Heaven Can Wait Animal Rescue Foundation is currently the only rescue organization covering the area south of Okotoks to Claresholm, Vulcan west to Longview and even some points beyond.

Kim Hessel, Founder, saw a critical need for a group dedicated to helping rural animals after a particularly gruesome and disturbing case of animal abuse within the Town of High River in February of 1999. Options and education are still needed today to offer protection and empathy towards the unwanted animals of our society.

Heaven Can Wait provides shelter, care and nourishment to abandoned, abused and homeless domestic animals within High River and the surrounding area. This includes altering of the animals, providing vaccinations and tattoo in addition to identification and treatment of any other health issues. We source new homes for the animals through the use of advertising, media, event planning, internet, open houses, networking and any other such opportunity that arises to promote adoptions.

We actively work in our community to trap and alter feral cats. Feral, or unsocialized cats, is a sad problem and one that will continue to grow as the Town does. We have made a difference. For each cat we've trapped and altered, we have prevented literally thousands of births and ultimately, their harsh, inevitable deaths. We also work aggressively in the towns of Blackie, Cayley, Nanton, Vulcan, Stavely and Claresholm plus the rural acreage, farm and ranch owners in-between to help reduce their unwanted cat overpopulation issues.

The focus of our work has always been to reach as many animals as possible with the resources available to us. At any given time, we are caring for approximately 150 animals, primarily dogs and cats with the percentage of cats being significantly higher than dogs due to their breeding patterns. Unfortunately, we only reach a small number of abandoned animals in time to help them. There is, indeed, much more work to be done.