Puddy Tat Protectors, Inc.

The House of Mews (Puddy Tat Protectors, Inc) is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit corporation which rescues, cares for and adopts homeless cats. Our cats are tested for Leukemia/Aids and spay/neutered. We have over 150 cats in the store at most times with at least 30 roaming loose in the store---after all it is their store! Our mission is to educate the public about homeless animals and protect them from abuse and injury and to adopt them to the best possible homes. We also sell retail cat related gifts and products to help support our store. We are staffed with 30-40 volunteers from all walks of life with care crew teams arriving every morning to care for the cats, clean cages, medicate, do vet runs and clean the store. Our retail crews currently cover the afternoon shift opening the store and adopting kitties and selling product 5 half days a week. Most all of our volunteer staff members have full time paying positions elsewhere in addition to their minimum 4 hr weekly volunteer time in the store. We have been awarded Hometown Heroes by NBC affiliate TV-5 in Memphis, written up in National Geographic's new 1999 book "We Americans" for sale in bookstores and appeared in May 2002 edition of Southern Living Magazine and later issues(2003) chosen as one of Southern Livings "most favorite and beloved shopping stops visited by staff members". We were chosen "1 of 65 Hidden Treasures of the City" in Memphis Magazine 2003. Our first ever 5k Walk/Run Meowathon in 2004 raised an unprecedented $15,500 for a first timer 5k in Memphis. America's Greatest Pets filmed a show that went international in our store also. In 2000 we were voted Digital City - Memphis' best Pet shop (although we do not consider ourselves a pet shop since we do not sell animals). For more information and press releases you can see our website at www.houseofmews.com.