Two animal-welfare organizations to merge

FORT COLLINS — Two Northern Colorado’s animal-welfare organizations are merging.  Beginning in 2020, Animal House Rescue & Grooming and Fort Collins Cat Rescue & Spay/Neuter Clinic will join and operate as a single organization.

Fort Collins Cat Rescue & Spay/Neuter Clinic is an adoption-guarantee, limited-admission, nonprofit cat shelter and subsidized sterilization clinic for both dogs and cats. Animal House Rescue is an adoption-guarantee, limited-admission, nonprofit shelter and a supportive resource for more than 50 shelters and rescues both statewide and nationally.

The two organizations have collaborated on projects, fundraisers and adoption events over more than a decade.  The two organizations determined that the time is right to become one entity.

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“We have the same values, we have the same philosophies,” Sarah Swanty, co-founder and executive director of Fort Collins Cat Rescue & Spay/Neuter Clinic, said in announcing the merger.  “We’ve been incredible partners over the years, and that’s another reason why this merger just makes so much sense.”

After the merger, Swanty will serve as executive director of the new organization. Ali Eccleston, co-founder and executive director of Animal House Rescue & Grooming, will stay on through the end of 2019 to ensure a smooth transition and will consult for a short time after the merger.

“Over the years, I realized as the co-founder of Animal House that at some point I would be ready to move on to some new challenges,” Eccleston said.  “For the past few years, the Animal House board and I have been talking about what an ideal succession plan would be, so when this idea to merge with FCCRSNC came about, I couldn’t have been happier.”

The two organizations will continue to offer their current services and operate at their respective locations for the remainder of 2019.  Over the coming months, they will jointly formalize plans for the future development of the new organization’s facilities and programs. “When we come together, we will continue to focus on what we have been doing,” Swanty said.  “We will not only be housing homeless animals and getting them ready for adoption, but continuing our work in keeping pets with their families and out of shelters.”

The new, unified organization does not yet have a name or logo, but the merger team will be soliciting ideas from the community in the coming weeks and months.