“We started in 2008 rescuing bunnies,” Briggs said. “I went to this event once where people would put their pet rabbits that they could no longer own up for auction. And people would bid on these people’s pet rabbits to eat them. I heard these two people talking behind me that they were going to eat this large rabbit … so I bought it and took it home with me. A couple from Texas adopted him, and that’s what started this whole rescue.”

Little Angels Animal Sanctuary tries not turn away any unwanted animal, but right now they are focused on helping cats.

“About four years ago, someone brought us a cat,” Briggs said. “I found him a good home, and then after that people would say ‘Oh, you take cats?’ and so one cat became so many cats. Our goal is to never say no, and at the moment, we never turn away a pregnant cat or little wild kittens.”

Krauth and her husband have made individual rooms for the cats under their care, with everything a cat needs. That includes nice, soft blankets and plenty of things to climb on. And also lots of toys.

“The only time we keep our animals in a kennel is if they’re feral and haven’t been tested yet,” Krauth said, “or if we’re doing an adoption event. We don’t even put our rabbits in kennels. They have big open spaces to roam free in. Until they’re adopted, they’re going to live the best lives they can.”

The animal sanctuary has two locations — Mayville and Lakewood. They accept donations through PayPal and their Facebook page. As a nonprofit organization, the pair said all donations are appreciated.

Currently, the two get by on donations and adoption fees, which are used to buy vaccines, have the animals fixed and provide food and water.

At the moment, Briggs and Krauth pay for everything themselves.

The pair want to teach people how important it is to get their pets fixed. With so many cats out on the street, Briggs and Krauth said they know how important it is to keep certain pets from having offspring.

“It’s unbelievable how many cats are out there that no one can help,” Briggs said. “That’s what people need to focus on, is getting their cat fixed. Last year alone I’ve taken in over 200 baby kittens off the streets. If they had still been out there this year, it would have been that many more cats (on the streets). There needs to be a better trap and release program.”

Although LAAS is little known by this point, Briggs and Krauth are hoping to get the word out. They’re both certified and try to work with other groups like the Chautauqua County Humane Society.

“I think our presence is definitely getting bigger, especially with social media,” Krauth said. “We’re getting more exposure and doing more events.”

The pair is also starting a cat of the month program, featuring one of their many cats. With the cat of the month, $20 is knocked off the adoption fee, plus a free bag of food, a free handmade cat bed and some free handmade cat toys as well. Plus, all of LAAS’s cats have their vaccines and have been fixed.

“There are so many people who say they want a free kitten,” Briggs said. “The problem with that is that you have to pay $200 for vaccinations, plus the charge to get it fixed. Our adoption fees have everything included, and we test for leukemia and FIV. None of that is included with the free kitten.”

The LAAS has its own Facebook page and can also be found on PetFinder. Their main location is in Mayville, while their secondary location is in Lakewood.