News & Events
Keep up with the latest happenings at HART.
Learn about all the exciting news & events below.
Learn about all the exciting news & events below.
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Events at HART
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You're invited!
Join us at the SweetHART Dance – a fun and informal fundraising event benefiting HART's Cats & Kittens that is NOT just for sweethearts! Bring your friends, family, or come solo.
Attractions include:
Get your ticket (which includes 2 drink vouchers) for only $45 by clicking the button below.
For more details on tickets and auction items, please email wendy@slohart.org or call HART at (805) 927-7377, Tuesday through Saturday, noon until 5 p.m.
*Special thanks to our wonderful event sponsors, Dritsas & Company!
Saturday, February 15th
7pm-10pm
Cambria Veterans' Memorial Hall
1000 Main St., Cambria
7pm-10pm
Cambria Veterans' Memorial Hall
1000 Main St., Cambria
Attractions include:
- Dessert buffet
- Music by the Zongo All-Stars
- Silent Auction
- Dancing
- Local beer and wines
Get your ticket (which includes 2 drink vouchers) for only $45 by clicking the button below.
For more details on tickets and auction items, please email wendy@slohart.org or call HART at (805) 927-7377, Tuesday through Saturday, noon until 5 p.m.
*Special thanks to our wonderful event sponsors, Dritsas & Company!
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Shelter News
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A Tribute to Susan Barghini (1946-2024)
Just before Christmas Day, we learned the sad news that Susan Barghini had passed away. As one of HART’s most stalwart supporters, Susan was a key advocate who ensured its survival after serious challenges around 2010 threatened its existence.
At that time, HART was housed at 1500 Main Street. The owner of the property decided to sell it, and financial discrepancies threatened HART’s status as a 501(c)(3) charitable entity. Susan and her husband, architect Gary Swauger (HART’s treasurer) put order in the financial records and identified a new location at 2638 Main Street, which had appeared on the market. Securing a mortgage seemed impossible until Susan was unexpectedly notified by Sacramento that a distant cousin, whom Susan didn’t know existed, had died without a will. The estate was being liquidated, and Susan was due to receive part of the proceeds. As Susan recounted later, the timing seemed providential: she donated all of the money to HART in order to obtain the mortgage, and the animals were moved to their new shelter in 2011. Susan had saved HART.
Susan was born in San Francisco in 1946, and worked in the Bay Area as a high school teacher until Gary and she married in 1975. They moved to Cambria the next year. Susan served as president of HART’s board of directors from 2006 to 2013. Next she led the Events Committee, which was (and is) responsible for conceiving and carrying out HART’s major fundraising events. From 2013-2020, when Covid-19 lockdowns interrupted social gatherings, she orchestrated the elaborate plans for Wines, Pines, and Felines. After the lockdowns were lifted, Susan ensured that one more chapter in WPF’s history would still be written in 2022, when the last WPF event was held at Cambria Pines Lodge.
Susan had a keen eye and enthusiasm for retailing. Leading a team of volunteers, she would transform HART’s gift shop at least four times a year with attractive seasonal decorations. She tirelessly gathered dozens of items that were sold in the shop to boost our revenues.
In addition to fostering cats and adopting from HART, Susan contributed to the newsletters, organized several years of stuffing envelopes for HART’s year-end appeal, sorted hundreds of items for the Goodwill drives, and recruited new volunteers and staff, including Evelyn Zanella to introduce protocols for adoptions and animal care. We join them in extending our condolences to Gary Swauger and saluting Susan’s extraordinary contribution to HART and our community.
Susan requested that no flowers or tributes be offered in her memory -- except for donations to her most cherished cause, the Homeless Animal Rescue Team.
At that time, HART was housed at 1500 Main Street. The owner of the property decided to sell it, and financial discrepancies threatened HART’s status as a 501(c)(3) charitable entity. Susan and her husband, architect Gary Swauger (HART’s treasurer) put order in the financial records and identified a new location at 2638 Main Street, which had appeared on the market. Securing a mortgage seemed impossible until Susan was unexpectedly notified by Sacramento that a distant cousin, whom Susan didn’t know existed, had died without a will. The estate was being liquidated, and Susan was due to receive part of the proceeds. As Susan recounted later, the timing seemed providential: she donated all of the money to HART in order to obtain the mortgage, and the animals were moved to their new shelter in 2011. Susan had saved HART.
Susan was born in San Francisco in 1946, and worked in the Bay Area as a high school teacher until Gary and she married in 1975. They moved to Cambria the next year. Susan served as president of HART’s board of directors from 2006 to 2013. Next she led the Events Committee, which was (and is) responsible for conceiving and carrying out HART’s major fundraising events. From 2013-2020, when Covid-19 lockdowns interrupted social gatherings, she orchestrated the elaborate plans for Wines, Pines, and Felines. After the lockdowns were lifted, Susan ensured that one more chapter in WPF’s history would still be written in 2022, when the last WPF event was held at Cambria Pines Lodge.
Susan had a keen eye and enthusiasm for retailing. Leading a team of volunteers, she would transform HART’s gift shop at least four times a year with attractive seasonal decorations. She tirelessly gathered dozens of items that were sold in the shop to boost our revenues.
In addition to fostering cats and adopting from HART, Susan contributed to the newsletters, organized several years of stuffing envelopes for HART’s year-end appeal, sorted hundreds of items for the Goodwill drives, and recruited new volunteers and staff, including Evelyn Zanella to introduce protocols for adoptions and animal care. We join them in extending our condolences to Gary Swauger and saluting Susan’s extraordinary contribution to HART and our community.
Susan requested that no flowers or tributes be offered in her memory -- except for donations to her most cherished cause, the Homeless Animal Rescue Team.
Happy Mew Year!
finally found his perfec We’re thrilled to wrap up the year with some amazing news! December brought a wave of magic to HART, as 15 cats and kittens found their fur-ever homes!
Our Cat of the Month, Mickey,t family, as did 3-year-old sisters Cindy Lou and Molly Sue, who after 6 months of waiting, finally found the perfect home. Shy kitten sisters Lizzie and Yoongie, also six-month residents, found a loving home where they can thrive together.
Some shelter friends became siblings: Daisy & Spot and Sparrow & Anthony were adopted as pairs into their new families. Sweethearts Harlo and Howl charmed their adopters so thoroughly that they skipped the shelter entirely, going straight from their foster home to their forever home. Finch, Rowan, and Cassie, who all overcame rough beginnings, are now starting fresh chapters with their new families.
And perhaps the most heartwarming story of all—our beloved Blue finally found his forever family after a turbulent year. After being in and out of six homes, Blue has landed in his lucky number seven, where he is cherished and truly home at last.
A huge thank you to the wonderful families who opened their hearts and homes to these special kitties. You’ve made this holiday season unforgettable!
Our Cat of the Month, Mickey,t family, as did 3-year-old sisters Cindy Lou and Molly Sue, who after 6 months of waiting, finally found the perfect home. Shy kitten sisters Lizzie and Yoongie, also six-month residents, found a loving home where they can thrive together.
Some shelter friends became siblings: Daisy & Spot and Sparrow & Anthony were adopted as pairs into their new families. Sweethearts Harlo and Howl charmed their adopters so thoroughly that they skipped the shelter entirely, going straight from their foster home to their forever home. Finch, Rowan, and Cassie, who all overcame rough beginnings, are now starting fresh chapters with their new families.
And perhaps the most heartwarming story of all—our beloved Blue finally found his forever family after a turbulent year. After being in and out of six homes, Blue has landed in his lucky number seven, where he is cherished and truly home at last.
A huge thank you to the wonderful families who opened their hearts and homes to these special kitties. You’ve made this holiday season unforgettable!
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Thank you for Attending HART's Kitty Christmas Cafe'!
Hart's festive holiday event on the afternoon of December 21, was very well attended. There were three cat adoptions, steady retail sales and over $1k in donations were received that day. There was a beautiful and tasty cider and cocoa station, which folks thoroughly enjoyed. The treats brought in from Events Committee members were greatly appreciated. The Kitty Ditty HART Band performed to an appreciative crowd and a festive time was had by all!
A Huge Success!
Thank you for joining us at our 2nd Annual Robin's Fundraising Dinner in November, celebrating HART's 41st Anniversary! We're thrilled to share that this event raised significant funds for HART, made even more special by the generosity of the raffle winners, who donated their portions back to HART.
A heartfelt THANK YOU to Robin's Restaurant for hosting this event and creating such a beautiful, warm, and delicious experience. We also extend our gratitude to Among Friends for donating the lovely sea glass gifts. Your support means the world to us and helps us continue our mission. Thank you for being a part of this special evening!
A heartfelt THANK YOU to Robin's Restaurant for hosting this event and creating such a beautiful, warm, and delicious experience. We also extend our gratitude to Among Friends for donating the lovely sea glass gifts. Your support means the world to us and helps us continue our mission. Thank you for being a part of this special evening!
Thank you Neighbors!
Thank you our wonderful neighbors for "faving" HART's Nexdoor page during Nextdoor's Neighborhood Faves Contest. We are excited to be one of the winning businesses for the 2nd year in a row, and we are honored to be one of your "faves!" Having the status of "Neighborhood Fave" will increase our visibility in Cambria, which means increased visibility for our cats and kittens who need homes. If you haven't faved our Nexdoor page yet, we welcome you to do so HERE. Thank you neighbors - we appreciate YOU!
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Take a Peek at
HART's Gift Shop!
The Gift Shop has been updated with adorable winter merchandise. Take a peek at some of the new items we have out.
All proceeds from the Gift Shop support our Cats & Kittens.
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Support HART at Freddie's
Thrift & Consignment!
Thrift & Consignment!
Got gently used items you're ready to part with? Bring them to Freddie's Thrift & Consignment at 816 Main Street in Cambria and donate them for a great cause! Just mention you'd like them sold on consignment for HART, and we'll receive a percentage of the proceeds. Thank you for supporting us!
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Thanks for your Donations!
HART's Annual Fall Goodwill Drive was an incredible success, thanks to our amazing Cambria neighbors and dedicated supporters from all across SLO County! Your generosity in donating new or gently used treasures helped us fill the trailers to the brim, raising an impressive $800 to support our mission at HART. Every item donated and every dollar raised makes a difference for the cats in our care.
Feeling inspired? Start your spring cleaning early, and stay tuned for the announcement of our Spring Goodwill Drive date. Together, we can make the next drive even more impactful—thank you for being part of our journey! 🐾💛
October Display: Our Adorable Scarekitty!
In October, we showcased our adorable scarekitty, lovingly created by HART Volunteers, just in time for the annual Scarecrow Festival! This cool cat is made from recycled materials. Kitty’s fur is made from our empty kitty litter bags, the eyes are cat food cans, the whiskers are recycled packaging straps, the ribbon came from an old stash and even the plywood is recycled scraps. Isn't she adorable?
Pinedorado
Pinedorado Weekend in Cambria was a great time! 🌲🐴🤠 HART had fun creating our Pinedorado Parade entry and we wanted to share it with you, along with some other highlights of the parade. There were approximately 60 wonderful participants in the parade, so this is only a few. We hope you enjoy! 😺 HART Volunteers helped out all weekend at the Pinedorado Grounds serving up yummy corn. 🌽 For more info about Pinedorado, visit: https://www.cambrialions.org
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Thank You for Supporting HART with Dinner at Harmony Cafe' and Music by Jill Knight!
It was a huge success! The four-course dinner, fundraising event, on the evening of Saturday June 22nd, was a lovely evening that raised over $2,100 for HART's cats and kittens!
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Get Involved at HART
Contact HART to volunteer to feed, medicate or clean.
Foster a current shelter resident or let us know you are available to foster new intakes, including cats and kittens.
Share photos of our cats on social media and let your friends and family know about adoptable cats.
Donate to HART's general fund, which help keep our doors open.
Donate essential items, like cat food and litter, from our Amazon wishlist.
For additional ways to help, please click here. Thank you for your support!
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