MEET THE THE TINY PAWS
TORRANCE ORGANIZATION
Words By
ED SOLT
Some people talk about making a difference. These
women just started doing it.
The Tiny Paws Torrance Organization was founded
in 2022 by Jessica Rivello and Viviana Garcia, a
couple of animal lovers who met working at Plaza de
Loma Animal Hospital in Torrance. What began as
an informal response to the steady stream of kittens
being dropped off at the vet has grown into a full-on
rescue operation — cats, dogs, rabbits, and, yes, even a
pelican they once rescued in San Pedro.
“We just love animals,” Rivello said. “We feel like
they deserve more than most people do. They don’t
have a voice.”
Now they do.
The bulk of their work involves cats, and in California
that means year-round kitten season. Messages come
in constantly — kittens in yards, kittens on streets,
kittens just about everywhere. Each one gets pulled in,
bottle-fed if needed, vaccinated, spayed or neutered,
microchipped, dewormed, and placed into a foster
home until they’re ready for adoption. On top of Kitty
Season, the founders run a Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR)
Program for feral cats.
“Some Cats are just too feral for adoption,” Garcia
said. “We are trying to stop the spread of feral and
unwanted cats.”
The founders do most of this out of pocket. There
are no big corporate sponsors, no giant fundraising
galas — just two hardworking and animal passionate
women who decided animals in need were worth their
time, energy, and money.
“We have to pay all the vet bills, spay and neuter,
vaccinations, food, litter,” Rivello explained. “It just
comes out of our pocket.”
Plaza de Loma Animal Hospital has been a key
partner, offering discounted services that help stretch
every dollar.
Adoption events pop up when the foster network
gets full — which is often. In this case, The Tiny Paws
Torrance Organization will throw an adoption event at
one of their key sponsors, the Beach Hut in Torrance.
“Sometimes people scroll past animals online for
weeks and then meet one in person and immediately
know. That’s the magic of it,” said Angie Romero, the
owner of Beach Hut. “We are proud to help make this
happen.”
Tiny Paws’ Instagram is where the day-to-day action
lives: new rescues, foster updates, animals in need of
homes. The website gives you the full picture — and
their donation link, which they’ll tell you is very much
appreciated.
If you’ve got an animal in need, or you’re ready to
open your home to one, these are your people.
Follow The Tiny Paws Torrance Organization on
Instagram or visit their website to adopt, foster, or
donate. @TinyPawsTorrance or TinyPawsTorrance.org
