👨👧 Happy Father’s Day to All Cat Dads! 👨👦
This Father’s Day, we’re celebrating cat dads everywhere, including one of our own—Tony Shoeppich. Tony’s shared his journey with us all this father’s day, to show the how his journey in cat rescue led him to having a huge impact in saving feline lines:
Tony’s Story:
Back in December 2014, my partner and I learned about an adoption weekend at our local Pet Valu. She jokingly warned me that if we went, we’d almost certainly come home with a cat. As it turns out, she was right — though we didn’t come home with a cat, we came home with two. That day we met Jack and Benny, a bonded pair who immediately captured our hearts and joined our already-busy household of three (human) children.
Sadly, we lost Benny not long after, but we were fortunate to welcome Maxwell into our home a bit later. That experience sparked a deeper connection with Toronto Cat Rescue. We became regular followers, donors, and eventually foster parents — a journey that led to two foster fails (shoutout to Archie and Murphy), who are now happily part of the family.
In late 2019, when TCR put out a call for new board members, I felt an immediate pull. With years of board experience under my belt, I was ready for a new opportunity, and this seemed like a purrfect fit. I joined the board in March 2020, just in time for the world to shut down. It was a unique way to begin, with all our meetings moving to Zoom—and a few years passed before I even met some of my fellow board members in person!
After a year on the board, I stepped into the role of Treasurer, where I just completed four very fulfilling years. It was a rewarding challenge to continue building on the strong financial foundation my predecessor had left, and to help implement new partnerships and systems to support TCR’s growth and sustainability.
My time as a foster parent, board member, and Treasurer has been incredibly meaningful. TCR has become a part of my life in ways I never expected when I walked into that Pet Valu back in 2014. I may have passed the Treasurer torch, but my heart — and my home — will always be open to TCR.