Put your heart into our animals
By joining Ragin Rescue, you help with volunteer work, feeding our cats, and finding a group of people who equally care as much as you.
Who We Are
Ragin Rescue is a student organization on UL Lafayette's campus that is centered on animal welfare. Ragin Rescue also participates in TNR and relocation with any other stray cats found on campus. We host meetings and activities every month for members to get involved along with feeding our cats on campus.
Volunteer Work
Ragin Rescue does volunteer work with local shelters for members to gain volunteer hours and get on-hand experience in shelters working with animals. We work with both dogs and cats, and we do volunteer work with multiple local shelters. Interested members may sign up for volunteering in our discord.
Upcoming Events
Ragin Rescue actively posts updates and flyers for our upcoming meetings. Follow our Instagram for our latest meeting announcements and posts of our campus cats. Meeting flyers are also posted and announced in our Discord.
Get Involved Today
If you believe you would like to help with volunteering and care, consider joining our organization. We are always happy to accept more people and love to see more members involve themselves in activities we host. Ragin Rescue wants for our members to feel welcomed and loved by others who love animals as much as we do.
If you are considering joining, please join our Discord or Campus Groups. Meetings and announcements will be announced in both, so get the latest updates on our events from there! We hope to see you at our events and more.
Mama
Mama, legally named Nissan, is the only campus cat located at the Hamilton colony. Considered the friendliest campus cat, she loves attention and visitors. The name Mama comes from her being found pregnant, and most people just refer to her as so.
Tito
Tito is one of two cats that lives in the Bio colony. Even though he is shy, he loves pets and scritches. Being the only long-haired cat on campus, he tends to look scraggly (in a charming way). Tito also has an autoimmune disorder, so any change in his diet is detrimental.
Torti
Torti is the second of two cats that lives in the Bio colony. She is not considered friendly, so do not try to pet her! She is a big old girl with a big attitude. Even though she acts friendly, she is quick to strike at anybody who may try to touch her. Be weary!
Volunteer with Lafayette
Lafayette is home to several local animal shelters that offer a variety of animals that need help with volunteer work and more. If you are also looking to adopt or rehome an animal, these shelters are friendly and are also no-kill. We commonly do volunteer work with these shelters as well, so these are all trustworthy places that are happy to help with your needs.
Lafayette is home to several local animal shelters that offer a variety of animals that need help with volunteer work and more. If you are also looking to adopt or rehome an animal, these shelters are friendly and are also no-kill. We commonly do volunteer work with these shelters as well, so these are all trustworthy places that are happy to help with your needs.
Lafayette Animal Shelter and Care Center
Lafayette Animal Shelter & Care Center (LASCC) is a no-kill shelter that Ragin Rescue frequently does volunteer work with. They also have implemented TNR (trap, nurture, release) for cats and have increased their rescue population since 2016. Many animal lives have been saved by their no-kill status save rate, going from around 50% in 2016 to 90% in 2020. They are a great place to adopt from and host adoption events frequently.
Acadiana Animal Aid
Acadiana Animal Aid is a nonprofit organization that is taking frequent volunteers for many different things. Acadiana Animal Aid is also a frequent partner with the local PetCo and PetSmart stores, so many volunteer events happen there. The shelter is located in Carencro and interested members may apply for volunteer events through their website.
Wild Cat Foundation and SpayNation
While Wild Cat Foundation is not an animal shelter, WCF frequently does TNR to cats in Acadiana and allows for volunteers to foster these cats. WCF commonly brings some of these cats to PetCo and PetSmart to be adopted to potential families. There are many opportunities to volunteer through WCF with PetSmart and PetCo.
Frequently Asked Volunteer Questions
How do I sign up for volunteering?
➤ Join our Discord and adopt the role "Volunteering" to get announcements for upcoming volunteer work.What kind of volunteer work does Ragin Rescue do?
➤ We help spend time and socialize animals as well as help with events we are hosting in case we need any extra hands.How frequent do volunteering events occur?
➤ Volunteering events do not have a schedule and we are invited to volunteer whenever needed. We try to space volunteering out every month, but there is no true schedule.
Getting Involved
Ragin Rescue allows anybody to get involved. With monthly meetings, members may pick and choose what meetings they would like to attend. Our organization also tends to the cats on campus, allowing interested members to feed our cats monthly. The cats rely heavily on our help, feeders are greatly encouraged. It also allows for our members to create specific bonds to our cats. The more someone volunteers to feed, the closer the cats will be to them. Participation in any event is greatly encouraged, so don't be scared to meet new people!
Frequently Asked Involvement Questions
How do I sign up for feeding?
➤ Interested members will have to complete hazing prevention activities found via ULink and email them to [email protected], specifying that it is for becoming a feeder. Once accepted, they will gain a specific role in the Discord server that will allow members to fill out a monthly signup form to feed the campus cats on specific days.Where can I find the campus cats?
➤ Mama may be found on the left side of Hamilton hall, near Huger hall. Tito and Torti may be found behind Billeaud hall, nearby the library.Am I required to attend meetings?
➤ Every meeting that Ragin Rescue schedules is completely optional to attend. Members will continue to maintain member status, despite an absence in meeting attendance.Am I required to join the Discord?
➤ While the Discord is optional to join, it is a useful hub to members who would like to stay updated on volunteering opportunities or other small events. Every major meeting is announced on Instagram along with Discord, so no need to join!May I give different food/treats to the cats?
➤ Giving the campus cats any food that is not in their diet is strictly prohibited. Specifically, Tito may have a life-threatening reaction to food that he may not digest well. If a member is found to be feeding the cats treats or other food, they will face consequences.
