CITY DOGS RESCUE

City Dogs & City Kitties Rescue (CDCK) works each day to make a difference in the lives of abandoned cats and dogs. Since our start in 2011, we have rescued over 9,000 abandoned dogs and cats. Our mission and animals rely on the support of our community of volunteers and donors.

The goals of CDCK are to:
• Decrease unnecessary euthanasia at partner shelters by transferring healthy and treatable companion animals from these shelters to CDCK.
• Provide high-quality care for animals in a manner that allows for good stewardship of resources.
• Successfully place adoptable dogs and cats in loving, forever homes.
• Promote responsible pet ownership.
• Be a positive visible presence and resource in DC, Maryland, and Virginia.
• Provide a welcoming and supportive environment for volunteers, adopters, donors, and supporters.
• Be transparent and provide accurate information.
• Sustain long-term financial health and stability.
• Support and nurture our rural under-resourced partner shelters.

CDCK plays a critical role in saving the lives of dogs and cats who would otherwise be at significant risk of death at kill shelters. Animals are regularly brought in from Virginia, West Virginia, and North Carolina, sometimes in obvious distress from previous life experiences. CDCK gives these animals a second chance by ensuring good medical care, providing nutritious foods, behavior care, and finding them a good home in the DC metropolitan area. Our expenses to care for the almost 200 dogs and cats in our care come in many forms, including vet care, training assistance, transportation, gear, preventatives, and dewormer. We continuously face daunting medical costs that reach well over $500,000 a year.

The organization operates in the Washington, DC metro area, giving residents the chance to positively impact their community through volunteering. CDCK provides a community, both on and offline, for volunteers and pet owners to share their experiences and advice and to find friendships outside of their work or home communities. CDCK’s urban location and proximity to the metropolitan DC area gives access to safe pet adoptions to adopters nearby, many of whom do not own cars and live in apartments, condos, and townhomes. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the demand for rescue dogs and cats grew significantly and CDCK was poised to meet the challenge, providing countless dogs and cats with new, permanent homes and providing people with much-needed companionship that helped them avoid loneliness and isolation.

CDCK has received several awards and recognitions for its work in the community, including:

• Inclusion in the Catalogue for Philanthropy as “one of the best” community-based nonprofit organizations in the Washington, D.C. area, 2015 – 2021
• Washington City Paper's Readers' Poll, Best Nonprofit, 2020 - 2015 (winner), 2014 (runner-up)
• Washington City Paper's Readers' Poll, Best Charity Event, 2020 – 2018, 2016, – 2014 (winner)
• Washington City Paper's Readers' Poll, Best Place to Volunteer, 2020 – 2019 (runner-up), 2018 (winner), 2017 - 2015 (runner-up), 2014 (winner)
• The Road to a Better Community Award by Easterns Automotive Group, 2018
• Best in Shelter winner of a $30,000 grant from author Martha Grimes, 2017
• WTOP's "Click-for-a-Cause", 2015 (second place)
• Washington Blade's "Best of Gay DC" as Finalist for Best Pet Business, 2015
• Washington Blade's "Best of Gay DC" as Finalist for Best Non-Profit, 2014
• Capital Pride Float Award Winner, 2013

Community Partnerships

CDCK partners with other local organizations and gives back to the community in many ways. One such partnership is with Pets for Vets, which matches companion animals to veterans to support their well-being. CDCK also partnered for many years with the nonprofit Food & Friends annually in support of its Slice of Life campaign, which provides healthy home-delivered meals to children and adults battling HIV/AIDS, cancer, and other life-threatening illnesses. In 2020, CDCK raised over $30,000 for Food & Friends programs and received $20,000 in free vet care from a local animal hospital. Additionally, CDCK supports activities with students and youth in the area by providing awareness events and opportunities to build their skills in communications, photography, and videography. CDCK is often the Charity of Choice for many of the local Stonewall Sports Teams. The organization also participates in the World Bank Group Community Connections Campaign and the Combined Federal Campaign of the National Capital Area.

Your support makes a big impact. Thank you.