About Us

Our Story

How Our Rescue Started

Fishtails Animal Rescue, the rescue arm of the Fishtown Animal Hospital, was created by Dr. Lauren Cohn when she saw a need for an additional space committed to the rescue and rehabilitation of stray and shelter animals in her community.

She began her rescue efforts by pulling animals from local shelters that would normally be deemed “unadoptable” due to extreme medical concerns, providing the animals with necessary medical treatments, safe and loving temporary foster care, and ultimately finding them their forever homes.

The Fishtails Fighting Chance Fund

Almost immediately, Dr. Cohn found that there was an additional need in her community beyond rehabilitating and re-homing stray and shelter animals. Too often, pet owners find themselves faced with temporary financial crisis when a beloved pet is diagnosed with an extraordinary medical condition or is in need of life-saving veterinary care.

Owners may be faced with the choice to surrender their pet to a shelter or to euthanize them in such cases. Dr. Cohn decided that Fishtails Animal Rescue would develop a fund that would be dedicated to providing financial assistance to these pet owners.

The Fishtails Fighting Chance Fund came into existence in order to cover medical costs beyond routine veterinary care, to allow loving pet owners to avoid surrender and/or euthanasia of a beloved pet. Pet owners do have the option to surrender their pet to Fishtails Animal Rescue if they find themselves incapable of providing the care needed.

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Our Mission

Founded in 2017, Fishtails Animal Rescue (FAR) is a foster-based 501(c)3 organization committed to the rescue and rehabilitation of the at-risk, stray, and shelter animals of Philadelphia. FAR provides animals with necessary medical treatment, safe and loving foster homes, and ultimately, their forever home.

FAR established the Fishtails Fighting Chance Fund to help pet owners by alleviating some of the financial burden that emergency care brings. The fund helps owners avoid surrender or euthanasia of their pet in times of crisis by assisting them in covering medical costs beyond routine veterinary care and keeping the pet with their loving family.

Currently, Fishtails Animal Rescue provides medical services to stray, abandoned, and surrendered animals, placing those animals into foster care while they wait for their forever homes. Fishtails Animal Rescue uses its Fighting Chance Fund to provide financial assistance to pet owners facing extraordinary veterinary expenses, to avoid surrender or euthanasia of a beloved family pet.

The Fishtails Animal Rescue believes that every animal deserves their fighting chance.

Fishtails Animal Rescue is a registered 501c3 organization.

Help give our animals a fighting chance.

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Adoption Stories

Grimm

March 30th 2020 changed my life forever, not because of the pandemic but because this handsome boy Grimm came into my life.

He was very sick and was due to be euthanized unless a rescue stepped in to help him, and I am so happy that Fishtails saved him. He was sent right to the ER where they performed life saving surgery on him.

His story and pictures captured my heart. From his crazy antics of head butting to being brushed to him trying to run away with my yarn, he has brought nothing but joy into our lives and filled a spot in my heart that I didn’t know I had. I will forever be grateful to Dr. Cohn and Fishtails Animal Rescue for saving my crazy, lovable floofy boy Grimm.

Billy

When the pandemic began I was forced to uproot my life and move to a new city I had never been to, and where I knew nobody. I was thinking about adopting a cat to ease the loneliness, but hadn’t been serious until I saw Billy’s post. I knew the moment I laid eyes on his big, long body that he was meant to be mine.

Now, after nearly a year I can confirm he is the best thing in my life. By my side every day and all night, he is a true companion. I don’t even mind when he wakes me up at six am, demanding breakfast two hours early.

Even though I had family cats growing up, I never knew I could love an animal the way I love him. He is special, and he makes every moment better.

Parker

In 2018, Fishtails and Fishtown Animal Hospital was there for us when we unexpectedly lost our cat Jax. We decided to foster Parker (FKA Mishu) who we met when visiting Dr. Cohn at FAH. He was a small, skinny little guy that had been burned and left in terrible condition. We are so thankful Fishtails saved him and gave him a chance.

He has jumped over many health hurdles but is finally a happy, healthy cat! Of course we fell in love with his fighting spirit and constant need for snuggles. We ended up adopting him and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

He loves to watch the birds outside, play with his mouse toys, follow us everywhere, and demands to be swaddled in a blanket like a baby and cuddled.

Zeus

We adopted Zeus (FKA Coco) in November 2020. Zeus has been such a bright spot in our family during the pandemic, all he wants to do is cuddle, play, and of course eat. He also LOVES to talk, so much so that I’ve started calling him “Squeaky”.

We are grateful to Fishtails and his foster mom for taking such good care of Zeus before he got to his furever home.

Charlie Bean

We adopted Charlie Bean, (AKA Bean, Beanie Boy, Mr. Manager) in 2019 when he was very scared after mostly living on the streets and was also recovering from some health problems related to his FIV+ status.

Now he is very confident around us, demanding cuddles and playtime and keeping an eye on us when we work from home. He’s also discovered some “cat” things that he didn’t know existed, like watching birds through the window and napping in sunbeams. We’re so proud of him!

We’re always so grateful that Fishtails gave him a chance, we love him so much.

Ringo

Ringo was a timestamped stray Fishtails scooped up from ACCT. I volunteered to foster very much hoping to fail! I imagined him and my OG Ramona falling in love and becoming the best of buds.

That didn’t pan out, but now Ringo is now my chonky, happy little man who shakes his booty when I pull out treats, loves liking ice cubes, and is obsessed with showing the ropes to Fishtail foster kittens.

Help support our animals today!

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