Goathouse Refuge

Founding

Siglinda Scarpa says she had issues with communication as a child, stating that “people were not seeing me, that they were talking, but never to me.” It was not until her father brought a stray kitten home and placed it under her sheets that Scarpa felt she could communicate with someone. The kitten was a year old when he became very ill and died. After his death, Scarpa decided to take in as many cats as possible, with the hopes of eventually creating a safe haven for cats. Scarpa created the Goathouse Refuge in 2007, naming it after an old goat who came with the dilapidated plantation house and the 16 acre property. Originally, the land was just intended for her pottery studio. After the house and studio burned down Scarpa rebuilt it with plans that included a sanctuary for cats, using personal resources and proceeds from her pottery sales to make it possible.

Adoption

The Refuge has found homes for at least 900 cats since they opened in 2007. They ensure that the cats have been tested, de-wormed, and have had their first shots. The adoption fee covers spaying/neutering, micro-chipping, and vaccinations although some cats may have sponsors who donate to cover for some or all of the adoption fee. There is also an application that must be filled out which asks very thorough in-depth questions to ensure that the cat will go to a good home. The applications are reviewed first by staff to see if the applicants are a good fit for the cat. Afterwards, a home visit is required to see if the house is suitable for the cat.

The Goathouse Refuge differs from many other shelters in that all cats are welcome, and none are subject to euthanasia unless past all hope of recovery. Neither disposition, age, nor illness affect whether a cat will be accepted to stay at the Refuge. Adoption is the ultimate goal, but unadoptable cats may live out their lives on the property as well.

Operations

As a nonprofit shelter, the Refuge is run mainly by volunteers who clean litter boxes, change food and water, wash dishes and blankets, sanitize areas and perform other duties. There are two shifts of at least two volunteers each, early morning and late afternoon, which revolve around the feeding habits of the cats. The volunteers also need to socialize new kittens and cats with behavior issues to make them ready for adoption. New volunteers are introduced to the cats who need to receive special attention for conditions such as allergies to certain cleaning products and dietary restrictions, which are made clear by charts and signs on the cats' cages.

Because the Goathouse Refuge offers their 300 cats (number as of January 2013) medical treatment on-site, quality food, toys and comfort items such as lots of blankets, the cost of maintaining is higher than the average shelter. Contributors help in many ways to the shelter, including providing items the cats need, donating money, or attending fundraisers. Scarpa's fundraisers use themes such as Burrito Bash, Venetian Carnival, Garden Gourmands, and Mad Hatter's Tea Party. These events are listed in such online and written publications as Raleigh's Indy Week, Chatham County's Chatham Chatlist, Chapel Hill's The Daily Tar Heel as well as on the Refuge's website and Facebook page.

The Goathouse Refuge also provides alternative solutions for those who wish to see a particular cat go to a good home, but cannot adopt the cat themselves. There is the option to sponsor a cat by donating to cover their adoption fees so that the cat may have a higher chance of being adopted. The refuge also provides "virtual cats" as gifts and will send the donor a photo of a cat of their choice as well as a behind-the-scenes story about him/her. For those who wish to donate regularly there is a program called "Coffee Cat", sponsoring a particular cat at the cost of approximately a cup of coffee a day. The donations from Coffee Cat are spent on food, medical needs, and litter for that particular cat.

Controversy

In March 2013, the Goathouse Refuge was a cover story in the Indy Week paper. The article claims that there are too many cats falling prey to illness, and that the sanctuary is out of control: "One local veterinarian has treated about 35 cats from owners who had recently adopted from the Goathouse." The author, Lisa Sorg, says that according to former volunteers at the Goathouse Refuge, there are twice as many cats on the premises as recommended by a veterinarian, and that Scarpa makes volunteers sign an anti-defamation agreement and instructs them to lie to state inspectors, among other allegations that Scarpa denied or justified. Just over a day after the article's release the comments section on the Indy Week website became so heated that Denise Prickett, INDY Editorial Web Director, posted "We have closed comments on this story for the weekend. We will reopen comments Monday morning. All future comments must respond directly to the story and must be civil. Comments that do not follow these guidelines will be removed."