News & Events

Stay up to date with everything happening at HART — from current and upcoming events to heartwarming success stories, past highlights, and behind-the-scenes news. Discover what’s new, what’s next, and all the wonderful things happening around the shelter!

Events at HART

HART Bi-Annual Goodwill Drive

SAVE THE DATE - HART is hosting a GOODWILL Drive on October 10th & 11th!

Fall is a great time to purge your unwanted clothes & household items. HART earns funds for every truck we fill, so we hope you will help us fill 2 trucks! Help us meet our goal by gathering your new or gently used & working items and bringing them to HART (2638 Main St., Cambria.) Early drop-off will be available.

Unsure whether your item will be accepted? Tap the link below!
https://www.ccgoodwill.org/donate/what-to-donate/

Thanks in advance for your generosity!

Shelter News

Thank you for Attending HART's Movie Night featuring FLOW!

August 2025 — ✨ What a night!
HART’s Movie Night Fundraiser was a huge success thanks to our incredible community. More than 100 tickets were purchased for the outdoor screening of the Academy Award-winning animated film Flow on the lawn at Parr Collective at Stolo Vineyards, raising over $2,000 for HART’s cats and kittens!

A heartfelt thank you to our sponsor, the Cambria Film Festival, for generously donating their time, equipment, volunteers, and expertise to make the evening possible. We are also grateful to Parr Collective at Stolo Vineyards for donating their beautiful event space, and to Mary and Paul for providing the popcorn station and keeping it popping all night long.

Most of all, thank you to everyone who came out to enjoy this magical film under the stars. Your support means the world to us and helps us continue our mission of rescuing, rehabilitating, and rehoming cats in need. 💙

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HART Travels to CatCon!

On August 2 & 3, our Shelter Manager Cathy and front desk volunteer Kathy traveled to CatCon in Pasadena! They spent the weekend connecting with cat advocates, influencers, experts, performers, veterinarians, and representatives from fellow rescues—and even met some famous celebricats, including Cat Named Calvin!

Cathy and Kathy returned with fresh ideas, inspiration, and resources to help our shelter continue to save more lives, improve the well-being of the cats in our care, and strengthen our role in the rescue community.

"It was so cool to be around hundreds and hundreds of like minded cat people! It was fun! The Pasadena Humane Society adopted out 210 kittens and cats that weekend. Incredible!" - Kathy Bethel

July Adoptions!

What a spectacular month July turned out to be — 23 cats and kittens found their forever homes!

18 kittens were adopted, many in pairs, some into homes with new furry siblings, and two lucky trios went home together to become forever families.
1 senior sweetheart, Pebbles, charmed her way into a forever home so quickly, we didn't even get a chance to snap a photo before she left!
4 adult cats also found their happily ever afters — including Midnight, our May Cat of the Month, who finally had someone walk in and fall in love with her sweet and spunky spirit, and Mama Millie, who now gets to be pampered and loved herself after her hard work and dedication raising her precious babies.

But our biggest win? The adoption of Henry and Scooter! After losing their beloved human, their world turned upside down. They lost the only home they've ever known and suddenly found themselves in a confusing and unfamiliar place — scared, grieving, and unsure of who to trust. Their hearts were heavy, and they were deeply shut down, huddling together for comfort and safety. But then, a kind soul walked into HART, read their story, and knew — these were her boys. She saw past their fear and into their hearts. Now, they’re adjusting to a peaceful new life, surrounded by patience, love, and understanding. We know they'll soon find their joy again.

Welcome home, everyone. You’re exactly where you’re meant to be.

Thank you for Attending our Summer Open House!

July 2025 — Our Summer Open House was a HUGE success—thank you to everyone who joined us! We had so many wonderful visitors—it was truly PAW-some! The craft table was a hit, with tons of cat toys made, face painting, stickers, and cat-themed goodies galore. We received some amazing donations, gave out lots of Shelter Tours, and the Kitty Ditty HART Band drew quite the crowd—nearly every seat was filled!
Best of all, SIX kittens found their fur-ever homes on Saturday, making this one of our most successful Open Houses ever. We’re so grateful for your continued support—because of YOU, we can keep doing what we love for the cats and kittens who need us most!

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KITTEN FOSTERS NEEDED

Kitten season is rampant from Spring to Fall, and HART needs fosters who can help us save these vulnerable lives. Kitten fosters provide care and support to kittens until they are old enough to thrive on their own and be adopted.

Unfortunately, there are always more kittens and cats in need than fosters available to help them. You can make a huge impact by fostering these vulnerable animals, for a couple of weeks or more, and helping to spread the word about your experience to other potential foster parents.

HART provides all the food, supplies, veterinary care and support. All you need to provide is a warm home and plenty of TLC!

Learn More

A HARTfelt Farewell to Our Beloved Judy Mills

It is with heavy hearts that we share the passing of our dear friend and longtime morning feeder, Judy Mills, who left us in June at the age of 86.

Judy was a pillar of HART — a quiet force of love and dedication who served our shelter family for more than two decades. Every weekday morning, often before the sun rose, Judy would arrive to feed our cats, gently medicating those in need and making sure each one felt safe, cared for, and loved. Her presence brought comfort not just to the animals, but to everyone at HART, knowing the kitties started every day safe in her care.

Judy fostered, adopted, and gave her heart to every cat who crossed her path. Her steady kindness and devotion made an immeasurable impact on HART and on the many lives she touched — feline and human alike.

We are profoundly grateful for the time we shared with Judy. Her legacy of compassion and care will forever be part of HART. She is deeply missed.

Summer Cat Quilt Raffle
– A Purr-fect Success!

June 2025 — A heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined in the fun and donated for a chance to win our beautiful quilt! Thanks to your generosity, we raised an incredible $3,000 to support the cats at HART!
On May 31st, HART volunteers Christine Steeb and Marshall Lewis had the honor of drawing the winning ticket. Congratulations to Roxane Malone of Atascadero, whose ticket was selected from nearly 90 entries!

HART Joins First Cambria Nonprofit Community Fair

On Saturday, April 5th, HART was proud to participate in the very first Cambria Nonprofit Community Fair, hosted by the Cambria 501 Group at the Pinedorado Grounds. More than 25 local nonprofits came together to connect with residents and share how they help make life in Cambria brighter.

HART volunteers enjoyed meeting community members, talking about our mission, and sharing ways people can support our rescued cats and kittens—whether through volunteering, fostering, adopting, or simply spreading the word.

The event featured delicious food and drinks, lively music from DJ Ponce Gonzalez, a colorful performance by Ballet Folklorico, and a fun raffle for visitors who stopped by each nonprofit booth. It was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the spirit of community while introducing more people to the work we do for our feline friends.

We’re grateful to the Cambria 501 Group for organizing such a successful event and to everyone who stopped by our booth to say hello.

HART’s Spring Goodwill Drive was a fantastic success!

April 2025 - Thanks to your generosity, we filled nearly two full trailers and raised an incredible $1,120 in donations!

In addition to the many early drop-off donations, we had between 60–70 donors on Friday, April 11 and another 50–55 donors on Saturday, April 12. That’s support from nearly 4% of Cambria’s 3,800 households—a remarkable show of community spirit. Your donations make a real difference in the lives of HART’s cats and kittens.

Thank you, Cambria, for caring, sharing, and giving!

Support hart by bringing your consignment items to freddies thrift consignment! (3)

Support HART at Freddie's 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. We appreciate your support!

Take a Peek at
HART's Gift Shop!

The Gift Shop has been updated with adorable spring merchandise. Take a peek at some of the new items we have out.
All proceeds from the Gift Shop support our Cats & Kittens.

Tap here for a peek of the Gift Shop!

Thank you for Making the 2nd Annual SweetHART Dance a Huge Success!

Our hearts are full! 💕 Thanks to our incredible supporters, the SweetHART Dance was a night to remember—raising over $6,000 for HART’s cats and kittens! 🐾🎉 The Zongo All-Star Band kept the dance floor packed, the dessert buffet was a sweet hit, and the silent auction was the biggest success of the night!

We want to give a HUGE shoutout to our amazing local businesses for their generosity in donating food, drinks, and auction items. Your support means the world to us and the cats who rely on HART. 🐱💖

And last but not least, a big THANK YOU to our dedicated Events Committee for all their hard work in making this event possible. We couldn’t have done it without you!

From all of us at HART (and our whiskered friends), thank you for your kindness, generosity, and love. 🐾💞

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Showing some LOVE to our Local Businesses!

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We are beyond grateful for the support HART received from our local business community in 2024! These businesses have given so much to help us save cats, and we encourage our followers to support the businesses that support HART—whether it’s shopping, dining, or using their services, let’s return the love!

Thank you to the 20 businesses that host HART donation jars—every penny helps save lives and spreads awareness about our mission.
A heartfelt thank you to the 40+ businesses that donated funds, food, drinks, sponsorships, silent auction items, and other items to support HART. Your generosity has made a huge impact!
A special shoutout to Freddie’s Consignment Shop for their consignment program, which has raised hundreds of dollars for HART’s cats and kittens.
Thank you to Jill Knight & Rina Kelly for sharing their musical talents at our Harmony Café event!
We’re also incredibly grateful to Edina Szabo from Keller Williams Central Coast for organizing a successful cat food drive. Her time, effort, and generosity were very much appreciated.

Many of these amazing businesses are already stepping up again in 2025 for our SweetHART Dance on February 15th, and we’re thrilled to welcome new businesses like Stolo Vineyards, who have generously offered their support. We couldn’t be more thankful!

Want to support HART? If you own a business and would like to become a donor, event sponsor, or host a donation jar, please reach out to wendy@slohart.org.
From the bottom of our hearts—thank you for helping us save lives!

In January, an unexpected guest decided to join the mix of HART's cats and kittens—a rather fluffy black-and-white "cat" no one had seen before. A curious little skunk had squeezed its way through the bars of one of the outdoor enclosures. Finding the sunny spot and calm feline company irresistible, the skunk nestled right in for a nap, snoozing peacefully alongside its new "friends."

Cathy, HART's Shelter Manager, strolled through the room to check on the cats. At first, everything seemed normal, but then she paused mid-step. "Wait a minute," she thought. "We don’t have a black-and-white cat in this room…" It took a few seconds for the realization to hit, and then Cathy’s face lit up with alarm and amusement. "Oh no, that’s not a cat!"

With some disbelief, chuckles, (and a lot of caution), the team sprang into action. One of HART’s recent adopters, a wildlife expert, was called to assist Heidi, HART's Medical Care Manager with the situation. But as they approached, the skunk blinked sleepily, clearly miffed at being awakened from his comfortable nap. He shuffled grumpily, as if saying, "Really? I was just getting comfortable." With patience and skill, the wildlife expert and Heidi guided the sleepy & disgruntled little guest back outside to its natural home.

Before waddling off, however, the skunk made sure to leave a pungent parting gift—a proper skunk farewell that lingered for hours. The cats, unbothered and mildly entertained, seemed to regard the entire event as the highlight of their day. Meanwhile, the staff vowed to tighten the bars on the catio—and stock up on air fresheners!

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.

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!

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!

FAVE US!

Thanks for your Donations!

HART's 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

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!

Stay Connected

H.A.R.T. (Homeless Animal Rescue Team) is a volunteer-run, no-kill, 501(c)(3) nonprofit cat shelter located in Cambria, CA. Our mission is to rescue and care for cats in need, place them in loving forever homes, and reduce feline overpopulation through an active spay/neuter program.

2638 Main Street Cambria, CA 93428

Phone: 805-927-7377

Monday: Closed
Tuesday - Saturday: 12:00pm - 5:00pm
Sunday: Closed

News & Events

Events at HART

Shelter News

Thank you for Attending HART's Movie Night featuring FLOW!

HART Travels to CatCon!

Thank you for Attending our Summer Open House!

KITTEN FOSTERS NEEDED

A HARTfelt Farewell to Our Beloved Judy Mills

HART Joins First Cambria Nonprofit Community Fair