Our 2025 Holiday Giving: Because Every Tail Deserves a Happy Ending

Each year, I use this season to reflect on the people who have supported me over the last fifteen years. Whether we worked together recently or long ago, your trust has stayed with me and continues to shape the work I do.

In your honour, I’ve made donations to local animal rescues who work every day to give second chances to pets who need safety, love, and a place to call home. It’s a small way to give back to the animals who can’t ask for help themselves, and your support makes this possible.

The Rescues We’re Supporting This Year

🐾 Rescue #1: Ottawa Stray Cat Rescue (OSCATR)

OSCATR is the rescue that brought Banks into our family earlier this year. He came from a colony in Quebec and quickly became a deeply devoted part of our home, helping our family, especially the kids, through the grief of losing Hanky.

OSCATR steps in for vulnerable cats with nowhere else to go, providing medical care, safety, and second chances. This donation is made in honour of Banks, and in memory of Hanky, who inspired this year’s giving.

🔗 Learn more or support their work:
https://www.oscatr.ca

🐾 Rescue #2: Caitlin’s Critters Wildlife Orphanage

Caitlin’s Critters cares for injured and orphaned wildlife, giving small, vulnerable animals the chance to heal and return to the wild. She rescues countless animals across the city, including squirrels, rabbits, shrews, and more.

This year, one particular group of orphaned squirrels from Kanata and Orléans was placed together in a squirrel condo installed in a tree in our yard. Caitlin receives countless calls every day and is a true hero for the animals who have nowhere else to turn.

🔗 Follow and support their work:
https://www.facebook.com/CaitlinsCritters

🐾 Rescue #3: Minpinerie

Minpinerie does incredible work advocating for dogs with big personalities, special needs, and complex cases, the ones who need patience, understanding, and the right match.

This donation is made in memory of my mom’s heart dog, Stella. Stella was inseparable from my mom, full of attitude, fiercely loyal, and completely devoted to her person. Minpinerie is also the rescue my mom has two very happy foster failures from, which speaks volumes about the care and commitment they bring to every dog they help.

🔗 Learn more or support their work:
https://minpinerie.ca

🐾 Rescue #4: Sit With Me Dog Rescue

Sit With Me Dog Rescue advocates for dogs who need patience, structure, and thoughtful placements. They provide strong foster support and focus on ensuring each dog lands exactly where they belong.

We recently met two Sit With Me puppies, Rowdy and Melty, at a local Christmas market, and it was an instant love story for Willa. Moments like that are a reminder that rescue dogs aren’t just finding homes, they’re finding families.

🔗 Learn more or view adoptable dogs:
https://www.sitwithme.ca

🐾 Rescue #5: Golden Rescue

Golden Rescue is dedicated to helping dogs who need extra compassion, patience, and advocacy. Their work gives vulnerable dogs the chance to heal and experience the life they deserve.

This donation is made in memory of Lady Marmalade, one of my very special four-legged clients. A blind rescue from Lebanon, Lady Marmalade overcame unimaginable obstacles early in life and went on to live her best years with my incredible client and her fur mom, Wendy.

🔗 Learn more or support their work:
https://www.goldenrescue.ca

🐾 Rescue #6: Rainbow Rabbit Rescue & Sanctuary

Rainbow Rabbit Rescue & Sanctuary focuses on rabbits who need the most care — seniors, disabled, injured, and end-of-life buns. This kind of work often happens quietly, but it makes an enormous difference for animals who would otherwise have nowhere to go.

This donation is made in honour of a truly special woman who gives her time and heart to animals all over the city. While she isn’t formally part of this rescue, Rainbow Rabbit Rescue & Sanctuary is one of the causes closest to her heart, and one she supports tirelessly.

I first connected with her when a group of domestic rabbits had been dumped in my area. She stepped in immediately, helping get as many as possible to safety through rescues like this one. Her kindness didn’t stop there. When we were away just before Hank passed, she checked in on him repeatedly, spending time with him and making sure he was loved and not alone. We refer to her as Hank’s guardian angel.

This donation honours her, and the compassionate work Rainbow Rabbit Rescue & Sanctuary does for rabbits who need it most.

🔗 Follow & support: https://www.facebook.com/HoppyHopeful/

🐾 Rescue #7: CARF Canada Dog Rescue

CARF Canada Dog Rescue rescues dogs from Caribbean islands and helps them find safe, loving homes where they can thrive. Their work gives dogs a second chance after difficult beginnings and supports families throughout the adoption journey.

This donation is made in honour of two of my four-legged clients, Jorge and Pepino, who both came from CARF. Jorge began his journey as a foster and is heading to his permanent home in British Columbia this January. Pepino was also rescued through CARF after a tough start to life on the islands and has been deeply loved by his fur mom here in Ontario ever since.

CARF has played a meaningful role in the lives of people and animals I care deeply about, which makes supporting their work an easy choice.

🔗 Learn more & support: https://carfcanadadogrescue.com

🐾 Rescue #8: Furry Tales Cat Rescue

Furry Tales Cat Rescue is dedicated to helping cats find safe, loving homes through foster-based care, advocacy, and community support. Their work gives cats the chance to land exactly where they belong, sometimes in the most unexpected ways.

This donation is made in honour of Finn, a Furry Tales rescue who became the unexpected star of one of my listings. He was meant to be the shy cat who hid during showings but instead insisted on being part of everything, from professional photos to buyer visits. We joked he was a closet Realtor, and he may very well have been the MVP of that sale.

Furry Tales does incredible work supporting cats of all personalities, including the big characters and the quiet ones, all while helping them find families who truly appreciate them.

🔗 Learn more, follow their work, or view adoptable cats:
https://furrytalesrescue.ca

🐾 Rescue #9: Penny Lane Farm Sanctuary

Penny Lane Farm Sanctuary provides a safe, permanent home for farm animals who have been rescued from neglect, abuse, or uncertain futures. Their mission is rooted in compassion, education, and giving animals the dignity and care they deserve.

This donation is especially meaningful for my rural and equestrian clients. I love working with people who dream of more space, more land, and a life a little closer to animals, whether that means horses, a hobby farm, or even just a few well loved chickens.

Penny Lane represents the best of that lifestyle, advocating for animals and showing what thoughtful, ethical care truly looks like.

🔗 Learn more or support the sanctuary:
https://pennylanefarmsanctuary.com

🐾 Rescue #10: Ottawa Kitten Rescue

Ottawa Kitten Rescue does extraordinary work stepping in when cats have nowhere else to turn. They rescue, foster, and advocate for cats facing urgent situations every single day, even when the timing is heartbreaking.

This donation is inspired by Eggnog, a sweet two year old ginger cat who was scheduled to be euthanized on Christmas Eve. Because overpopulation does not stop for holidays. Ottawa Kitten Rescue urgently searched for a foster, and volunteers drove hours to pull him in time. Eggnog got his Christmas miracle.

Sadly, many cats are not as lucky.

Ottawa Kitten Rescue fights tirelessly for cats like Eggnog, and their work is a powerful reminder of why adoption, spaying, and neutering matter so deeply. These actions save lives.

🔗 Follow and support their work:
https://www.facebook.com/OttawaKittenRescue/

Thank You

This 10 Days of Giving campaign is made possible by the incredible clients, friends, and community who support my business year after year. Your trust allows me to give back in ways that matter deeply to me and to support the rescues and sanctuaries doing the hard, often unseen work of saving lives.

Every animal featured here represents a second chance, and every organization represents compassion in action. From cats and dogs to wildlife and farm animals, these rescues remind us that kindness changes lives.

Thank you for being part of this journey and for helping me turn gratitude into something meaningful.

Wishing you a peaceful holiday season, good company, and homes filled with warmth, love, and maybe just a little less fur on the furniture.

– Brittany Goving | Fetching Homes Real Estate
RE/MAX Hallmark Realty Group
fetchinghomes.ca