I had no cat food, so I gave her tuna.
It started with a puppy in a cardboard box.
I'm Norma, in Salem, Virginia. Azteca and Maya taught me to be kind and patient. Then a hungry cat found us on a walk, and she came back every day. Now I feed the cats and get them their shots and vet care.
Boop a nose
It started with Azteca
Azteca, a grey pit bull with a white blaze, was left outside a Home Depot in a cardboard box with his brothers and sisters. The puppies were taken in, and I adopted him there when he was two months old.
He taught me a lot. You have to be kind and patient with animals.
This page is partly for him. He is not going to be forgotten.
Then Maya
Maya, a white pit bull with brindle patches, lived next door on a small porch. She ate, slept and went to the bathroom in that one tiny space.
I asked if she could come and be Azteca's partner. The answer was no.
About a year later, moving to California, they asked if I still wanted her. And that's how Maya came to our lives.
The cat who came every day
One day, walking home with Azteca and Maya, a hungry cat came up to me.
From that day, she came every day.
She was pregnant, and she had her babies here.
More cats followed. Now I feed them, pick up their food, and take them for vaccinations and vet care.
That takes time, and it takes money.
Norma's cat photos are coming
Beyond the bowl
Food is where it starts. The cats also need their vaccinations and vet visits, and that means trips in the car, food pick-ups, and my time. Dogs eat more than cats, so the grocery run is bigger than it looks.
- Food for the dogs and the catsDry food and wet food, every week.
- Vaccinations and vet careShots, check-ups, and spay or neuter for the cats.
- Gas for the tripsTo the clinic, to the store, and back home.
- My timeFeeding, driving, and looking after them.
What your gift covers
$10
about a dozen cans of wet cat food, or about 2.5 gallons of gas for a vet run
$25
about one 16 lb bag of dry cat food plus 10 cans of wet food
$50
about one community-cat spay or neuter, rabies shot included
$100
about two community-cat spays or neuters
About. Retail and local clinic prices for cat food and community-cat care, checked Oct 2026. Dog food costs are not listed yet. See the sources
Pick a bowl to fill
About one 16 lb bag of dry cat food plus 10 cans of wet food, every month.
About. Cat food and clinic prices checked Oct 2026. Sources
Meet the animals
Azteca and Maya, in my own photos. The cats' photos and names come next.
Azteca, as a puppy Maya, looking up Sweater day Maya gives a paw Azteca, riding along 
Side by side 
Maya, smiling 
Maya, asleep - Norma's cat photos are coming
The cats
Good questions
Where does the money go?
Food for the cats and the dogs, vaccinations and vet care for the cats, and gas for the trips. Nothing else.
Is this a nonprofit?
No. Aztec Maya Rescue is a personal rescue in Salem, Virginia, and this is a personal fundraiser, not a registered nonprofit. A gift here is a personal gift to Norma.
Can I give food instead?
Yes, that would help. A contact route is coming, so you can ask Norma what the dogs and cats are eating right now.
Can I adopt one of the cats?
Not yet. This page is about feeding the animals and keeping up with their vaccinations and vet care.
Are these Norma's animals in the photos?
The dogs are. Azteca and Maya are in every dog photo. The cat photos are representative stock photos until Norma's own arrive, and each one says so.
Two dogs started this. The cats keep it going.
Thank you for looking out for the animals around my home in Salem. Every gift goes to food, vaccinations and vet care.