Rubio’s Rescues is a fund honoring our beloved kitty Rubio, who passed away in December of 2019. Rubio was not only a beloved fixture of the Ladew Cat Sanctuary, he was also a Paw Project Spokescat. Because of his endearing personality, Rubio charmed legislators when he visited Albany twice over the years in an effort to end the practice of declawing. His efforts, along with many veterinarians, proved fruitful when in July of 2019, Governor Cuomo signed the law to ban cat declawing in the state of New York.

The fight to end declawing continues across the United States where The Paw Project is involved in legislation pending in more than 10 states. Recently, a large chain of hospitals, which include VCA, Banfield and Blue Pearl, which comprise nearly 2000 hospitals, have banned declawing at all of their hospitals.

This is great news for well-being of kitties in the future, but the fact remains that there are many cats suffering from having been declawed. According to a paper written by Dr. Martell-Moran, 63% of declawed cats suffer from the fragments left behind from incomplete amputations that you can see in the above radiograph.

Rubio’s Rescues is forming to help evaluate declawed cats that have lost their homes and ended up at municipal shelters or with 501c3 rescue groups. We are currently raising funds to install radiograph equipment at our facility and evaluations of paws of declawed cats will be provided at no charge to rescues or shelters who have declawed cats in their care.

Will you help us help these kitties in honor of our beloved Rubio?