About

Sun Cities 4 Paws Rescue was founded in the spring of 1996 by a small group of women. Its purpose was to rescue homeless animals in the Sun Cities area and to provide temporary care either in foster or in a permanent shelter for the animals while facilitating their adoption in forever homes. They also cooperated with other organizations dedicated to the rescue and care of homeless animals and worked for humane solutions to the problem of pet overpopulation.

The first shelter was a trailer house with a garage and storage shed. After outgrowing this space, we used a portion of a rental property and then moved to another house in Sun City, which became known as ‘The Lucy House’. The house was renovated, setting up separate rooms for the diversity of the cat population, i.e., older, feral, mothers with babies, etc. Volunteers cleaned and cared for the cats.

To meet the rising costs of the care of the animals, the group applied for and received non profit status in August 1997 and opened the Thrift Store in November of the same year. By 1999, the Lucy House was bursting at the seams. A building was found on 96th Ave in Peoria, and renovated as an animal rescue center. This is our present shelter. The shelter celebrated its grand opening in October 1999. In 2000 a large sum of money was donated and the mortgage on the Shelter was paid in full.

Since its beginning almost 30 years ago, Sun Cities 4 Paws has transitioned and grown. In 2021, we remodeled the Peoria Shelter and added 2 medical suites and a mini lab. In the summer of 2024 we rented and renovated (some) the building across the street from the shelter and in March of 2025 we moved all Intake and Medical across the street, which will enable us to intake more cats and free up much needed space at the shelter. We have one suite, next to the Thrift Store, which is our Youngtown Adoption Center. We are a PetSmart Adoption Partner and have adopted out of the PetSmart in Surprise for over 20 years.

Sun Cities 4 Paws Rescue has saved the lives of thousands of cats and kittens since we started and we continue to average both intake and adoption rates of almost 1000 per year, and we expect that number to increase with the new Intake & Medical Center. We have a dedicated group of staff and volunteers to help care for the cats and kittens awaiting adoption, along with many foster homes for kittens too young to be safely in the shelter and also for senior and/or permanent medical needs cats.

As a non profit organization, we continue to rely entirely on charitable contributions, adoption and surrender fees and thrift store sales, and we receive no federal, state or local government funding.

The mission of 4 Paws is to promote the physical and psychological well being of animals by providing a safe haven for cats while finding them adoptive homes or lifelong shelter.

Currently we achieve this mission by

1. Providing shelter, medical care, evaluation, and treatment to cats who have become homeless
2. Finding homes for the cats and kittens in our care
3. Providing people who care for cats with resources, education, and support to help keep human-animal bonds strong and prevent cats from becoming homeless

1. Compassion for cats: We focus on the individual welfare and future of each cat in need
2. Expertise: We strive to be experts in cat welfare, health, behavior, sheltering, and related programs
3. Respect for people: We treat our employees, volunteers, donors, clients, and community with respect
4. Impact: We have a significant and measurable positive impact on the cats in our community
5. Collaboration: We work with other individuals and organizations to save more lives
6. Integrity: We act with integrity and value transparency
7. Excellence: We strive for excellence in every aspect of our work

Senior Manager
Jacquelyn Ade
jacquelyn.ade@4pawsrescue.org

Veterinary Services Manager
Christine Fixico-Silver
christine.fixico-silver@4pawsrescue.org

Mariann Peterson, President

Vicki Colliander, Vice President

Sue Klein, Secretary

Becky Chase, Treasurer

Joanne Lafferty

Cris Wells

Jennifer Liang

General questions? Reach us via email at information@4pawsrescue.org

Questions on a found cat/kitten or surrendering, contact us at 623-773-2246.

Please note we are open Tuesday – Saturday 10 am to 3 pm. Non emergency cat questions or inquiries, please email us at information@4pawsrescue.org

For information on making donations or grants, please contact us at information@4pawsrescue.org or call 623-583-1824.