time. We focus on some of our region's most underserved areas, working to reduce the number of stray animals, reduce suffering, improve community health, educate residents and provide resources to support responsible cat/kitten caretaking.

Our goal for each cat who comes through our doors is a connection with a loving, life-long family. Sometimes a connection with an adopter is made quickly, sometimes it takes a while. Our commitment is long-term. We help each cat/kitten prepare for adoption by maintaining their well-being, and offering an enriching and rejuvenating environment focused on providing what each cat needs in preparation to join a family.

In addition to giving each cat all of the time he or she needs, we are available post-adoption as a resource and support. At Animal House, we believe it is crucial to make this lifetime commitment and to function as a safety net in case of change in the adopter's situation or other unforeseen circumstances so none of these cats will ever have to face life on the streets again.

We focus every day on making a real and lasting impact on the lives of cats and kittens in-need in our community.