Transforming the lives of homeless cats through rescue, sanctuary, and new beginnings.


Mission and History

Founded in 2000 in North Hollywood, Heaven on Earth began as a small volunteer-driven effort to address Los Angeles’ cat overpopulation crisis.

Over the years, we have expanded from humble beginnings into a multi-faceted rescue organization, adding Perry’s Place — our adoption center and sanctuary — and the Heaven on Earth Animal Clinic in Chatsworth, CA.

Our programs now include:

  • Rescue and adoption of cats and kittens from Los Angeles City and County shelters
  • Foster care for underage, special needs, and senior cats
  • SpayShip Transport Program, offering free trapping and transportation for community cats
  • High-Volume Spay/Neuter Services for cats and dogs at our clinic

Thanks to these efforts, Los Angeles reached no-kill status in 2020. We continue to focus on the cats most in need: seniors, litters of kittens, and those with significant medical challenges.

Our Impact (2024)

  • 308 cats welcomed at Perry’s Place
  • 269 cats adopted into loving homes
  • 373 cats and kittens cared for in foster homes
  • 840 cats TNR’d through SpayShip
  • 4,062 spay/neuter surgeries at our clinic
Frida

“The staff and volunteers care so much about the cats and kittens. They do everything they can to get them adopted or cared for if they’re sick. I’m really glad I found this organization.”

Eiko S., Volunteer

Our Commitment to Lifesaving

Heaven on Earth is committed to saving every animal in our care who can be saved. We do not end the life of healthy or treatable pets, even at an owner’s request. We only euthanize an animal if:

  • A veterinarian has assessed that there is no chance of recovering an acceptable quality of life, or
  • It would be clearly inhumane or unsafe not to do so immediately, or
  • When a veterinarian has 1) eliminated medical treatment as a solution; 2) rehabilitation by a specialist has failed and/or staff and public safety cannot be reasonably assured, or 3) other management protocols seriously compromise quality of life.

Due to the nature of our targeted rescue work, it is not unusual for our shelter to fall under the save rate of 90% that designates a shelter ‘No-kill.’ Our shelter sometimes falls below the 90% benchmark because:

We provide hospice and sanctuary care for animals and take responsibility for their end-of-life care. 

We have a neonatal kitten program. Neonatal kittens have fragile immune systems and often arrive at the shelter as orphans and with compromised heath. We make every effort to treat and care for kittens until they are eating on their own and healthy enough to go to a foster home, but some lives are still lost despite those efforts. 

We prioritize pulling cats with significant medical needs from municipal shelters, including injured, ill, and senior cats in order to help the cats and kittens in most urgent need. Despite our best efforts, some cats do not make it. 

MEET OUR TEAM: Board of Directors

Pam Allison, Chair

Pam, a lifelong cat lover, started rescuing cats accidentally over 10 years ago when ferals showed up at her building. After TNR’ing several and finding homes for those who were surprisingly tame, she fell into fostering, rescue, and advocacy for homeless cats.

Pam’s day job involves developing strategy and innovation projects in the media and entertainment sectors. She lives in West Los Angeles with a bunch of cats including Wally, Casey, Tabor, and Bandit. Pam has served on the board of Kitten Rescue of Los Angeles since 2019 and is proud to join the Heaven on Earth board in 2024.

Suzanne Lofland, Treasurer

Originally from Alabama, Suzanne grew up rescuing animals — turtles, rabbits, cats, dogs, and fish to name a few. She became involved with cat rescue while living in Phoenix, Arizona in 2004 when a pregnant cat from a parking lot moved into her bathroom. The experience of caring for the mom and eventual kittens kicked off a lifetime of saving cats.

Suzanne now resides in Valley Glen with her wife, two kids, and two cats. Suzanne has been with the organization in many different roles since 2010. She rejoined the Board in 2020.

John Gregory

In the world of animal lovers, John says he’s aligned himself with the feline folks, having come to appreciate cats’ curious, independent and mysterious natures and uncanny ability to make their agenda everyone’s agenda. John is retired from Sony Pictures Entertainment, where he worked in finance, and was introduced to Heaven on Earth in 2010 during a project to relocate a dozen feral cats from the studio lot to temporary safe harbor at Heaven on Earth’s sanctuary. He and his wife, Kathy, live in Westchester with their four rescue cats Rocko, ZZ, Tuxy and Tiny. John joined the Heaven on Earth board in 2011.

Jennifer Parsignault, Secretary

Growing up with cats and horses, Jennifer found her way to rescue through a colony of feral cats in her neighborhood and never looked back. Joining Heaven on Earth’s Board in 2006, Jennifer founded the SpayShip Transport Program in 2009. SpayShip, a TNR program which is free to the community, is designed to help facilitate the spaying and neutering of cats — strays, ferals and community cats. As the program’s unpaid Director, working in partnership with FixNation, she is responsible for facilitating over 11,800 spays & neuters to date.

By day, Jennifer is the Audit Director of a multi-employer Taft Hartley Trust Fund benefiting an entertainment union. She is also an artist and singer/songwriter with several independent albums to her credit. She lives in the San Fernando Valley with cats Bailey and (Heaven on Earth alum) Christopher, along with an ever-changing census of fosters.

Blasko (Rob Nicholson)

Blasko, globally renowned as the electrifying bass player for icons Rob Zombie and Ozzy Osbourne, harmonizes his rock star prowess with a deep commitment to feline welfare. As a lifestyle investor and entrepreneur, he channels his passion into impactful causes, notably in the animal rescue sphere. His dedication to feline advocacy earned him the prestigious Kitten Rescue Advocacy Award in 2019, underscoring his significant contributions to the cause.

Beyond his musical achievements, Blasko serves on the Board of Directors at Kitten Rescue, leveraging his influence and network to further the mission of cat welfare and rescue. His commitment to animal advocacy extends to the pavement; he is a stalwart participant in the LA BIG 5K. Through this annual event, Blasko has raised over $50,000 individually, demonstrating an unwavering commitment to supporting Kitten Rescue’s vital work.

Blasko’s multifaceted career as a rock star, entrepreneur, and animal welfare advocate illustrates his dedication to making a difference both on and off the stage. As he joins the Board of Directors for Heaven on Earth, his leadership and passion for cat rescue are poised to inspire and effect meaningful change within the community.

Susan Romaine

Susan Romaine began fostering cats and kittens over three decades ago as a volunteer for one of the nation’s first no kill shelters, ASAP in Santa Barbara. After moving to Los Angeles, Susan began volunteering at Los Angeles Animal Services West Valley Shelter. Determined to do something about the high rate of euthanasia in Los Angeles for underage kittens at the time, Susan founded Kitten Rescue in 1997.

Over 26 years, Kitten Rescue has grown from its one-woman origins to become one of the largest feline-focused rescues in Los Angeles and the nation, rescuing nearly 3,000 cats and kittens a year and placing them in new forever homes. Susan currently serves as the Vice-President of Kitten Rescue and is honored to bring her experience and knowledge to Heaven On Earth.

When not cuddling kittens, Susan uses the other half of her brain as a Senior Vice President, Wealth Management of UBS Financial Services, and also sits on the Board of the Japanese Art Society of America in New York. She shares her home with two elder kitties, Katrina and FergieBear.

Jeremiah Runyon

Mr. Runyon contributes to the mix of Board experience and qualifications through his years in various positions at Superior Logistics Ohio, Off the Leash Modern Pet Provisions, and in service on other boards. Mr. Runyon leads the operations and finance of Superior Logistics and has had extensive experience in business operations. He brings practical knowledge of executive management and extensive experience in human resource management, accounting, and financial matters including financial oversight, risk management, human resource compliance, and the alignment of financial and strategic initiatives.

Jeremiah and his husband Mathew live in Los Angeles with their dogs Foxworth and Daisy and cats Stretch and Babette.

Pat Tazzara

After litigating medical liability cases for over 30 years in both Washington D.C. and Los Angeles, Pat Tazzara retired from the legal field and immediately embraced her other passion — cat rescue. She started with fostering and quickly learned that her true foster talent was “foster failing.” Thus, she adopted many of her black foster cats, eventually moving on to other rescue projects, serving on Kitten Rescue’s board of directors, and heading their social media team. Her pride and joy are her newest boys, Eddie and Chunner, black kittens with mild cerebellar hypoplasia. Pat lives in Studio City, where she enjoys reminding friends and family back east about the beautiful SoCal weather.

MEET OUR TEAM: Staff

Leandra Lawrence, Executive Director

Leandra Lawrence has been with Heaven on Earth for 15 years and is currently serving as Executive Director. She uses her prior experience in management and the medical field to assure that Heaven on Earth’s mission based goals are being met. Leandra believes every cat deserves a chance and has a soft spot for big cheeked tom cats and the spitty neonates. She currently lives in Valley Glen with her wife, their two children, two rescue cats and their rescue dog. When not working, she loves spending time with her family, hiking, and going to the beach.

Dr. Nicole Petschauer, DVM – Clinic Veterinarian

Following graduation from veterinary school in 2009, Dr. Petschauer decided that surgery was her calling and especially high volume spay/ neuter surgery. She has been Best Friends’ Mission Hills high volume surgeon for 7 years, where she also assumed a variety of administrative roles before recently accepting our offer to become Heaven on Earth Animal Clinic’s veterinarian. She provides her services in high volume spay/neuter surgery but also specialty surgical procedures.

Jami Goff, RVT – Clinic Manager

As Clinic Manager, Jami Goff brings a strong background in clinic management, hands-on care, and medical expertise. With 15+ years of experience in general practice, Jami brings a wealth of knowledge from the veterinary field. Holding a Registered Veterinary Technician License makes her an ideal fit. After starting as a kennel worker, then vet assistant and achieving her RVT license, she was promoted to management. She has been working in rescue for 8+ years because she felt she could make a bigger impact. She loves the fast pace and multitasking that comes along with the job. Jami enjoys creating a positive impact on the quality of life for so many animals. Every day is something new to experience, including spay/neuter, more critical surgical cases, wound care, and hospitalized patients. She loves finding new ways to be more efficient and prioritize our cases. She has a special place in her heart for diabetic dogs and medical hospice fosters. Jami enjoys spending time with her dogs and cats, who are all from Los Angeles City or County shelters.

Jennifer Parsignault – SpayShip Director

Growing up with cats and horses, Jennifer found her way to rescue through a colony of feral cats in her neighborhood and never looked back. Joining Heaven on Earth’s Board in 2006, Jennifer founded the SpayShip Transport Program in 2009. SpayShip, a TNR program which is free to the community, is designed to help facilitate the spaying and neutering of cats — strays, ferals and community cats. As the program’s unpaid Director, working in partnership with FixNation, she is responsible for facilitating over 11,800 spays & neuters to date.

By day, Jennifer is the Audit Director of a multi-employer Taft Hartley Trust Fund benefiting an entertainment union. She is also an artist and singer/songwriter with several independent albums to her credit. She lives in the San Fernando Valley with cats Bailey and (Heaven on Earth alum) Christopher, along with an ever-changing census of fosters.

Allen Balcarcel

SpayShip Coordinator

Eric Deltoro

Perry’s Place Caretaking Manager

Channing Lewis

Lifesaving Programs Coordinator

Veronica Lopez

Clinic Staff

Josselyn Moreno

Perry’s Place Caretaker

Michelle Parks

Perry’s Place Caretaker

Leslie Roman

Registered Veterinary Technician

Program Collaborations

Heaven on Earth works alongside a network of local and national partners to save more lives.

Program Partners

Best Friends, NKLA, Cat Pawsitive Pro, FixNation, ASPCA, Rescue Train, Wings of Rescue, Four Paws, Bissell

Funding Partners

Best Friends, PetSmart, Michelson, Pretty Litter, Banfield, Boeing, Petco, Diane Warren, Athletes for Animals, and others.

Annual Reports & IRS Form 990

(Link to PDFs from most recent 5 years)

Financials

Transparency matters. We believe our supporters should know how their donations make a difference.

Where Our Support Comes From

  • Grants
  • Individual Gifts
  • Government Funding
  • Clinic Income
  • Adoption Fees
  • Events & Sponsorships
  • Bequests & Misc.

How We Use Your Gifts

  • Clinic Operations
  • Program Expenses (care, supplies, enrichment)
  • Fundraising & Administration
  • Perry’s Place Medical & Operations
  • Program Staff Salaries

Careers

There are no open positions at this time, but if you are a Relief Spay/Neuter Veterinarian or a Clinic Veterinarian in search of employment, please contact us directly.