Critter Crusaders of Cedar Rapids

Critter Crusaders of Cedar Rapids Established in 2008, Critter Crusaders of Cedar Rapids is a 501c3 animal medical organization dedica Ellie’s plight became our inspiration. This is our passion!

Our Story

This is the story of how Critter Crusaders was founded. In Feb 2008, a two year old Siberian Husky named Ellie, was surrendered to the Cedar Rapids Animal Shelter by her owner. Going blind from cataracts, the shelter was unable to afford the medical procedure that would restore her sight and make her adoptable. As shelter volunteers, we interacted with Ellie and could see the bleak real

ity of her future. She was one of countless other shelter animals in need of medical attention. Things became crystal clear to us. Homeless animals deserved access to medical care as a means to increase their adoptability and make them healthy. Our goal was set for Ellie. Raise the money and restore her sight. With the financial help of many generous people across Eastern Iowa, that goal was a success! Ellie received sight saving surgery in Ames. After recuperating, she was adopted in May 2008 by a family from Omaha, NE. On Friday, June 6th, 2008, Ellie and her family returned to Cedar Rapids to make an appearance at Grant Wood School to an all school assembly. They were there to say “Thank You” to the students who had helped raise funds for Ellie’s surgery. One week later, on Friday, June 13th, the Cedar River crested in a catastrophic event that changed lives forever. Cedar Rapids and surrounding communities experienced an epic flood, which wiped out the Cedar Rapids Animal Shelter and displaced hundreds of pets from their homes. That disaster strengthened our conviction to help our local homeless animals. In February 2009, Triton, a 6-week-old puppy with a badly broken front leg, limped into the Cedar Rapids Animal Shelter. With the help of many doctors and a great foster family, we were able to facilitate a complex surgery that included growing new bone while in an external fixator device. From start to finish this was a 4 month commitment of time and resources, and once again the public responded to our request for financial help. Our non-profit was first formed in the name of Friends of Cedar Rapids Animal Shelter. On March 19, 2009, we became an official 501c3. Later our name was officially changed to Critter Crusaders of Cedar Rapids on April 21, 2011. Our role has greatly expanded over the years to include partnerships with local rescues and shelters in Eastern Iowa. We are committed to assisting homeless, abused and neglected animals with advanced medical care that saves lives, mends broken bodies and restores health, happiness and adoptability. A true second chance at life. The commitment to form Critter Crusaders came from Ellie. The vision we had for her then, is the mission we continue today. One dog and one horrible time in Iowa’s history inspired us to succeed on behalf of all local homeless animals. We exist to provide the care they desperately need and deserve.

MAJOR EMERGENCY‼️DONATIONS NEEDED‼️Critter Crusaders of Cedar Rapids received a very urgent call for help from the good ...
01/15/2025

MAJOR EMERGENCY‼️DONATIONS NEEDED‼️

Critter Crusaders of Cedar Rapids received a very urgent call for help from the good doctors at Iowa State University Hixson-Lied Small Animal Hospital Emergency Service. A beautiful one year old pregnant female Labrador presented to the ER with dystocia, (complications of pregnancy and birth). Zoe has multiple babies on board and this entire family is in grave risk of dying.

The doctors beleive there are at least 7 pups. Momma Zoe has toxemia which complicates her chances of survival even more. CC has to take this case. We have to save these lives. ISU Estimates this to be a $7000-$10,000, when all is said and done. Zoe and her babies are in surgery right now(8:26pm). Bless these precious souls.

We would be so very grateful for your assistance. Every pet case CC takes is beyond the ordinary and requires very special skill and resources from these amazing doctors. Please consider a donation to help Zoe and her babies. Prayers are equally needed.

Donations can be made on this social media post or on our secure website offering a variety of options including Venmo, Pay PAL, Apple and G Pay along with all major credit cards:
CritterCrusadersCR.Org

Mail can be sent to CCCR, PO Box 10111 Cedar Rapids IA 52410. Please help us share! We thank you❤️🐾

Something fun on National Dress Up Your Pet Day! Critter Crusader Pet Patients making a splash at State Farm! Thanks K...
01/14/2025

Something fun on National Dress Up Your Pet Day! Critter Crusader Pet Patients making a splash at State Farm! Thanks Kelsey Foster State Farm Agency!

Memow update!Our little domestic shorthair girl with the horrible front limb injured was hospitalized at Blue Pearl Ceda...
01/14/2025

Memow update!
Our little domestic shorthair girl with the horrible front limb injured was hospitalized at Blue Pearl Cedar Rapids and then moved to Anamosa Vet Clinic for front limb amputation surgery on January 6th, one week ago through Critter Crusaders of Cedar Rapids. Dr. Ryan Bousselot worked wonders with his busy surgical schedule to get Memow in asap!

She was released from the hospital on Wed. January 8th and she has been recovering at S.A.I.N.T. Rescue (Saving Animals in Need Today). Yesterday Nicki noticed some swelling in the upper portion of the incision and today, the area of swelling had increased in size. CC transported this kitty back to Blue Pearl CR this afternoon and she remains hospitalized tonight for a possible abscess.

The doctors will re-evaluate her tomorrow to see if there is any need to open that area up for flushing and a culture. This sweet kitty has been through a lot if you remember the photos of her mangled leg. She is so sweet. We thank everyone for their donations to her care! With complex cases like this, it would be highly unusual to not have any complications. We know Memow will get through this though. She is one tough little gal!❤️🐾

Critter Crusaders of Cedar Rapids has many new pet patients in our medical system….all thanks to your donations and ongo...
01/14/2025

Critter Crusaders of Cedar Rapids has many new pet patients in our medical system….all thanks to your donations and ongoing support! Meet Nahlani!

This beautiful 4 year old girl from our great friends at Adopt A Pal Animal Rescue just has my heart! Our first meeting with her at Blue Pearl Cedar Rapids involved a lot of slobbery tongue kisses….we had an instant love affair!

Nahlani has some undiagnosed GI issues and we met with Internal Medicine Specialist, Dr. Theresa Obr at Blue Pearl Cedar Rapids to help put the pieces of her medical puzzle together. Nahlani underwent an abdominal ultrasound and a GI panel, with more information to come!

She doesn’t look very kissable in this photo but trust me (and my wet face), she is!🥰🐾

Cardiac puppy.Millie had her two week post heart surgery check up today at Iowa State University Hixson-Lied Small Anima...
01/14/2025

Cardiac puppy.Millie had her two week post heart surgery check up today at Iowa State University Hixson-Lied Small Animal Hospital! This little lady was in BIG trouble on December 26th when she was admitted to ISU for emergency heart surgery through Critter Crusaders of Cedar Rapids. Millie was in heart failure from PDA and the great surgeons had their hands full. He procedure was full of risk.

To see her a mere two weeks later is like seeing a new floof ball! Millie is full of energy and sass, with no shortness of breath and fluid retention. The surgeons lighted the vessel in her heart causing all of the issues, saving Millie’s young life. Her heart has dramatically decreased in size and we are thrilled!

Millie’s foster parents from our great friends at Heartland Heartland Humane Society in Ottumwa, have been with her every step of the way! She will return for another echocardiogram and cardiac work up in about 4 months. Millie will stay in our CC medical system for quite some time to come, until she is fully healed and released from cardiac care! She is pictured here with 4th year veterinary medical student Lynn.❤️🐾

Critter Crusaders received an urgent call for help from Justin and Nicole Crawford in Benton County. These great people...
01/13/2025

Critter Crusaders received an urgent call for help from Justin and Nicole Crawford in Benton County. These great people have helped many of the most challenged kitties in their area. When they called, we instantly knew them. Their assessments on homeless sick and injured stray kitties are very good. They were right again.

Critter Crusaders accepted pretty dilute Calico Mochis case and sent her to Blue Pearl Cedat Rapids where she remains hospitalized tonight. She has many open bite wounds that were shaved and flushed. Her red blood cell count is very low at 19% and her white cells are not surprisingly high due to infection.

Thanks to their phone call, we are pretty sure Mochi’s life was saved by Justin and Nicole. We are grateful for the opportunity to help her. Mochi will be in rescue with our great friends at S.A.I.N.T. Rescue (Saving Animals in Need Today) and CC will continue to manage her medical care. Welcome little Mochi❤️🐾

01/13/2025

So we have to continue our Sunday evening posts with video evidence of Dakota’s much healthier status! Animal Welfare Friends foster home Dave Weekly sent this to us of a once gravely ill Dakota, now doing yard zoomies! Happy Dance!🥰

….and it is all about the love❤️Think of how many animals could be saved if our organizations had more foster homes. Ta...
01/11/2025

….and it is all about the love❤️
Think of how many animals could be saved if our organizations had more foster homes. Taking an injured or ill dog or cat in for treatment always requires a foster home to step up and help. Saving the lives of homeless, medically challenged pets is a team sport. We receive calls every day for help…but we need people who are willing to help that pet in return.

Dave Weekly is that person. When Critter Crusaders of Cedar Rapids posted an urgent need to a foster home with a very sick kidney failure dog named Dakota….Dave responded to that call for help. Dakota was extremely ill and in the process of dying. He was not eating, very sick with severe diarrhea and vomiting. When Makenna and our great friends at Animal Welfare Friends in Monticello called for our help, Dakota was quickly admitted to Blue Pearl Cedar Rapids for intensive care.

From there, Dakota was placed on fluids when discharged along with antibiotics and a lot of instructions. Dave took on this responsibility as a challenge, by saying he needed something “meaningful” in his life. He found that “something” in Dakota.

We returned for a recheck with Internal Medicine Specialist Dr. Obr at Blue Pearl this past Tuesday and Dakota looked absolutely AMAZING! Wow! What a difference. Even the doctors and staff were so impressed with what Dave has done for this very special dog! Dakota’s journey is far from over with CC, but he is bright, eating like a small horse, his lab values are good and we are just so encouraged for his future.

The most important ingredient in any pet’s recovery is the kind you can’t buy at a pharmacy or inject into their veins. It is that incredible tincture of love. Are you someone who could give a pet in need their new life, like Dave has done? If so, become a foster home for any of our local rescue organizations. It might take up additional time. There could be good and bad days, but the absolute fullfillment you will experience is worth so much more than what we can even describe. Just ask Dave. You know, he saved Dakota’s life. We think Dakota knows that. We sure do. These photos tell that story. Thank you Dave.❤️🐾

Max was a very critical case for CC. This boy was going to be euthanized by his owners when he became lame on both hind...
01/11/2025

Max was a very critical case for CC. This boy was going to be euthanized by his owners when he became lame on both hind limbs. Max blew out both of his cruciate ligaments, most likely from jumping or twisting. When he came to Anamosa Vet Clinic, the staff went to work reaching out to organizations for help to prevent euthanasia.

Critter Crusaders of Cedar Rapids responded as did Adopt A Pal Animal Rescue. CC moved forward immediately with Max’s BIG bilateral TPLO surgery, costing around $6,400. Max has been recovering since his late October procedure and on Dec. 26th, he returned to see his surgeon Dr. Ryan Bousselot for his eight week recheck. Max’s foster mom Nicole has been there for this wonderful boy every step of the way and of course, they have fallen madly in love! (We are hoping for a foster fail:-).

CCL surgeries are 12 week recoveries and Max will return one more time for 12 week X-rays with Dr. Ryan! We can’t wait! You can see in these photos with Dr. Ryan and Nicole, Max is giving respect to the man that saved him! We think he knows! We sure do!❤️👍🐾

I was able to have some amazing snuggle time with Homer yesterday at SAINT Rescue. Homer came to CC as an emergency on ...
01/10/2025

I was able to have some amazing snuggle time with Homer yesterday at SAINT Rescue. Homer came to CC as an emergency on December 12th, from a phone call from an amazing business in Benton County. This kitty was injured and sick and had been coming to eat when food was left out by the employees (God bless them).

Homer underwent leg amputation surgery for a severe bone infection through CC with Dr. Loni Ellsworth on December 17th. He recently had his sutures out and he looks and feels GREAT! OMG…this kitty is just a complete love sponge….he will lay in your arms for hours, completely content and purring….this is the best blood pressure medication ever! Homer needs a VERY special home, not because he is medically challenged…but because he wants copious amounts of love! The black heart on his nose is so unique and makes him even more memorable!❤️🐾

We wanted to share this with everyone! Karen Brokaw and I were at S.A.I.N.T. Rescue (Saving Animals in Need Today) yest...
01/09/2025

We wanted to share this with everyone! Karen Brokaw and I were at S.A.I.N.T. Rescue (Saving Animals in Need Today) yesterday after dropping off kitty Memow post surgey and we met these two kittens! THEY ARE WONDERFUL! Both babies are so much fun and real love sponges! They will need to be adopted together... Please help us share and let's get this dynamic duo(both boys) adopted together! ❤️😺

Jaclyn Neyens from SAINT Rescue and Adoption Center joins us to talk about cats up for adoption.

We have an update on the very injured kitty named Memow! Critter Crusaders took this emergency case this past Sunday ni...
01/08/2025

We have an update on the very injured kitty named Memow!
Critter Crusaders took this emergency case this past Sunday night when Memow was brought into Blue Pearl Cedar Rapids with the most graphic front limb avulsion we have seen in a long time. she was hospitalized overnight and Monday morning, Sue Booth from Critter Crusaders transported her to Anamosa Vet Clinic for an emergency front limb amputation by Dr. Ryan Bousselot.
We can’t thank Dr. Ryan for squeezing yet another big surgery into his busy schedule and Dr. Goodman at Blue Pearl Cedar Rapids for his advocacy on behalf of this very injured kitty!

Memow remains hospitalized tonight and she is doing very well! We will be picking her up tomorrow and transporting her to SAINT Rescue for recovery. If anyone is interested in fostering her, please let us know by respinding to this post. we will have additional updates tomorrow!❤️🐾

01/08/2025

….And they are off to the races!
The parvo pups that Critter Crusaders assisted from our great friends at Heart Animal Rescue in Decorah have definitely kicked parvo’s butt with the monoclonal antibody injection each of the puppy received at Anamosa Vet Clinic! They are absolutely thriving.

Within a few hours of this new parvo treatment, all pups turned a corner! We can’t thank Dr. Ryan Bousselot and the staff at Anamosa for having this incredible antibody on hand for these babies! This video was sent to us by Julie at Heart a mere four hours after receiving this product. All pups were sick at the time of their appointment and administration of this product! Look at them! This stuff works! Well worth the expense!

Hawthorne, Amery, Brielle, Valentina and Java, will all be adoptable through Heart once they test negative which should be fairly soon! Way to go babies!❤️🐾

Critter Crusaders took in a tiny little emaciated puppy in need of medical care among our many emergencies this past wee...
01/08/2025

Critter Crusaders took in a tiny little emaciated puppy in need of medical care among our many emergencies this past week. Tally is approx. 6-7 weeks old and despite her poor body index and condition score, this little lady is quite a survivor. All we know of her situation is that she was with a litter of pups, and apparently she was a runt with very poor nutrition.

Tally went to Blue Pearl Cedar Rapids yesterday for evaluation and treatment of profound diarrhea and poor body condition. The little tyke actually checked out pretty well with her lab work and negative parvo test. She was released today and she is now in the capable hands of very experienced Last Hope Animal Rescue foster home, Shalom Tonnelli tonight. Critter Crusaders will continue with Tally’s care and we can not wait to see what good nutrition and far fewer worms does for this doll baby!

Welcome to your brand new life little Tally!❤️🐾

Another year down with many lives saved! We thank you all for allowing Critter Crusaders of Cedar Rapids to do this imp...
01/07/2025

Another year down with many lives saved! We thank you all for allowing Critter Crusaders of Cedar Rapids to do this important work.❤️🐾

‼️Real Time Emergency‼️Donations Needed‼️We just received an urgent call for help from Blue Pearl Cedar Rapids. A beaut...
01/06/2025

‼️Real Time Emergency‼️Donations Needed‼️

We just received an urgent call for help from Blue Pearl Cedar Rapids. A beautiful kitty was just brought in with a very disturbing front limb injury. Somehow this kitty survived with what looks to be an injury that is days old. Critter Crusaders has taken this case and we thank Drs. Goodman and Hohman for alerting us to this Kitty’s plight. Many of these big emergency cases at veterinary clinics are euthanized unless an organization steps into help. Saving these pets not only gives the animals their lives back, but it helps the doctors and staff with a very grave condition called compassion fatigue. Veterinarians and their associates carry with them the highest su***de rate of any profession.

This will be a few days of hospitalization and surgery to amputate the front limb which is not salvageable, most likely at about a $5,000 cost. If you are so fortunate to donate to assist CC with the cost, we would be so very grateful. We know we ask a lot of our supporters. Emergency Veterinary Care is at least 80% of all the cases we take and most require surgery. We hope to win the lottery someday, but until then, we appreciate every penny of support. More to come on this little girl.❤️🐾

Many donation options are available on our secure website at:
CritterCrusadersCR.Org including Venmo, PayPal, Apple and G Pay along with all major credit cards.
Mail: CCCR, PO Box 10111, Cedar Rapids, IA 52410.
We thank you.❤️🐾

Sachi Update!Our darling Sacharoo went into spinal surgery this past Friday at Iowa State University Hixson-Lied Small A...
01/06/2025

Sachi Update!

Our darling Sacharoo went into spinal surgery this past Friday at Iowa State University Hixson-Lied Small Animal Hospital through their incredible orthopedic surgery service. Sachi had two prior spinal stabilization surgeries through CC back in 2022 after she was hit by car, suffering a fracture to her thoracic spine.

Sachi started experiencing cervical spine pain when she was admitted to ISU for a CT Scan and hospitalization. The doctors felt that the hardware from her prior surgery needed to be removed as a couple of the anchors were intruding into the spinal column. This could have been the source for Sachi’s referred pain into her neck. While she was hospitalized last week, Sachi celebrated her fifth birthday with a cake and visit from her foster family, Chassi and Jay Bird!❤️

We are so grateful to EVERYONE who helped Critter Crusaders of Cedar Rapids significantly by donating to her $6,400 bill. Sachi was released today and is back home with Chassi VanDrimmelen and her family tonight. She will have about four weeks of recovery and we think she is already experiencing relief from her severe discomfort.

More to come on Sachi’s newest journey back to health and comfort! We love this incredible dog so very much.❤️🐾

Dakota came to Critter Crusaders of Cedar Rapids on December 5th with Kidney Failure. This boy is young and failed in h...
01/06/2025

Dakota came to Critter Crusaders of Cedar Rapids on December 5th with Kidney Failure. This boy is young and failed in his previous life and we are still working through his multiple medical issues. The holidays definitely can slow down appointments and treatments for both humans and animals, so we are happy they are over!

This boy from our great friends at Animal Welfare Friends in Monticello has an upcoming date this Tuesday with internal medicine specialist, Dr. Obr at Blue Pearl in Cedar Rapids. He is off antibiotics now and needs labs and a CT scan on his kidneys to better determine the source of the problem. Dakota will be in our medical for quite some time as we work to figure out the extent of his issues and hopefully be able to have some level of resolution. In the meantime, Dakota is in foster care with the most AMAZING guy! Thank you Dave Weekly for being this boys very best friend and advocate!❤️🐾

Address

PO Box 10111
Cedar Rapids, IA
52410

Telephone

+13193508295

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Videos

So we have to continue our Sunday evening posts with video evidence of Dakota’s much healthier status! Animal Welfare Friends foster home Dave Weekly sent this to us of a once gravely ill Dakota, now doing yard zoomies! Happy Dance!🥰

….And they are off to the races! The parvo pups that Critter Crusaders assisted from our great friends at Heart Animal Rescue in Decorah have definitely kicked parvo’s butt with the monoclonal antibody injection each of the puppy received at Anamosa Vet Clinic! They are absolutely thriving. Within a few hours of this new parvo treatment, all pups turned a corner! We can’t thank Dr. Ryan Bousselot and the staff at Anamosa for having this incredible antibody on hand for these babies! This video was sent to us by Julie at Heart a mere four hours after receiving this product. All pups were sick at the time of their appointment and administration of this product! Look at them! This stuff works! Well worth the expense! Hawthorne, Amery, Brielle, Valentina and Java, will all be adoptable through Heart once they test negative which should be fairly soon! Way to go babies!❤️🐾

Kitten Gravy is finally feeling like the little monkey boy he is! Gravy was found in the Palo- Covington area, abandoned on a roadway and exposed to the elements. He has finally turned a corner after hospitalization and treatment at Blue Pearl CR through Critter Crusaders of Cedar Rapids. Gravy is the darker kitten! Huge thanks to BP vet tech foster mom Alex!

Come to Sally's On Broadway in Springville to bid on over 80 wonderful silent auction items for Critter Crusaders of Cedar Rapids with bidding starting today Wednesday Nov.13th and running through 7:30 p.m. Friday November 15th. Then join your friends at Sally's for wonderful food and drinks this Friday night November 15th from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. with Sally donating 50% of all proceeds to Critter Crusaders! 50/50 Raffle sales runs from 5-8pm this Friday with winner drawn at 8pm. Must be present to win 50/50 raffle. Need not be present to win Silent Auction Items! ♥️🐾

Jax gets a little Halloween treat as he continues recovering from knee surgery! We love your onesie, buddy!🎃

Benny came to Critter Crusaders of Cedar Rapids in really bad shape! Several months later we are working hard to regulate his insulin but he's doing Great! The boy will be headed to Blue Pearl CR today for a recheck with Dr. Obr. His S.A.I.N.T. Rescue (Saving Animals in Need Today) foster mom Karey Hagerman sent this video! Benny chooses his "toys" well! 🤣

Kitten Dexter is feeling frisky after his eye enucleation surgery through CC at Heartland Animal Hospital Fairfax!

And this is how a cucumber makes Buddy jump for joy! (Please note his actual left front leg in the video when you watch this…and then look at the photo in the comment section). This sweet guy from our friends at East Texas Hoof and Paw Animal Rescue has been in our Critter Crusader medical system for over a year now. And for good reason! Iowa State University Hixson-Lied Small Animal Hospital Clinical Associate Professor of Surgery Dr. Andy Law and his orthopedic surgery team, said that Buddy was the second worst front limb angular injury deformity, they have ever repaired! We believe it! From months of surgical planning, to the actual complex procedure, Buddy’s life was slowly transformed over many, many months. A team of transporters from CC returned Buddy each week after surgery to ISU for bandage changes, evaluations and rechecks. This was a major undertaking through CC both financially and time invested, but just LOOK at the results! We are thrilled and so is this young, gorgeous Belgian Malinois boy who is completely enamored by a cucumber! His life would have been severely limited by this devastating injury. When you donate to Critter Crusaders of Cedar Rapids, this is where your hard earned money goes. Take a look in the comment section to see what this injury looked like and the video becomes even more amazing! Buddy will return to ISU in November for what could be a final recheck. Restoring Broken Lives….one Buddy at a time!❤️🐾

Time for a little good news on this Monday evening! The pathology reports are back on kitty Minerva’s mammary tumor removal surgery through CC last Monday and there is no cancer!! The lesion was completely removed and little Minerva is done with surgery! Many thanks to Dr. Loni Ellsworth from Heartland Animal Hospital Fairfax! We will be seeing that adorable face for many years to come!❤️👍🐾

Our beautiful Tiki, from our friends at Homeward Bownd Siberian Husky Rescue, has been a pet patient in our Critter Crusaders system since last December 5th. This kid was born with congenital glaucoma and we have been monitoring both of her eyes with Dr. Grozdanic at Animal Eye Consultants on Boyson Road in Hiawatha. Tiki had another appointment today. In consulting with Dr. G, we will be removing her right (bad) eye in about a month. In the video you can see its large white appearance when she turns her head. The pressures are too high and the cornea of the eye is permanently damaged. This surgery will make Tiki much more comfy and will eliminate the need for multiple eye drops. Of course if there was anything we could do to save that eye, we would. So the focus will shift to preserving her left (good) eye. It is undergoing the very same process of degeneration and pressure fluctutations but it is much slower to develop. This way we can potentially intervene surgically to preserve this eye for as long as possible. When Tiki came to us, her left eye was already severely challenged. Tiki’s foster momma Michelle is the absolute best care taker and advocate for this floofy pup, as is the incredible Dr. Grozdanic and his team at Animal Eye. Every time we go to this clinic, I am reminded how fortunate we are to have a board certified veterinary ophthalmologist in the Cedar Rapids area! ❤️🐾

Tiny kitten Minni was most likely hit by a car, kicked or fell from some height to sustain the type of pelvic and bone injuries she is recovering from. Minni will be in our medical system for quite some time to see if as she matures, some surgery might be needed. She was fully assessed by our great partners at Blue Pearl Cedar Rapids. This crazy cute kid is in rescue with our great friends at Last Hope Animal Rescue and in the very capable hands of foster Jody Bailey who sent us this video!❤️🐾

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Our Story

Critter Crusaders of Cedar Rapids is a 501c3 animal medical organization dedicated to providing medical care for the homeless shelter and rescue animals throughout Eastern Iowa.

The Story of How Critter Crusaders was Founded

In Feb 2008, a two year old Siberian Husky named Ellie, was surrendered to the Cedar Rapids Animal Shelter by her owner. Going blind from cataracts, the shelter was unable to afford the medical procedure that would restore her sight and make her adoptable. Ellie’s plight became our inspiration.

As shelter volunteers, we interacted with Ellie and could see the bleak reality of her future. She was one of countless other shelter animals in need of medical attention. Things became crystal clear to us. Homeless animals deserved access to medical care as a means to increase their adoptability and make them healthy. Our goal was set for Ellie. Raise the money and restore her sight. With the financial help of many generous people across Eastern Iowa, that goal was a success!