Pasha was a house pet long before the rescue was a mission.
Every rescue has a beginning, and ours did not start with a plan, a building, or a mission statement. It started with one cat who was loved simply for being herself.
A Cat Who Was Simply Home
Our founder, Maritza, never set out to start a rescue. When Pasha was part of her life, there was no sanctuary in mind and no thought of running a nonprofit. Pasha was family: a beloved house cat, part of the everyday rhythm of home.
That is how most love stories with animals begin. Not with something grand, but with ordinary days shared together, and with the quiet trust a pet places in the people who care for them.
The Day Pasha Disappeared
After the yard was pruned, Pasha disappeared. She was never found.
We may never know exactly what happened. What we do know is how deeply her absence was felt. Anyone who has lost a pet knows the particular ache of not having answers: the searching, the hoping, the waiting for a familiar face that never comes back.
That loss did not fade into the background. Instead, it became the reason for everything that followed.
From Heartbreak to a Promise
Out of losing Pasha came a commitment: when a cat needs someone to say yes, we want to be the ones who say it. That is why our rescue carries her name. Finding Pasha is a way of honoring the cat who was lost by helping the cats who still can be found, helped, and kept safe.
Over time, that promise grew into a rescue and a sanctuary.
What Finding Pasha Is Today
Finding Pasha is an independent, privately operated 501(c)(3) nonprofit cat rescue and sanctuary in South Florida. We provide:
- Food and special diets
- Veterinary and medical care
- Medication
- Rehabilitation
- Spay/neuter services
- Safe, covered shelter
- Adoption into loving homes
- Lifetime care for seniors, special-needs cats, and cats who may never be adopted
Because people sometimes mistake us for a municipal shelter, we want to be clear: Finding Pasha has never received City funding for our rescue or sanctuary operations. The care we give is made possible by donors, volunteers, businesses, foundations, and people who believe every cat deserves a chance.
Some of our cats will go on to find families of their own. Others will stay with us for the rest of their lives. For them, Finding Pasha isn't just a rescue. It's home.
Pets Are Family
Pasha's story is at the heart of what we believe: pets are family, and caring for them is a lifelong commitment.
Life can be hard. Moves, money worries, and sudden changes put real pressure on families, and we understand that. But a cat cannot understand being left behind. They still need food, shelter, safety, and someone they trust. When keeping a pet truly becomes impossible, reaching out for help and arranging a safe transition is the responsible, compassionate choice.
Our hope is not to blame people going through hardship. It is to encourage everyone to treat animals as the family members they are, and to make sure fewer cats ever end up alone.
Watch Pasha's Story
To hear the full origin story, watch the video here: How Finding Pasha Was Born.
Help Us Keep Saying Yes
When the next desperate call comes, we want to answer, "Yes. We will help." But sometimes, even with all the love in the world, our resources fall short. Your support helps make sure a cat's chance at safety doesn't depend on what we can afford.
- Donate: Support Finding Pasha
- Adopt: Start an adoption application
- Share: Pass Pasha's story along to someone who loves cats.
Pasha was never found. But in her name, many cats have been, and with your help, many more will be.