Ten years ago, one New Orleans woman built a no-kill animal rescue shelter from the ground up with the goal of eliminating pet homelessness and euthanasia due to overcrowding at local municipal shelters.

That goal has transformed into Zeus’ Rescues, a non-profit organization that houses 60 dogs and dozens of cats, keeping them safe and off the streets of New Orleans. Zeus’ Rescues is located in Uptown New Orleans on the corner of Freret Street and Napoleon Avenue. Started by Michelle Cheramie in 2014, Zeus’ Rescues addresses the local need for pet rescue and affordable care for dogs and cats.

“We’re just any and all things rescue,” Sydney Victoria-Michel, a staff member, said.

Zeus’ Rescues is a no-kill, private shelter, meaning that they get to choose which dogs or cats they take in from municipal shelters. According to Cheramie, founder and executive director of Zeus’ Rescues, municipal shelters have to take in all animals dropped off, which leads to issues of overcrowding. In order to make space for incoming rescues and surrenders, municipal shelters often have to euthanize.

“So where we come in is that we’ll come in when we have open kennels and … load up our transport van and bring them to our program where we’re no-kill, and we can find them homes,” Cheramie said.

According to Victoria-Michel, the initial community need for animal shelters originates with a lack of affordable resources for pet care. People often surrender their animals when a vetting need occurs and they can’t afford it, or when life-altering events happen such as the loss of a job or housing when they can no longer financially take care of an animal.

“The bigger need happens before the dogs even come into our care, getting dogs spayed and neutered, making sure that there’s follow through with that, and just allowing people of all incomes and all backgrounds to be able to keep their pets,” Victoria-Michel said.

Additionally, Zeus’ Rescues is always looking for new volunteers.

One of the volunteer programs that Zeus’ Rescues offers is dog walking. Through this program, community members receive a dog for one hour that they are able to take out into the neighborhood.

“[Dog walking] is one of the best things that we have going on right now for our long term pets in care, to get them out the building and walking around the neighborhoods is just the absolute best for them,” Cheramie said.

According to Cheramie, dog walking not only provides an opportunity for the dogs to get out, it additionally allows staff members to deep clean the kennels.

Zeus’ Rescues offers an additional program where you are able to take a dog out for a day.

While socializing with dogs outside of the organization is beneficial, both Cheramie emphasized the importance of fostering for both dogs and cats.

“The main thing that we need right now are foster homes,” Cheramie said. “We just put them in your home, you provide the love and safety, and we provide everything else, and it makes them more adoptable. It frees up space in our shelter, and we can save more lives.”

According to Cheramie, Zeus’ Rescues supplies the kennel, medical care, and other necessary materials in order to care for a dog or cat without the long term responsibility or financial commitment.

“I think I was born to do this, so it feels like I’m doing what I was put on this earth to do,” Cheramie said.