Carlsbad Girl's Passion For Pets Fosters Nonprofit Amid Pandemic

CARLSBAD, CA — A Carlsbad girl started off searching for a kitten to foster amid the coronavirus pandemic. Now, the 11-year-old animal activist has launched her own foster-based organization in San Diego County.

"I just decided I wanted to do more, so I started my own animal rescue," said Genevieve, a sixth grade student at Calavera Hills Middle School in Carlsbad.

Genevieve, whose last name was withheld at her mother's request, has always loved animals and began rescuing animals when she was 4 years old. She currently has a cat and a St. Bernard. Both are rescues.

In March 2020, when the pandemic first shut down schools and forced families to stay home, Genevieve fostered two sets of kittens. All four kittens were eventually adopted.

"I always knew I wanted to do something with animals," said Genevieve, who also enjoys riding horses and playing violin.

"I'd been looking at all these shelters and I realized how important these shelters are," Genevieve added. "I realized I'm not always going to be able to foster animals ... so I just thought why not be on the other line of it? Why not help other animals go to their families?"

Genevieve shared her dream with her mother, Dominique Williams, who encouraged her daughter to research what it takes to start and manage a nonprofit organization.

"I put this all on Genevieve's shoulders to understand how a nonprofit works, to understand the ins and outs of a shelter," Williams said. "It wasn't until she started getting really serous about doing the research that I stared helping her. It wasn't going away."

Genevieve spent hours researching the process. Her mother and stepfather offered to "match her efforts."

"As much effort as she's putting into creating this, we will put in the same amount of effort to her along the way," Williams said.

The pair launched a GoFundMe campaign in November and quickly surpassed their initial $2,000 fundraising goal. As of Wednesday, the campaign, which is still active, has raised more than $7,000.

The funds helped Genevieve launch A Purpose 4 Pets and submit paperwork to become an official nonprofit organization in January. The money also helped her hire a website developer to create a website and a graphic designer to make a logo for the organization.

"We're so incredibly grateful for everyone's support," Genevieve said.

Donations will now help cover nonprofit attorney fees, veterinary costs, the purchase of rescue and foster supplies, and general marketing efforts to help bring in more foster parents and volunteers.

"We were shocked and so incredibly grateful and thankful for even just the $2,000," Williams added. "To be what we are now, we're taken aback, but so appreciative."

Genevieve said she is focused on rescuing animals from high-kill shelters and other animals that might not have a chance for survival and placing them in safe and loving homes.

She is actively seeking potential fosters and adopters, as well as partnerships with animal shelters and rescue organizations.

Genevieve has reached out to 166 animals shelters and rescue organizations throughout San Diego and Los Angeles counties. She already has two partners, Kitt Crusaders and Lori's Angels Animal Rescue, both based in Los Angeles County.

"It feels really great, and it feels like we're really close to actually being there and actually getting these animals in," Genevieve said. "I'm just really excited to get these animals to their forever homes and get them into nice, loving fosters."

Genevieve plans to start with kittens and cats, and then expand to puppies and dogs. She hopes to eventually help a wide variety of animals, including horses and other farm animals such as pigs, goats and chickens.

Her long-term goals include opening a brick-and-mortar animal shelter where animals would be housed in a "cage-free environment."

"I'm just so proud of her. It's really astounding what she's accomplished since quarantine," Williams said.

"To watch her go from fostering to knowing she wants to help more animals, and to see this bloom into an organization where she can now be the person connecting foster parents with animals in need, and eventually adopters with animals, it's impressive."

Genevieve said she started A Purpose 4 Pets so other kids and teens could help animals in their local shelters find forever homes.

"No matter how old you are, you can always help an animal's life," she said. "You can always change their life and make a difference."

More information is available at A Purpose 4 Pets.