Whiskers of Hope
Fostering Cats in Correctional Facilities
Whiskers of Hope (WOH) is our new partnership with Oak Park Correctional Facility, where carefully selected incarcerated individuals will foster cats who need a calm, consistent environment to decompress and thrive. Through this initiative, we’re creating therapeutic, life-enriching connections between cats and humans—offering comfort, purpose, and healing on both sides of the kennel door.
Esmeralda, one of the cats from the first cohort of Whiskers of Hope.
This collaboration began with conversations inside Oak Park’s mental health unit, where staff expressed a desire to integrate animal care into their programming. Participants in the program are individuals who hold mentorship within the facility. They have earned the opportunity to foster by demonstrating positive behavior, leadership, and responsibility. Each participant receives in-person training from our staff, with ongoing virtual support throughout the first cohort.
Each cat lives with their designated foster in a private room, receiving one-on-one attention, enrichment, and daily care. With supervision from trained staff and regular check-ins from our team, their health and well-being remain our top priority.
This pilot program is expected to benefit both the cats and their caregivers. For the cats, the goal is a safe space for recovery and socialization. For the incarcerated individuals, the program provides emotional support, a sense of purpose, and a way to contribute positively to the community.
This is a pilot project, and we’ll share updates as the program progresses. If successful, we hope to expand Whiskers of Hope to help even more cats—and people—in the future.