All Cats, All the Time
While we love all animals, Animal House is one of just a few shelters in the St. Louis City area that focuses exclusively on cats. With more than 200 happy, healthy cats and kittens in our building waiting to be adopted, we’re almost certain to have the perfect feline companion (or two) for you.
Making Cats at Home
Our building is large, airy, inviting and – to the delight of our residents – exclusive to felines. We take pride in providing the right space for each cat, community rooms for social butterflies and single living for those who prefer alone time. Volunteers make them all feel right at home.
Important Work
It’s not all fun and games. We take what we do seriously. As a nonprofit cat-focused organization, we’re dedicated to rescue programs, recovery from hardship, and careful placement in forever homes. It means real help for homeless cats and kittens living in the St. Louis City area.
Dedicated to providing a safe home, until a forever home finds each cat.
Our Story
Animal House opened in August of 2010, with the arrival of dozens of cats and kittens from the city’s overcrowded animal control facility that was in the process of closing. Had Animal House not opened its doors, those cats and kittens would have had nowhere to go.
For Us, It’s A Lifetime Commitment
Animal House is not just an adoption center but also a rescue center. We are committed to being a refuge for cats that have lived through difficult circumstances, with nowhere else to go. Next, we help these cats prepare for adoption by families. And we take adoption seriously. We make a lifetime commitment to every cat that comes through our doors. We want to have real impact on cats’ lives.
2018 Director and Board Members
Claudia Seifert, President
Claudia retired from AG Edwards/Wells Fargo Advisers in 2013. In addition to her long career, Claudia has served her community as a volunteer for many years at Ascension Luther Church, and Tower Grove Heights Neighborhood Association. Claudia is a member of the Marlin Perkins Society at the St. Louis Zoo, the Beaux Arts council at the St. Louis Art Museum, and a member of the Tennessee Williams Society at the St. Louis Public Library.
In addition to her board duties at Animal House, Claudia is also directly involved in the daily operations coordinating adoptions, medical appointments, and record keeping.
Jim Timmerberg, Secretary
Jim is a long-time animal advocate and a dedicated Animal House board member – he’s the head of our Development Committee. Jim is also currently the Major Gifts Officer at Doorways, an interfaith AIDS residency program, and a member of the Compton Heights Neighborhood Association. Additionally, Jim is a former Food Outreach, Inc. delivery volunteer and Water Tower and Park Preservation Society board member.
Shawna Culp Cunningham, Treasurer
Shawna first realized her true drive to help stray and feral animals, and therefore the rescues that aid them, around 2011. It was then that she discovered Animal House. What drew her to volunteer with AH specifically is its conscious effort to take in cats and kittens with special cases that would not have a chance to live out their lives fully at any other shelter in St. Louis. It was through her volunteer experience that she adopted two AH cats of her own, Gemmy and Quimby. Shawna loves to volunteer whenever she can and also plays an active role at Race Horse Rescue and in fundraising for Children’s Miracle Network.
Gillian Kuplent, Member-at-large
Gillian has been involved in animal welfare for over thirty years. Her passion for animal care began when she volunteered for a local shelter as a high school student in Oakland, New Jersey and she has been volunteering at various shelters ever since. Gillian spent a majority of her professional career in the not-for-profit sector, including serving as Director of Donor Relations for the Rutgers University Foundation.
Gillian and her husband, Florian, relocated to St Louis in 2004 and they currently live in University City with their two children, Katie and Lukas, and their five cats and one dog. They are co-owners of Urban Chestnut Brewing Company.
Brandyn Jones, Co-Founder & Executive Director
Brandyn, Co-Founder of Animal House, has served as Executive Director since the organization’s inception. Brandyn is devoted to animal welfare and to supporting the bond between people and their pets. Her pets are her two beloved rescued cats, Sugar and Chervil.
For many years Brandyn’s career focused on community building, including positions as Director of the Central West End Neighborhood Association and Aide to President of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen at that time, James Shrewsbury. It was during her time at the BOA that her civic focus turned in earnest to the plight of stray animals in the St. Louis region, leading her to co-found Animal House.
Brandyn was raised in St. Louis’ Central West End neighborhood, attended John Burroughs School, and received her BA in Art History from Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts.
St. Louis Petlover Coalition
Animal House is a proud member of the St. Louis Petlover Coalition. Formed in the spring of 2009 by Nestlé Purina PetCare, the St. Louis Petlover Coalition is made up of animal rescue groups, shelters, veterinary organizations, and city and county health departments. Patterned after similar programs in Denver, Austin and New York, the coalition aims to improve animal welfare through shared goals and plans. Corporations, foundations, civic leaders, educational institutions, students, health care and social welfare groups are helping to provide support.
Setting a benchmark
The St. Louis Petlover Coalition is setting a benchmark as it develops a comprehensive plan for addressing animal welfare in the greater St. Louis area.
Among the goals are:
- Increasing pet adoptions into nurturing, loving homes
- Developing educational programs to promote responsible pet ownership
- Increasing funding and availability for spay and neuter programs
- Increasing adoptions of senior pets
- Identifying volunteer opportunities
- Developing community outreach programs
- Increasing awareness of issues and opportunities in the St. Louis region that will help to improve animal welfare
- Saving pets – putting more companion animals into loving homes – benefits everyone. With a shared focus on increasing the save rate of companion animals in the St. Louis community, the St. Louis Petlover Coalition is leading the way for amazing things to happen. In St. Louis, we love our pets, and it shows.
To learn more about the coalition, click here, or visit its Facebook page by clicking here. To view all members of the coalition, click here.
Network Partnership with Best Friends Animal Society
We are proud to be a network partner with Best Friends. The Best Friends Network, made up of hundreds of shelters, rescue groups and other animal welfare organizations in all corners of the country, is committed to saving the lives of homeless pets through collaboration and implementation of effective adoption, spay/neuter and intake prevention programs. We are leading the way by implementing proven methods and inspiring communities to end the killing of dogs and cats in America’s shelters. Together, we will Save Them All.
The Hill Business Association
HBA HISTORY
The Hill Business Association was organized in 1996 “to promote and maintain a prosperous business community on the Hill; to develop and provide an attractive commercial component to compliment the residential character of the area; and to establish and encourage a fraternal spirit for the membership.”
As such the HBA has been active in promoting the Hill as an ideal place to locate or expand a business. It has been a vehicle for new business owners to become acquainted with other business people in the area.
AWARENESS & INITIATIVES
The HBA determined that the while the Hill is well known around the metropolitan area and the country, people often had trouble getting there or finding a particular business. As a result the HBA has endeavored to increase regional awareness of the Hill and its activities. To address this situation, the HBA, with assistance from the City of St. Louis, has installed light pole banners and trash receptacles throughout the area.
In addition, the HBA erected a Hill identification monument. The HBA publishes a brochure which is distributed to 120 local hotels and tourist locations to help identify the Hill and points of interests.
COMMUNITY
The HBA has worked with the Hill 2000 Neighborhood Association to make the Hill more attractive to both the business and residential communities.
The HBA has enabled businesses conduct open houses to showcase and promote their business to the Hill community. In a very short time, the HBA has become an integral part of the Hill.
ANIMAL HOUSE INVOLVEMENT
We have been HBA members ever since we moved into the neighborhood in 2012. We are so proud to be part of this vibrant, historic community!
Click here to see our listing on HBA’s website. Want your business to become a member? Click here for more information!
Adoption Hours
If visiting to adopt, please come at least 30 min prior to closing.
| Wednesday | 1pm – 7pm |
| Thursday | 11am – 3pm |
| Friday | 11am – 3pm |
| Saturday | 12pm – 4pm |
Or by appointment, just email us.
Our Location
2151 59th Street
St. Louis, MO 63110
(314) 531-4626
animalhouse@stlcats.org
We’re in The Hill neighborhood, located just a block Southeast of Hampton Avenue and I-44.
Good to Know
Web design and development donated by ready+willing.
Photography donated by Jacque Weber.
© 2018 Animal House Cat Rescue and Adoption Center
