Interview! Sara Kent, Director of Shelter Outreach for Petfinder

“Video is a great way to let cats speak for themselves…and they don’t have to say a lot.”

Petfinder has brought the world of technology to shelters and potential adopters. Sara, who’s been there for 17 years, speaks with Stacy about the visibility it brings to hundreds of thousands of pets seeking a home, and how it seeks to improve the adoption experience by offering ongoing support once new pet parents have selected their new family member. Petfinder was one of the first sources to offer videos of shelter pets, and, as Sarah notes, “even a 15 second clip of a cat purring in a volunteer’s lap” can make a profound difference to that cat’s changes. She talks about upcomig improvements to Petfinder, including enhanced search options, and a more mobile-friendly experience.

From working as an animal control officer in 1989 to becoming the first person ever to complete a veterinarian residency in shelter medicine in 2001 at UC Davis, Kate’s passion for saving the lives of community cat is undeniable. Within what she calls her ‘big picture work,’ she has incorporated treatment of infectious diseases in lowering the number of shelter cats and euthanasia. Kate discusses how the excitement of peer-to-peer networking influenced her TNR program called "Million Cat Challenge", based on initiatives to balance intake, capacity for humane care in shelters, and live outcomes for cats in shelters.

Visit millioncatchallenge.org and sheltermedicine.com for more information.

“I think it all comes from being compassionate and coming to them from a place of empathy [and] understanding.” [on dealing with community members]

This episode is sponsored in part by CARE, Doobert, and Maddie's Fund.

Stacy speaks with Angéline Fahey, who is the Community Cat Program (“CCP”) Manager at the Humane Society of Southern Arizona. The CCP provides trapping assistance, guidance, resources, and education for several counties in Southern Arizona. It also hosts weekly trapping events and hosts regular Zoom meet-ups, where members of a larger coalition of community cat trappers and advocates can discuss ways to improve the quality of outdoor cats’ lives.

Angéline discusses her role as the CCP Manager, which involves frequent interaction with the public regarding community cats. She discusses the type of calls that she receives and how she responds to them. She stresses the importance of spreading awareness about community cats, which includes breaking racial barriers.

Angéline also talks about the CCP’s trap rental process, its goals moving forward, and its construction of a community cat center. She encourages those in the Southern Arizona region that are community cat trappers or are interested in becoming a trapper to connect with her.

To learn more about the Humane Society of Southern Arizona’s CCP, visit their website.

If you enjoyed this episode, check out our interview with Anna Murrin and Valerie Kajko, Project Manager and TNR Coordinator, Metro Denver CAT Project in episode 162.

In this episode, Stacy chats with community cat caretaker Debbie Chatenever, who walks several miles each day to feed the community cats in her area. Debbie gets the cats the medical care they need at her own expense, and she shares with Stacy the story of how she got involved with caring for her local community cats.

Stacy and Debbie also discuss how beneficial a support network could be for Debbie and others like her, and they talk about Debbie’s strong belief that there needs to be accountability around abandoning cats. Debbie tells Stacy about how she talks with the children she meets in her neighborhood as she feeds, and how she shares information with them about community cats, spay/neuter, and how we can help.

To learn more about Debbie and the work she does, or to reach out to her, please email Stacy.

Kelly Duer, Foster Program Consultant for Maddie’s Fund, has worked with many organizations over the years, including such big names as FEMA and Best Friends Animal Society. The goal of her work is to help groups increase live outcomes for animals through the implementation of robust foster programs.

Kelly came to this role after working on foster programs for children from Eastern Europe. A life-long cat lover, she got involved in animal welfare when her daughter became interested in working with animals and they decided to volunteer at an animal shelter together. They soon began fostering animals, and before long, the shelter staff asked Kelly to coordinate a foster care study that Maddie’s Fund wanted to run on their program.

In her interview with Stacy, Kelly, who is very passionate about behavioral foster care for cats, answers Stacy’s tough foster care questions, including: How do you choose who to focus on when your foster care resources are limited?; What is your gold standard of a foster care program for cats?; and If you had all the foster care coordinators in the country in one room, what tips and advice would you give them? (Hint: the answer to the last question has a lot to do with social media!)

Kelly’s own hope is that eventually, foster care will become the standard of care for homeless pets, and that shelters will become more like waystations for marketing pets than places where pets spend long periods of time.

If you’d like to learn more about Kelly’s work, or get access to Maddie’s Fund’s collection of foster care resources (including manuals, SOPs, sample agreements, etc.), email Kelly at duer@c.maddies.fund.org. You can also find and message her on Maddie’s Pet Forum.

Every cat has its tale, and this week's chat with Halle Hamilton of Austin Pets Alive brings a new narrative to the forefront of feline rescue. As we weave through Halle's own transformation from a dancer to a pioneer in cat adoptions, we uncover the heartwarming stories of special needs kitties who have found their stride thanks to innovative strategies and heartfelt community involvement. Celebrate with us the triumphs of our cat adoption and foster programs, which see incontinent and diabetic whiskered wonders stepping into loving homes like never before. The upcoming 2024 Online Cat Conference looms on the horizon, ready to unleash a wealth of knowledge for cat devotees and professionals eager to learn and share. 

As the purring crescendo of our conversation fades, we extend an invitation for you to continue the dialogue beyond the airwaves. Engage with fellow feline aficionados on social media, and if our tales of tails have touched your heart, consider leaving a review to help more cat champions tune in. Together we're not just sharing stories; we're creating a community stitched together with every successful adoption, every insightful conference, and every cat's happily-ever-after. With Halle's expertise lighting the way, join us in celebrating and contributing to the ongoing mission of cat welfare.

In this episode, you will hear:

• Austin Pets Alive’s innovative approaches to save the most at-risk cats from other shelters
• The remarkable achievements of our cat adoption program
• Adoptions through volunteer marketing
• Fostering a safe and healthy environment for cats through community engagement and feedback

Resources from this Episode

This episode is sponsored in part by Maddie’s Fund and Tomahawk Live Trap.

Austin Pets Alive - https://www.austinpetsalive.org/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/austinpetsalive/

Insta - https://www.instagram.com/austinpetsalive/?hl=en

Twitter - https://twitter.com/austinpetsalive

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/AUSTINPETSALIVE

…if you have questions or concerns please email support@communitycatspodcast.com.  

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Episode Credits

If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you.

Interview! Sandy Rees, Founder and Chief Encouragement Officer - Get Fully Funde

"I’ve always felt deep in my soul that I’m here to help lots of people. I have a sensitive heart and can’t stand to see anyone suffer.”

Sandy helps non-profits and charities who have been used to nickel and dime fundraising work on getting to six or seven figures on their bottom line! She shows her students how to find ideal donors and connect with them through authentic messaging.

Because one of the greatest challenges for our listeners is fundraising, Sandy has many answers that we need to do the jobs we are trying to do for our community cats!

Sandy fell into this career by accident and didn’t go to school or classes that teach non-profit management. There really weren’t any around! But she went on a tour at a local rescue mission and ended up asking lots of questions. She was soon asked to join their board and a year later, joined their resource development office.

Soon, she jumped into fundraising and never looked back! Surprisingly, she was able to apply a lot of corporate marketing from her earlier career into her new one and she soon blossomed.

In 2005 she started Get Fully Funded and was able to pick specific clients that she loved and connected with. From farm animals to dogs and cats, Get Fully Funded can cover it!

The bottom line is that people are passionate about helping animals, but don’t know how to raise money to help. So she retrains her clients to turn fundraising into something that makes people want to help. She gets donors excited!

She also believes in working by the 1/10/1000 Rule.

• Plan ONE fundraising event a year and do it really well!
• Get TEN grants a year. Stop leaving grant money on the table. These types of grants are out there so apply!
• Build your donor base up to about 1,000 donors. This will set yourself up for sustainable fundraising long-term. It’s also good because if you lose one donor, you’ll be able to weather storms through a base of stability.

Sandy also talks about ARF club, which focuses on small organizations and training opportunities for these places. They are able to work together with all animal welfare groups through private Facebook groups and other Q&A sessions where they can connect and collaborate.

Learn more at http://getfullyfunded.com/arf-club/ and arfclub.com.

Steve Lawrence, an award-winning filmmaker previously interviewed by Stacy on CCP Episode 178, returns to CCP to discuss the documentary film he co-directed, The Cat Rescuers. The film premiered in October 2018 at the Hamptons International Film Festival, where it won an award for “giving voice to the voiceless.”

Since then, Steve and his production company have set about making the film available for community screenings that can be used as fundraisers for rescue and TNR groups. This can be done either directly through the filmmakers, or through an online platform called Tugg, which will take care of the logistical details for you.

Steve tells Stacy that his intention with this film was to make something that would help raise awareness about TNR and adoptions. One of the other points of the film was to make the point that much of this work that is being done to help cats is done on a volunteer basis and that the groups around the country need ways to sustain themselves. Steve hopes that the film allows people to raise awareness in their own communities about what it takes to do this kind of work, and also about why and how TNR is effective.

“Our intention was to make a film that would be of use to the rescue community not only in the U.S. but around the world—but we also wanted to make a film that would be emotionally engaging and sufficiently entertaining that it would grab an average viewer who’s just looking for a good story, for an interesting story with compelling characters—and I think we’ve achieved both.”

To learn more about The Cat Rescuers, including where/how to attend or host a screening, visit the film’s website. To host a screening where the details (like finding a location and ticket sales) are all taken care of for you, go can go through Tugg’s online booking interface.

After bringing you up to speed on how a "virtual conference" works, they chat about a special returning guest, The Kitten Lady, and the line up of brand new guest speakers and the topics they'll be presenting for attendees at this event that takes place January 25, 26, and 27, 2019. You'll learn what fun community building activities will be returning in the second year of the conference and be introduced to some of the new features that will be included this year.

Stacy and Kristen also discuss their scheduled "Best of December". They'll be bringing back some of their favorite, most interesting shows from the past few years!

From the launch date of this podcast you only have SIX DAYS to take advantage of early bird pricing for conference registration. Save $25 now by visiting onlinecatconference.comand registering on or before November 30th for just $50. On December 1st, registration will be $75.

In this information-packed episode, Stacy sits down with Dr. Bob Weedon, a retired veterinarian who is still going strong as a volunteer at the TLC PetSnip low-cost clinic in Lakeland, FL, a board member of the Alliance for Contraception in Cats & Dogs (ACC&D), and in other volunteer posts. Bob worked in private practice and also spent many years teaching in the shelter medicine program at the University of Illinois, including teaching high-quality high-volume spay/neuter techniques to veterinary students. He also holds a Master’s degree in public health. Along the way, he also became involved in TNR. “I just recognized there was such a need,” he says, “and that I had the tools that… could address that need.”

Stacy and Bob discuss why the “V” in trap-neuter-vaccinate-return (TNVR) is so crucial, both for the cats and for proving the value of TNVR programs to community leaders and officials. He discusses the concept of herd immunity in relation to rabies, and also goes into great detail about cats and toxoplasmosis—including how to talk with public health officials about it.

Bob also discusses his work with ACC&D and with the National Feline Research Council (NFRC–an “unbiased central repository of evidence-based information”). He tells Stacy how gratifying it is to be able to provide vet care to folks who can’t afford it, and how his own views have changed over the years from feeling like low-income pet owners shouldn’t have pets at all to realize how important pets can be to those folks’ mental health and well-being.

To learn more about the organizations Dr. Weedon volunteers for, visit the ACC&D website, the NFRC website, and the TLC PetSnip website. You can also check out Dr. Weedon’s presentation entitled “Better Together—TNVR and Public Health,” or email him directly with questions or help with resources.

This episode is sponsored in part by Smalls Fresh Cat Food and Doobert.com.

Suzi Langer is a vet tech with a soft spot for specially-abled cats. Just a few hours into fostering her first cat with Cerebellar Hypoplasia (CH), a neurological condition that affects balance and coordination, she was hooked. Now Suzi and her kitty, Bifford, are on a mission to educate people and advocate for cats with this non-progressive condition.

Stacy and Suzi discuss muscle memory, busting stigmas around specially-abled pets, and the unexpected benefits of adopting a cat with CH. Suzi’s website provides resources and tools to make veterinary visits and everyday life more friendly for kitties with CH and their people.

Get to know Suzi’s self-described “blended house of misfit toys,” including Bifford, on  Instagram, Facebook, or her website.

Scott Giacoppo (previously interviewed by Stacy on CCP Episode 25) has been involved in animal welfare since 1989. Among other roles, he has worked as an animal control officer and a special state police officer for cruelty investigations. He currently serves as the Director of National Shelter Outreach for Best Friends Animal Society.

In this role, Scott oversees the development of life-saving efficacy and sustainability for animal welfare agencies across the United States. He & his team provide support to each of the eight Best Friends regions, working with the regional teams in each area that are working directly with individual shelters to help them accomplish their missions.

Scott’s team works mostly with municipal agencies, and he tells Stacy that more & more agencies are recognizing what we’ve been doing for decades to decrease the community cat population—trap & remove—is just not working, so more and more agencies are now embracing TNR.

Scott sees this as part of a shift toward animal control becoming more of a proactive resource, instead of just a reactive one, as it has so often been in the past. Scott and Stacy also discuss the “best practices” resources he has helped gather, covering everything from how to do managed intake to how to conduct a dangerous dog investigation. All of these resources are available to download for free on the Best Friends website.

In addition, Scott and Stacy talk about some recent policy changes around cats at the National Animal Care & Control Association (NACA), including abandoning their support for cat licensing and publicly recognizing that trap and remove does not work to control community cat populations.

To learn more, visit the Best Friends website or email Scott directly. You can find the Community Cats best practices manual here and the Humane Animal Control Manual here.

Interview! Part 1 - Dr. Sara Pizano, Veterinarian and Animal Welfare Consultant

“Northern Kentucky will be no-kill for cats this year, absolutely, hands-down!”

Dr. Sara Pizano, who joined us previously on Episode 171, is a veterinarian who has been involved in animal welfare for over thirty years. She has extensive experience helping shelters move away from euthanasia as a means of population control and helping municipalities revise public policy to be more animal friendly. Dr. Pizano now has her own consulting company, Team Shelter USA, and she serves on steering committees for both Best Friends and the Million Cat Challenge.

In Part 1 of this two-part episode, Dr. Pizano joined us to talk about a recent project in northern Kentucky, where she worked with a district consisting of eight counties, four of which accepted cats in their municipal shelters. These shelters had a very low live outcome rate for cats when the project began, and the goal was to increase that rate dramatically through intensive spay/neuter for community cats.

The project’s spay/neuter efforts were focused on two areas, “shelter/neuter/return” and then “in-field TNR.” Dr. Pizano explains shelter/neuter/return as taking healthy cats and kittens that are brought to the shelter as “found” and instead of having them enter the shelter, they are sterilized, vaccinated, and returned to where they were found. Dr. Pizano believes that spay/neuter of this group of cats is the number one priority in decreasing euthanasia rates.

The next step is to TNR high-intake area to get to the core of the problem and end the constant flow of community cats and their offspring into the shelters. The next steps are managed intake and targeted spay/neuter. With all of these pieces in place, over time, shelters will be dealing with far fewer cats!

It is safe to say that Dr. Pizano’s Kentucky project was a success, as she reports that in 2015, the four shelters that accepted cats took in 5,200 cats and euthanized 3,400 of those—but in 2017, the first full year of the grant-funded project, those same shelters took in 4,000 cats and euthanized just 400 of those! Eight thousand cat surgeries were completed during the first year of the project! Today, three of the four shelters in the Kentucky project are at a 90% live outcome rate, and the other is at 82%!

Dr. Pizano is very excited about the progress that’s been made in Kentucky, and about the resources that are available to other shelters that need help ending euthanasia as a means of population control. Programs like Million Cat Challenge are great sources of support for those groups, and she encourages everyone to join if they haven’t already!

To get in touch with Dr. Pizano, email her at drpizano@teamshelterusa.com. To learn more about Million Cat Challenge, visit millioncatchallenge.org. To learn more about Best Friends and their partner program, visit bestfriends.org.

Interview! Jackson Galaxy, Star of Animal Planet’s My Cat from Hell, and Founder of the Jackson Galaxy Foundation

“I was used to not following rules and cats don’t follow rules for the most part.”

It’s the Cat Daddy himself in this special episode of the podcast! Stacy has a fascinating conversation with Jackson Galaxy, the once-musician whose special bond with felines catapulted (sorry!) him to fame as a champion for helping people better understand cat behavior and find creative ways to help them.

Season Eight of his show, My Cat From Hell, opens in late April with Jackson bringing 50 doomed kittens from Los Angeles on a van ride to Denver, accompanied by Kitten Lady Hannah Shaw. Jackson describes a number of the life-saving initiatives his foundation is piloting throughout the country, and gives a treasure trove of advice about what individuals can do to make a difference:  “Every something that you do will save somebody."

For more information visit jacksongalaxyfoundation.org.

Photo Credits: All color photos by Andrew Martial. The black and white is Lori Fusaro.

Interview! Chris Roy, Founder, Doobert.com

"The concept behind Doobert was to automate those rescue tasks that can and should be automated."

Chris Roy is a pilot, a Milwaukeean, a husband and owner of several cats and dogs, and the creator of Doobert.com, an online software platform for animal welfare volunteers and organizations. Although Doobert started as a hub to organize the transportation of rescued animals, it has grown to offer a wide variety of services, such as photography for shelters. Chris firmly believes that we can use technology to make people and organizations more efficient in order to save more animals, and he is hopeful and excited about the doors that technology will continue to open in the animal welfare world. His next step for Doobert is to design a module for community cat concerns, and is eager for any feedback or suggestions that those who work with these animals can give.

To get in touch with Chris, visit Doobert.com and click on the orange HELP/SUPPORT button.

Meagan Larrea is a cat mom and cat lover who works as a civil engineer by day. The rest of the time, she runs Joy 4 Cats, a growing project that puts together toy and treat baskets for shelters to give away to new adopters. The program began in the fall of 2018 when Meagan heard about a local shelter with an overflow of adult cats looking for homes. As a creative way to help, Meagan created adopter baskets to bring joy to cats and to give people an incentive to adopt—and it worked! Since then, Meagan has become a major advocate for ways to keep cats healthy and happy, and Joy 4 Cats has begun helping a number of shelters around the U.S.

While not yet a 501©3, Meagan plans to become one in the future. She requests donations from cat care companies, and her baskets generally contain $50-$75 worth of goodies for new adopters. Partner shelters have found the baskets very helpful in promoting adoptions, and Megan is always happy to help more shelters in need, no matter the group’s size or location—so feel free to reach out!

To learn more, you can email Meagan or check out Joy 4 Cats on Facebook and Instagram.

When Scott accepted the challenge of joining the Washington Humane Society, their live release rate was 28%…today it is 90%. Scott outlines the various programs that have moved the dial, including improved coordination and cooperation with animal control, their Pets for Life program, and targeted TNR that fixed over 2500 cats last year alone.  Today, he’s working with local authorities on helping more low income individuals keep their cats to reduce abandonment with a “Pets in Housing” program. Plus, he lovingly shares his passion for socializing feral kittens, and his foster failures, the “Gang of Four."

To find out more visit the Washington Humane Society online.

Tune in to the second part of “The Mike and Carmine Show,” with Mike Keiley of the MSPCA and Carmine DiCenso of Dakin Humane, as they continue their conversation with Stacy. In this episode, Mike & Carmine offer their tips for people who feel like they are hitting a brick wall around their efforts at advocating for change. Carmine suggests that people begin by looking at themselves and their approach, focusing on what they can change —and that they guard against focusing solely on the desired outcome, and instead try to break the issue up into a step-by-step process. Mike notes that we sometimes tend to lose our cool in animal welfare, and that we just need to think about adjusting our approach and trying to hit the smaller, more achievable goals, rather than trying to do everything at once

Mike, Carmine & Stacy go on to discuss transport programs, including the fact that Dakin imports animals, while MSPCA generally does not. Carmine feels it’s important to continue to fulfill the traditional shelter role of in helping people find animals. Meanwhile, Mike feels that the infrastructure changes the MSPCA would have to make in order to be able to have an impactful transport program are simply not as valuable as focusing on other programs at this time. In the future, both Mike & Carmine — and Stacy! — would like to see more strategy behind importation programs. They would love to see a coordinated effort between New England groups to work together to partner with a specific area from which to bring animals, in order to make a truly big impact on that area.

In the final part of the show, Mike, Carmine & Stacy talk about what animal welfare is going to look like in the coming three to five years. Both Mike & Carmine feel that shelters and animal welfare organizations have some serious soul-searching ahead of them in terms of thinking about whether to continue doing what they’ve always been doing. One thing they both feel is going to have to change is making sure that we increase our focus on people and animals’ connection to people. They believe that if we all work together — instead of separating ourselves with divisive labels and points of view — the animal welfare world can continue to grow and change, and to help even more animals and people in the coming years.

To learn more about Carmine DiCenso’s organization and their work, visit dakinhumane.org. You can also email Carmine at cdincenso@dakinhumane.org. To learn more about Mike Keiley’s organization and their work, visit mspca.org, or email Mike at mkeiley@mspca.org.

In this episode, Stacy talks with Siri Zwemke, author and founder/executive director of the Siamese Cat Rescue Center. The organization has been in operation for over twenty years, utilizing over 900 volunteers to save over 13,000 cats in that time. Siri has also just published a book, Rescue Meez, about her experiences running the nonprofit and rescuing cats over the years.

Siri and Stacy discuss how Siri came to start Siamese Cat Rescue Center, how decreasing shelter populations have affected breed-specific rescues, how SCRC works with breeders, and about some of the particulars of Siamese cats and their traits.

To learn more about Siri’s new book, visit her Facebook pageor email her at rescuemeez@meezer.org. You can order the book from Amazon and other online bookstores. Learn more about Siamese Cat Rescue Center at their website.

Interview! Julie Jacobson, Director of Spay Tennessee

“When writing grants, you have to come in prepared, you have to know your mission, you have to know your community.”

Volunteering at the Gifford Shelter, and helping socialize fearful, shy and semi-feral cats launched Rachel into her role today as a certified cat behaviorist. She describes the cat behavior and retention program she founded at Gifford, and has shared with other organizations as well as the Humane Society of the United States. Her passion for helping those in need extends beyond cats to developing a program for shelters to bring developmentally challenged children in as volunteers, and advocacy for nursing homes to embrace allowing seniors the therapeutic benefit of owning cats.  Finally, she counsels Stacy on how to keep her cat Hooch from waking her up every night!

To find out more visit the Gifford Cat Shelter online and click here to check out the presentation Rachel mentions in the episode!

“There’s a lot of tools that we offer to make really understanding the data easier and start to identify where the need still exists.”

This episode is sponsored in part by Cats of the Wild Podcast, Doobert.com, and Maddie's Fund.

In this episode, Stacy chats with Stephanie Flier, Executive Director of Shelter Animals Count, an organization that maintains a centralized, standardized database for animal shelter statistics. The organization's database, established in 2012, tracks shelter intakes and outcomes, and in 2021, they started collecting community services data.

In her conversation with Stacy, Stephanie describes how Shelter Animals Count collects its data from the nearly 7,000 participating organizations across the country and then transforms it into interactive data dashboards. Stephanie provides some tips on how to navigate this data and highlights some of its features. She also discusses recent shelter trends, post-pandemic challenges, and more.

To learn more about Shelter Animals Count, visit their website.

"We want to be the example that proves you should never give up. No matter where you are, if you keep pushing, you can make change happen."

This episode is sponsored-in-part by Maddie’s Fund.

In this episode, host Stacy LeBaron welcomes Matt Tougas of the Sioux Empire TNR Coalition back for an exciting update on the fight for trap-neuter-return (TNR) in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Since his last appearance on the podcast, Matt and his coalition have made major strides—convincing city officials to support an ordinance that will formally allow and protect TNR efforts within the city.

Matt shares how persistence, education, and coalition-building helped turn skeptics into supporters, including local lawmakers and the Humane Society. He discusses the upcoming city council vote, the potential for a dedicated TNR veterinarian, and the challenges of implementing a sustainable community cat program. He also highlights how Sioux Falls’ success could inspire neighboring cities to adopt similar policies, ultimately leading to statewide progress for cat welfare.

If you’re looking for inspiration on how to advocate for TNR in your community, this episode is a must-listen.

Press Play Now For:

• How the Sioux Empire TNR Coalition won city council support for TNR
• The critical role of public education in changing attitudes toward community cats
• How TNR is helping the local Humane Society work toward no-kill status
• The importance of having a dedicated veterinarian for TNR programs
• What’s next for Sioux Falls and how the ordinance could influence other cities
• The value of coalition-building in advancing animal welfare initiatives
• Tips for overcoming opposition and pushing for legislative change

Resources & Links:

• Sioux Empire TNR – Learn more about Matt’s organization and how to get involved. (https://siouxempiretnr.org/)

Sponsor Links:

• Maddie's Fund (https://www.communitycatspodcast.com/maddies605)

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“I feel like so much of why cat’s get a bad rap is because they seem to be juxtaposed to dogs and dog behavior.”

Today we wanted to share an episode of Kindred, a podcast hosted by sisters Kate Coffin and Jenn Asplundh. It explores the intricate and interdependent relationship that humans have with animals and nature. Their episodes are always intriguing and we thought you'd enjoy their show as much as we do.

In this  episode, Kate and Jenn speak with Dr. Kristyn Vitale, whose work focuses on companion animal behavior, specifically cat social cognition, cat behavior, and human-cat interaction. Kristyn walks them through why cats can be misunderstood and how we can understand them better, and busting myths that have persisted for far too long. Turns out Spot and Fido aren't the only ones who can be taught how to sit, stay, and roll over!

We hope you enjoy their show and if you'd like to learn more, you can visit kindredpodcast.co and if you'd like to binge all their episodes you can find Kindred on Apple Podcasts and most other podcast platforms.

Resources for This Episode

• Dr. Kristyn Vitale, Instagram @maueyes
• https://maueyes.com/
• Netflix's Inside the Mind of a Cat
• Mentioned in the Intro: No, It's Not Actually a Murder of Crows by Nicolas Lund

Find out more info and message us at kindredpodcast.co and follow them at:

• Instagram - @thekindredpod 
• Twitter - @the_kindred_pod 
• Facebook - @thekindredpod 
• Support Kindred on Patreon - kindredpodcast

“I think it’s great to bring that lens of diversity and inclusion to anything you’re working on.”

This episode is sponsored in part by CARE, Doobert, and Maddie's Fund.

Stacy speaks with Emily Miethner, who is the co-founder of Travel Cat, which produces products used to travel safely with your cat, including backpacks and harnesses. The company, founded in 2017, has become a global 7-figure e-commerce brand with 60,000 customers in 75 countries.

In her conversation with Stacy, Emily shares information about Travel Cat’s founding, marketing, and grant program, Forever Home Heroes. As a serial entrepreneur, she has focused on community building, social media, and digital marketing.

Emily discusses what it means to be a strong digital marketer and stresses the importance of DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion). She reminds us that the “love of cats has no bounds” and emphasizes the importance of inclusion of people from all backgrounds that love cats.

To learn more about Travel Cat, visit their website or Instagram.

Listener Links

During her conversation with Stacy, Emily mentions the following organization: NYC Pet Nanny

If you enjoyed this episode, check out our interview with Jenny Hart, Travel Writer & Cat Mom in episode 318.

Interview! Part One, Monica Frenden, Cat Program Manager, Austin Pets Alive!

“We let the public decide what they want rather than assuming what they want.”

Interview! Brad Shear, CEO of the Mohawk Hudson Humane Society

“We are not here to be exterminators.”

Interview! Dr. Marty Becker, “America’s Veterinarian” and Founder of the Fear Free Initiative

"To finally realize we were causing psychological damage to animals…once you know it, you can’t not know it.”

Interview! Cameron Moore, Program Manager, Million Cat Challenge

“Hurricane Irma’s reach was intense for shelters across Florida, but it will only help us to plan for future incidents."

Cameron is a return guest (head to Episode 61 for information on how she got started in the business) that is here today to discuss the hurricane relief efforts in Florida.

Cameron worked with Maddie’s Shelter Medicine Program to do pre and post-storm assessments for a majority of the 155 shelters in Florida. Volunteers were responsible for contacting shelters before the storm to find out what may be needed, evacuation plans and how to distribute supplies.

This also parlayed into working with shelters to get pre-storm animals out to safety so the shelter would have room for post-storm animals that would need a place to go. When it came time to moving these animals before the hurricane hit, it proved challenging because carriers were in short supply, gas was drying up because of the mass exodus out of Florida and traffic was so horrible it took hours to travel anywhere. It was a real eye-opener on how to operate things in the future.

However, they were able to get 73 animals out of a shelter and into safety before the storm even touched the ground.

Cameron stresses the importance of having a plan in place before the storm. It’s key. She also stresses how important shelters are who aren’t in the eye of the storm, because they can be in a position to take animals that need to be relocated. The key is never to be in a position where shelters have to euthanize pre-storm animals in order to make room for post-storm animals.

Overall, things went well and it caused a funding collaborative to come together in order to work smarter together for future events. Thanks to Petco and other charities, there are plans to set up a centralized website with a grant application to help post-storm shelters.

Cameron also discusses how to potentially approach hurricane season differently in the future, and how she loved seeing the increase in people being able to take their pets with them who were evacuated to other areas. It only makes it easier on a family and a shelter.

Here’s the link to the transport best practices webinar series. aspcapro.org/webinar-series-companion-animal-transport-best-practices

“We’ve advanced so much in terms of understanding cat behavior but yet, we still have so far to go. We need more days like this.”

This episode is sponsored in part by Humane Network, Buzz to the Rescues, and Maddie's Fund.

In this episode, Stacy interviews her “Dream Team” of cat behavior experts, who are presenting at the 2022 Community Cats Podcast Online Behavior Day, which takes place on April 09, 2022. The panel features Pam Johnson-Bennett, certified cat behavior consultant and author; Dr. Rachel Geller, certified cat behavior and retention specialist, and executive director of the Cat Connection; Tabitha Kucera, CCBC, KPA-CTP, Fear-Free, and Low-Stress Handling certified registered veterinary technician; and Arden Moore, dog/cat behavior consultant, master pet first aid instructor, radio host, and author. The presenters give an overview of what they will present at Behavior Day, including cat behavior issues and concerns, vet visits and enrichment, litter box, and multi-cat household issues.

Listener Links:

Pam Johnson-Bennett

• www.catbehaviorassociates.com
• Facebook – www.facebook.com/Pam.JohnsonBennett
• Twitter - @ThinkLikeaCat
• Pam’s Books are available at numerous online retailers including Bookshop.com and Amazon.com (see Pam’s website for other online retailers)

Dr. Rachel Geller

• www.drrachelcatbehavior.com
• Facebook – www.facebook.com/rachel.geller
• Twitter - @DrRachelGeller
• Rachel’s book “Saving the World, One Cat at a Time: What I Know About Cats – And Why You Should Know It, Too” is available on Amazon.com

Arden Moore

• www.ardenmoore.com
• Facebook – www.facebook.com/ArdenMoore
• Instagram - @ardenknowspets
• Arden’s books are available on Amazon.com

Tabitha Kucera

• www.chirrupsandchatter.com
• You can learn more about Fear Free techniques and stress-free handling at www.fearfreepets.com

If you enjoyed this episode, you may also enjoy Stacy's earlier interview with feline behaviorist, Tabitha Kucera. | Episode 319.

In her 8^th grade research paper, Dr. Christine reported that up to twenty-two million cats were killed annually in shelters at the time. Almost thirty years after pursuing her DVM, those numbers have dropped to four million. Christine discusses the impact both mash-style and free-standing clinics have had on these statistics, as well as the challenges and triumphs she faced after launching the Feral Cat Spay and Neuter Project in Seattle in 1997. She and Stacy also discuss differing philosophies and approaches towards animal welfare and how education can convert donators from focusing on individual case causes to larger scale spay/neuter causes.

For further related resources, visit Operation Catnip at ocgainsville.org.

In this episode, Stacy speaks with Dr. Andrew Kaplan, the veterinarian behind New York City’s The Toby Project. Andrew has been an animal advocate since he was a child. Stacy & Andrew discuss Andrew’s journey to becoming a vet and how he came to learn about and become involved in pet overpopulation—including the touching story of Toby, the dog who put a face on the overpopulation issue for Andrew.

The Toby Project has a mobile spay/neuter clinic that splits its time between doing surgeries for low-income pet owners and for feral cats (through TNR-certified rescuers). Andrew would like to devote more of the clinic’s time to feral cats, as he feels like those are the animals who truly have no other option.

He and Stacy discuss the challenging aspects of running a mobile clinic, feedback from other veterinarians, and the struggle of expanding the model, as well as the other animal-related advocacy work Andrew does. “I’m into advocating for any animal in any circumstance,” he tells Stacy. “I happen to be medically trained for dogs and cats, but I’ll do what I can for anything.”

To learn more, visit the Toby Project website.

In this special episode, Pam Johnson-Bennett, Certified Cat Behavior Consultant and best-selling author, joins Stacy to discuss how Covid has changed cat behavioral concerns and her participation in the ARM & HAMMER™ Feline Generous program. This year, the program will host the ‘Unsung Heroes’ Awards which will recognize the most inspiring staff and volunteers at cat welfare organizations; those who have gone above and beyond to help “purrfectly impurrfect” shelter cats.

Pam discusses how winners will be chosen in a variety of categories and details how $30,000 will be awarded to the winning shelters, plus each unsung hero will receive an award and a year’s supply of ARM & HAMMER™ cat litter. This program holds a special place in Pam’s heart as they serve the same kinds of cats she meets in her practice and who, in a shelter environment, are often hard to adopt to forever homes. 

If you would like more information or would like to nominate an unsung hero, you may visit the Feline Generous website. To learn more about Pam Johnson-Bennett’s books and her practice, you may stop by her site at catbehaviorassociates.com.

Olivia Westley, a former teacher who discovered her true passion for helping cats when she started volunteering in a Forgotten Cats pet store adoption center, now serves as the group’s Development Director. Forgotten Cats is a nonprofit organization with the mission of preventing the birth and suffering of unwanted kittens by controlling the free-roaming cat pop through TNVR. They provide free or low-cost sterilization for pet and free-roaming cats in Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, and they have sterilized over 110,000 cats since they were founded in 2003.

The organization began as a “one-woman show,” with the founder, Felicia Cross, trapping and transporting feral cats herself, and holding them in her garage until surgery spaces were available. Felicia found that her biggest challenge was the availability of surgery slots, and so she decided to start her own group to tackle the problem. Today, Forgotten Cats has three clinic facilities (two in Pennsylvania, and a new one in Delaware), as well as eleven adoption centers inside pet stores through the Pennsylvania-Delaware-Maryland-New Jersey area. Their clinics have tons of space for holding traps pre- and post-surgery (up to 100 traps at a time!). This allows the organization to trap an entire colonies at once for TNR.

Forgotten Cats is funded by the fees from their adoptions and other services, as well as by grants from various private foundations. The group has over 700 volunteers, a number that Olivia attributes to their presence in such a wide geographical area, as well as to the visibility of their adoption centers in so many pet stores.

To learn more about Forgotten Cats and the work they do, visit forgottencats.org.

Interview! Part Two, Monica Frenden, Cat Program Manager, Austin Pets Alive!

“This is the safest large city in the country to be a cat.”

Interview! Britt Collins, Author and Journalist, "Strays: A Lost Cat, a Homeless Man, and Their Journey Across America"

“Being a writer can be a lonely, hard process at the best of times.”

Britt Collins is a writer, journalist, and animal activist, who has written investigative journalism on animal cruelty and has volunteered at animal rescues and sanctuaries around the world. Her most recent book, Strays: A Lost Cat, a Homeless Man, and Their Journey Across America, tells the true story of a lost cat and a homeless man who find each other in Portland, OR, and develop a life-saving friendship as they embark on an a cross-country journey together. Britt tells Stacy about the difficult process of writing and publishing Strays, as well as her current project of organizing Cat Fest London and what cat rescue organizations look like in the UK.

To learn more about Britt and her writing, please visit brittcollins.net. You can also find out more about Cat Fest London at catfestlondon.com.

“Really my big thing in TNR is education and awareness; I want as many people to know about TNR as possible so that they can help save the cats.”

This episode is sponsored in part by Humane Network, Doobert, and Maddie's Fund.

Stacy chats with Cameron Greig, the Community Cat Coordinator for the Humane Society of Huron Valley (HSHV) in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Cameron shares information about the specifics of HSHV’s Community Cat Program. To date, this program has served over 18,000 cats, averaging around 1,500 spay-neuter surgeries annually.

Cameron talks about how he got into this field and how he has approached handling his position. He shares some of the strategies that the program employs. He also details a recent collaboration with the University of Michigan School of Information, where students performed a deep dive into HSHV’s Community Cat Program to figure out ways it could improve its efficiency and systems.

Cameron discusses instances where he has had to deal with difficult property managers while TNRing and provides suggestions on how to appropriately handle these situations. He also provides a few tips for trapping.

Listener Notes

• To learn more about HSHV’s Community Cat Program, visit their website.
• You can also connect with the HSHV’s Community Cat Program through Facebook.

If you enjoyed this episode, check out our interview with Alice Burton, Program Manager, Animal Control and Shelter Liaison episode 36.

"If you’re struggling to catch the last cat in your colony, you just haven’t figured out the right approach yet. Every cat is catchable with the right technique."

This episode is sponsored-in-part by Maddie’s Fund.

From building Kuwait’s first progressive animal shelter to developing global disaster response programs, John Peaveler has seen it all. In this episode, John shares his journey from military veteran to animal welfare expert, discussing the challenges of handling feral dogs and cats, the necessity of effective population management, and the importance of humane animal capture techniques. Whether you're struggling with "trap-smart" cats or looking to develop large-scale TNVR programs, John’s expertise and field-tested insights offer invaluable guidance.

Press Play Now For:

• John’s unexpected entry into animal welfare through a dog rescue in Kuwait
• The challenges of catching feral dogs and cats in extreme environments
• Why TNVR is the most effective strategy for managing community cat populations
• The importance of conditioning and strategic trapping techniques
• Lessons learned from large-scale population management efforts
• The role of governments and organizations in tackling community animal welfare issues
• How high-volume, high-quality spay/neuter programs make a lasting impact

Resources & Links:

• Humane Innovations LLC (https://www.humaneinnovations.com/)
• Tomahawk Live Trap (https://livetrap.com/)
• Community Cat Podcast’s Community Cat Calculator (https://www.communitycatspodcast.com/community-cat-calculator/)

Sponsor Links:

• Maddie's Fund (https://www.communitycatspodcast.com/maddies608)

Follow & Review

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Interview! Kelley Bollen, Owner and Director of Animal Alliances Consulting Firm

Interview! Jim Tedford, President and CEO for the Society of Animal Welfare Administrators, SAWA

"Our role is to make connections between people who need relief versus the members we know who can provide relief."

Jim is a returning guest who has been actively engaged in the animal welfare movement for over 30 years. He was involved in the professional association of leaders in animal welfare and control, along with the National Council of Pet Population, a subsidiary of SAWA. More specifics of Jim’s work, check out Episode 199!

Today we discussed SAWA’s experience in assisting the recent hurricane victims across the country. Their main role is to mobilize a network of professionals. Currently, there are around 1,100 members around the U.S. SAWA works to bring them together to provide the help when and where it’s needed.

Work starts before a natural disaster hits, and remains long after for hurricane relief. Another big goal is to make sure people don’t get in the way of themselves and cause more harm than good. Many times organizations offer to help and show up before any requests have been made. This can cause people to get in the way of themselves and create more work than needed.

SAWA is currently working hard to make sure that Texas and Florida are able to provide the shelter space and resources for the animals that have been displaced and have needed rescuing. Jim also discusses how it’s been moving animals from Point A to Point B, as far as paperwork, immunizations, diseases, etc.

Overall, it’s important to note that when dealing with disasters, the real strength is in the network and that is exactly where SAWA shines.

For more information, head over to sawanetwork.org.

Lindsay Hamrick, Policy Director for Companion Animals at the Humane Society of the United States, works to support local, state and federal policies protecting pets. She holds an M.S. in Animals & Public Policy from Tufts University and was the New Hampshire state director for HSUS prior to her current role. She spent ten years as CEO at three different New Hampshire animal shelters and, like so many of our guests, knew from a very young age that she wanted to work with animals.

In her operational positions, Lindsay came to realize how much policy can affect the work of animal shelters—even though most shelter workers are so busy they often can’t pause to think about it until they have to. For Lindsay, one of those “have to” moments was in dealing with the New Hampshire state restriction on adopting out FIV and FeLV+ cats. She worked to change that rule, and she is now trying to take her “on-the-ground” experience in shelter operations and apply it on a national, policy level. Lindsay tells us that it’s important not only to make sure that there aren’t negative policies affecting the community cat population but that it’s also critical to be proactive and progressive about policy.

Lindsay and Stacy speak at length about the incredibly successful Spay-a-Thon for Puerto Rico program, as well as the current state of affairs for animals in Puerto Rico. They also touch on some “hot topics” in legislation affecting community cats around the country right now, including some good bills in the works in the Midwest.

To learn more about HSUS and their work with community cats, you can contact Lindsay directly via email or you can reach out to Danielle Bays, Director of Cat Protection and Policy at HSUS.

This week our show is a little different. In addition to hosting The Community Cats Podcast, Stacy LeBaron also appears on HubCats TV, a show on Chelsea Cable Access where she and her co-host discuss animal welfare topics with an aim to educate and raise awareness. Pet health, community cats and services available to pet owners and feral cat caretakers are often the focus.

This week we're bringing you audio from one of Stacy's favorite episodes featuring an interview with Dr. William Snell of Blue Pearl Pet Hospital in Charlestown, MA. On the show, Dr Snell shares what it is like working for an emergency clinic, some of the everyday stresses veterinarians experience, what an ER visit is like for a pet and their owner, and some information about the specialties Blue Pearl offers.

If you'd like to learn more about HubCats and check out HubCats TV visit their website, hubcatschelsea.com.

If you'd like more information about 24 Hour Specialty & Emergency Vet Hospital in Charlestown, MA, you can visit their website at bluepearlvet.com/charlestown-ma.

Interview! Dr. Linda Harper, Clinical Psychologist, Compassionate Heart Specialist and Author

“Feeling compassion fatigue isn’t really a matter of if, it’s a matter of when. We naturally put ourselves on the back burner over the animals we help."

Dr. Linda Harper is a lifelong animal lover advocate, Author and Clinical Psychologist in the Chicago area. She is passionate about helping people help animals. She works to ease the compassion fatigue that animal lovers face in the animal welfare world and facilities pet loss support groups, as well. She is also the author of 4 books, her latest being “The Power of Joy in Giving to Animals.” This book looks at the unique challenges people face who work with animals and contains many interviews with people involved with animals. She works to keep the joy within people who do this type of work, to make it as fulfilling as it was when they started!

When looking at burnout and compassion fatigue, there are many signs that can be present to watch for. It’s important to note that it’s not because a person is weak or has a personality deficiency, it’s simply because of the unique challenge we face in the animal world. Feeling tired, not wanting to get up in the morning, getting sick more often, and experiencing more negativity are just a few signs that someone may be experiencing compassion fatigue and burnout.

So what is the first step to improve our feelings of being overwhelmed? We want to be able to share how meaningful and joyful this work is, so we have to work on taking care of ourselves! But the main step? Find compassion for yourself! We all need to remember that we’re only human. How to find that compassion? Simple things by meditating for a few minutes every morning or turning off your phone after a certain time at night. Maybe going to bed earlier or finding an accountability partner will help. It is a matter of what YOU can commit to RIGHT NOW and you can do everyday. You know what you need, so only you can figure out what would be personally right for your lifestyle to find that compassion you need! Sometimes, the compassionate choice is simply saying no to adding on more to your plate.

We also need to watch for signs for the people we work with on a daily basis. If you’re noticing a volunteer burning out, maybe it’s a choice of not scheduling them for a bit to let them recharge? Many volunteers forget to take a “vacation” from their volunteer work. We need to remember that in order for compassion to flow naturally, it has got to come back to us!

Find out more at drlindaharper.com.

CAT is the largest feline-only shelter in the Pacific Northwest, and Karen outlines their focus on taking in cats from other shelters and rescue groups for necessary medical care and rehoming.  One secret to their success is that they are committed to “give each cat the housing and support and care they need to be successful in the shelter and then successful in their adoptive homes.”  The Portland area is a pretty great place to be a community cat, she observes, given shelters like CAT as well as the local Feral Cat Coalition, which has provided 80,000 (!) free and low cost surgeries for cats.  (Photo taken by Kathi Lamm of Lamm Photography).

To find out more visit Cat Adoption Team online.

Interview! Katie Lisnik, Director of Cat Policy and Protection, Humane Society of the United States

"TNR is not a cruel act; it is a humane population management tool, and it should be defined as such."

Interview! Sharon Secovich, Co-founder, Spay Maine

“What I’ve found is a lot of people will feed but they don’t have the knowledge or wherewithal or the means to trap. So the only way to get our feral cat population down is with trapping help.”

After her first career as an environmental geologist, Sharon pursued a public policy career that led to work as a legislative advocate and community cat program manager for the Animal Welfare Society shelter in West Kennebunk Maine. As a volunteer for the government-run spay/neuter program Help Fix Me, she speaks candidly with Stacy about the frustration she has experienced while defending funding through legislation and policy, particularly against pet food lobbyists. Sharon also discusses her work with The Cleo Fund, Maine’s very first spay/neuter program that offers free spay/neuter for feral cats and low cost health care for dogs and cats across the state.

For more information, email Sharon at sjsecovich@gmail.com or visit spaymaine.org and their Facebook page.

“If anything, we should be doing more to address the anxiety, fear, and stress [of community cats]”

This episode is sponsored in part by Doobert.com, and Maddie's Fund.

In this episode, Stacy follows up with Tabitha Kucera, a registered veterinary technician, certified cat behavior training consultant, and former guest of the show (CCP Episode 319).

Stacy and Tabitha discuss numerous cat health and behavioral issues. She provides tips on identifying whether a cat is in pain (which she created a handout for). Tabitha explains that a cat’s physical and mental health are often intertwined. She stresses the importance of minimizing anxiety and stress by employing Fear Free techniques, trap training, and cooperative care.

Additionally, Tabitha talks about her podcast Tails from a Vet Tech, where she highlights, educates, and advocates for veterinary, shelter, and behavior animal professionals. She also previews her upcoming presentation for Community Cats Podcast’s 2023 Online Behavior Day on April 8.

To learn more about Tabitha and her work, visit Chirrups and Chatter.

"They have cats for companionship to give them company because they’re so isolated. There are so many stigmas attached to people who are homeless.”

This episode is sponsored in part by Telecom Consultants, Buzz to the Rescues, and Maddie's Fund.

Stacy chats with Dr. Jon Geller, DVM, who worked as an emergency veterinarian for nearly 25 years. He is also the national founder and director of The Street Dog Coalition, which provides free veterinary care to pets of those experiencing homelessness. The Street Dog Coalition runs mobile veterinary clinics in over 50 cities across the U.S.

Dr. Geller talks about the services that The Street Dog Coalition provides to cats, as well as to their owners in their efforts to care for both ends of the leash. He also discusses the challenges that many of these individuals can face when seeking refuge in homeless and women’s shelters when accompanied by their pets.

To learn more about The Street Dog Coalition, visit their, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube channel, or website.

If you enjoyed this episode, you may also enjoy Stacy's earlier interview with Amanda Arrington, Director of Pets for Life Program at The Humane Society of the United States. | Episode 69.

Britney Fox Hover, the shelter director at the Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society (MRFRS) in Salisbury, Massachusetts, began at MRFRS as a volunteer in 2009. In addition to now running the group’s shelter and medical programs, Brit also oversees the adoption program, including a very successful Feline Leukemia (FeLV+) adoption program.

Brit and Stacy talk a bit about how Brit came to love cats and get involved at MRFRS, and about MRFRS’s history and programs and what makes the organization unique. As Brit puts it, MRFRS “took in animals that other shelters maybe just didn’t know a lot about or didn’t have resources to care for,” including FeLV+, chronically ill, and behaviorally challenges cats.

Brit and Stacy also discuss the MRFRS’s FARS program, a financial assistance program for lower-income owners of injured or ill pet cats, and how that program helps keeps cats in the loving homes they already have. “You see the stress and the heartbreak that goes along with surrendering a pet … for the people and for the animal,” Brit says. “Being able to prevent that and keep people and their animals together is really, really important.”

To learn more about the MRFRS and its programs, visit the MRFRS website, or email the organization’s general email address.

This episode is sponsored in part by Smalls Fresh Cat Food and Doobert.com.

Rick DuCharme has worked for many years as a no-kill advocate, working on the Mayor’s Task Force for Animal Control, founding First Coast No More Homeless Pets, and now founding RLD Consulting LLC, which works to help organizations working to save animals. Rick specializes in access to veterinary care, spay/neuter clinics, nonprofit startups, and more.

Stacy and Rick discuss his journey from the business space to the nonprofit world, trends in animal welfare as a result of COVID-19, the vet shortage and how to use vets more efficiently, as well as ahow to retain vets already working in nonprofit, working together with groups across the welfare space, and advice for nonprofits starting up. They also chat about Rick’s work with Dr. Micheal Blackwell from the University of Tennessee and what they’re doing to help provide access to veterinary care to low income pet owners.

To learn more about RLD Consulting LLC, visit their website or contact Rick directly by email. Rick has been on the show before, listen to Episode 46 here.

“Without dreaming big and showing people what we think is needed, we’ll never get that dial changed and we need that to change mightily.”

This episode is sponsored in part by Maddie’s Fund, The Community Cat Clinic, and Tomahawk Traps.

Join us for an enlightening conversation with Dawn Benefiel, founder of Indy Neighborhood Cats, as she shares her journey from encountering stray kittens to orchestrating an essential shift in community cat management. This episode delves into how Dawn's initial act of kindness led to the creation of a strategic plan aimed at remodeling animal welfare in Indianapolis. Through her story, we explore the challenges and breakthroughs in shaping a city-wide approach that not only addresses immediate needs but also sets a sustainable path forward for cat welfare.

Discover how Indy Neighborhood Cats, under Dawn’s leadership, has developed advanced programs to comply with local ordinances while significantly improving the lives of thousands of cats through trapping, neutering, and vaccinating. The conversation also highlights the organization’s strategic responses to the pandemic’s impact on animal welfare, showcasing how thoughtful planning and community engagement can lead to impactful results.

In this episode, you will hear:

• Reimagining animal welfare through community-centric programs
• Pandemic impact on animal services
• Effective community outreach
• Strategic planning for increased capacity

Resources from this episode:

• Indy Neighborhood Cats Website - https://www.indyneighborhoodcats.org/
• Indy Neighborhood Cats Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/indyneighborhoodcats

Follow & Review:

We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.

Bruce Myers, Executive Director, United Spay Alliance

“The law tends to be way behind the needs on the ground… We’ve got to let the law catch up.” 

“It starts off as you're their feeder but overtime they form a special relationship with you...”

This episode is sponsored in part by Kensington Books, Doobert, and Maddie's Fund.

This is a special audio presentation of our free webinar Colony Caretaking Tips and Tricks presented by Neighborhood Cats. Join Bryan Kortis for part one of this unique webinar and find out how to keep your colony cats healthy with good nutrition and hydration, establish feeding patterns, keep water from freezing or evaporating, and how to keep slugs, ants and more out of your kitties' food. All that plus many more colony caretaking challenges will be addressed by the experts from Neighborhood Cats with their 20 years of experience dealing with all things community cat.

If you would like to watch the video version of this webinar or download the handouts and slides referred to in the  podcast, just visit our Colony Cat Care Training and Education page and scroll down to the bottom for media and downloads for all our free webinars.

Peter Wolf, previously featured on CCP Episode 74, joins Stacy again, this time to discuss a newly released research paper that he and Dan Spehar (CCP Episode 240) have co-authored. The paper, titled “Integrated Return-To-Field and Targeted Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return Programs Result in Reductions of Feline Intake and Euthanasia at Six Municipal Animal Shelters,” has been published inFrontiers in Veterinary Science, an online, peer-reviewed journal.

For this paper, Peter and Dan pulled a very large set of data (around 73,000 cats) from six of Best Friends’ Community Cat Programs. These programs are staffed by Best Friends and the locations are selected through a highly competitive application process. They all integrate Return-to-Field (RTF) with targeted TNR programs, a combination that Peter feels is vital to success.

Across the board over these programs during the research period, Peter and Dan found a median decrease in feline euthanasia of 83%, a median decrease in feline intake of 32%, and a median reduction in intake of kittens ages eight weeks or under of 41%. All of this data, Peter says, adds to the body of information telling us that community cat programs offer a real benefit to shelters, the community and the cats.

To learn more about Best Friends, their work with community cats, and their upcoming conference, visit their website. You can also contact Peter directly with questions, or read his and Dan Spehar’s full paper here.

Stacy talks with veteran trapper Laura Burns about her experiences, advice and resources for those seeking to make a difference for cats.  Laura discusses the use of box traps versus drop traps, her approach to feral kittens and relocating colonies, and her “Hail Mary Pass” trap bait.  She underscores the importance of training motivated individuals how to successfully trap cats, as opposed to relying on others, and the importance of having caretakers invested in taking care of their colonies:  "as soon as you turn your back, the clock is ticking and other cat is going to show up."

To find out more visit the Habitat for Cats online.

John’s background in wildlife management and a biology degree from George Washington University led him to become an animal control officer in 1994. Since then, he has served as the director of the National Animal Control Association and,since 2003, the City Animal Care and Services Program in San Jose, CA. John discusses the rewarding effects of switching to a TNR focus after the shelter intake’s substantial increase after the 2008 recession. The use of data (including specific euthanasia rates and intake numbers) to compare catch and kill programs with TNR programs is an important component in Jon’s success in convincing other communities to jump on the TNR bandwagon.

For more information, visit sanjoseanimals.com or email Jon at jon.cicirelli@sanjose.gov.

In this episode, Karen describes how she went about determining what type of efforts and program might best solve the community cat problem in Louisville.  She’s a big believer in planning and patience; when founding Alley Cat Advocates, she spent a whole year developing organizational infrastructure so that its future activities would have a sound base to build on. She also talks about coalition building with both public and non-profit animal control and rescues, volunteer engagement, and the importance of partnering not only with community cat caretakers, but respecting and assisting those who prefer to have cats out of their yards and neighborhoods.  “We must have a culture of caring,” she notes.

To find out more visit the Alley Cat Advocates online.

In this episode, Stacy speaks with Hasara Lay, founder of Catexplorer, a community, movement, and lifestyle brand for people who explore the world with their cats. Hasara, who is located in Australia, began exploring with her cat as a child and never stopped. When she and her husband adopted two rescue cats, she started Catexplorer as a repository for information on training cats to be explorers, but it has since expanded into more of an online community for those who like to explore with their cats. Hasara also hosts the Catexplorer podcasts, where she interviews Catexplorers about their adventures and cat experts for pro advice.

A Catexplorer, as Hasara explains it, is “either the human or the feline that are exploring together.” She talks with Stacy about determining whether your cat is a good candidate for being a Catexplorer and some basic steps to work on to get your cat comfortable exploring. Hasara discusses harnesses and cat backpacks, as well as the selection process for the items Catexplorer sells in their online store. She also shares details about the Catexplorer page created especially for CCP listeners.

To learn more, including how you can access the Catexplorer podcast, visit the Catexplorer webpage, or check them out on Instagram.

Interview! Niki Cochran, Program Manager at Alley Cat Rescue

“Just because you’re getting the [positive] combo test … that doesn’t mean ‘death sentence’. That means ‘OK, now I have to go and educate myself about what that combo test result is.’ ”

Niki Cochran, Program Manager at Alley Cat Rescue in Washington, DC, has been a cat lover her whole life. Her career in animal welfare began when she took a job as an animal control officer, and included time spent at a large, open-intake shelter. At that shelter, she worked with a team of progressive veterinarians who challenged long-held beliefs about Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) and Feline Leukemia (FeLV) — including the belief that cats who test positive for these diseases should not live with other cats.

In this episode, Niki and Stacy debunk several commonly held myths about FeLV in particular, including the idea that FeLV is extremely contagious, and that cats and kittens with it always live shortened lifespans. They also talk about the idea that FeLV and FIV+ cats can in fact co-exist with negative cats in home (and colony) environments. Niki herself has a cat with FeLV who is healthy, happy, and living safely with non-FeLV cats. Those cats are properly vaccinated and combo tested regularly, and have always remained negative.

Niki feels that changing attitudes about FIV and FeLV is all about education. She encourages people to educate themselves and others about the diseases, and to refrain from thinking that a positive test result is necessarily a death sentence. She and Stacy discuss why community cat colonies should not be combo tested, and they encourage all of our listeners involved in rescue and adoption to give the next FeLV+ cat they come across a chance!

To learn more, visit Alley Cat Rescue’s website at saveacat.org or email Niki at acr@saveacat.org.

This episode is sponsored in part by Smalls Fresh Cat Food and Doobert.com.

This week’s guest is Andee Bingham, founder of Esther Neonatal Kitten Alliance in North Carolina. Andee noticed a need for a more specialized organization that could focus on neonates and support shelters that weren’t equipped to care for them. Then she realized she was someone who could start that organization and Esther Neonatal Kitten Alliance was born. Her program has a team of highly trained fosters and they work to support shelters by filling the gaps shelters have in neonatal kitten care, as well as helping shelters to build up their own program and foster network.

Andee and Stacy chat about different kinds of fosters and how people find the kinds of kittens they’re passionate about, what to do if you find a kitten outdoors, and Andee gives out some advice for those starting and running nonprofit organizations.

You can find Esther Neonatal Kitten Alliance on their website, and on Facebook and Instagram.

Interview! Hannah Shaw, “The Kitten Lady”

“I live and breathe cat advocacy…that’s what I do.”

Little did Hannah Shaw know that the day that she borrowed some shoes to climb a tree and save an orphaned kitten, she would be starting a career that would inform and engage cat lovers around the world. An expert in saving and raising kittens, Hannah teaches workshops, develops programs, and shares compelling (and adorable!) content through her significant social media and web presence.  In this two part episode, Hannah and Stacy discuss the link between abandoned kittens and the need for spay/neuter for Community cats, how to tell stories that will inspire others to take action, and the difficult and challenging side of caring for the most vulnerable of felines.  As she puts it, “there are so many lives out there that need us."

For more information please visit kittenlady.org.

“We have to honor the cat’s wishes…we have to honor the community cat who wants to be outside and have a safe, happy life there.”

This episode is sponsored in part by Doobert.com, and Maddie's Fund.

In this episode, Stacy chats with KJ McGill, Kitty Correspondent for the nationally syndicated show, Pet Pals TV, and author of the book, Raised by Cats: Behind the Mic and the Meows.

Stacy and KJ talk about her work with cat-focused groups in Indianapolis, and how she has used her platform as a radio personality to promote positive stories about cats, and the people and organizations helping them. KJ talks about the importance of community education, and the positive impact of collaboration and support between TNR organizations, cat rescues, and animal services in Indianapolis.

KJ talks about her book and her hope that sharing her own story with cats will help others have a better story with their own cats. Stacy and KJ talk about compassion fatigue and burnout, and KJ’s belief that at the end of the day, we’re all working toward the same goal.

To learn more about KJ and her work, visit her website at www.kjtodayshow.com or join her Facebook group, KJ’s Cat Club.

During her interview, KJ refers to these organizations:

• Indy Neighborhood Cats
• Grateful Rescue & Sanctuary
• Pet Friendly Services of Indiana

Stacy chats with Mary Chromek, who has been fostering neonatal (bottle baby) kittens for over 10 years now. A cat person since she was a child, Mary found that cats really helped with her depression and anxiety, and as she got older, she decided to give back by fostering for local organizations. She soon realized there was a real need for bottle baby fosters, and learned everything she could about this specialized area of foster care.

Mary and Stacy discuss some specifics around bottle baby care, including Mary’s preferred supplies, and some information on treating fleas on neonates. Mary also offers some great tips on how to determine if kittens found alone outdoors really need help.

One thing Mary has come to believe over her years of fostering is that if more organizations were able to support their foster homes more fully—with all the training and supplies they need—more people would be willing to help, and this, in turn, would save more feline lives. With this in mind, Mary is in the process of starting up her own nonprofit, Foster Purrs, that will specialize in neonates. “I just want to save lives and fully support the fosters so more people are willing,” she tells Stacy.

To learn more about Mary’s work, you can find Foster Purrs (and their Amazon wishlist) on Facebook and Instagram.

Interview! Suzanne Kogut, Executive Director of the Petco Foundation

“Everyone wants the same thing, to do right by the cats. There’s just a disagreement often about how we get there. But I thought we could all work together to get there.”

"We know how much the messages and stories we hear impact what we believe to be true. If we change our messaging, we can create real change for animals and communities."

This episode is sponsored-in-part by Maddie’s Fund.

How can storytelling and messaging shape the future of animal welfare? In this episode of the Community Cats Podcast, host Stacy LeBaron sits down with Hanna Lentz, executive director of SPARC (Supporting People and Animal Relationships for Change). With two decades in animal welfare, Hanna shares how SPARC is reshaping narratives to improve collaboration, reduce divisiveness, and create meaningful change for animals and people.

From hands-on shelter work to strategic messaging, Hanna discusses her journey and words' powerful role in shaping perceptions, policies, and practices in animal welfare. Whether you're involved in TNR, rescue, or advocacy, this episode will challenge you to rethink how we talk about the work we do—and why it matters.

Press Play Now For:

• The role of messaging in shaping animal welfare strategies
• How community members can support pet owners in crisis
• The power of empathic listening in advocacy and rescue work
• Breaking down divisive issues like "No-Kill" and community cat management
• How SPARC is helping organizations refine their language for maximum impact
• Why collaboration between social services and animal welfare is crucial

Resources & Links:

• Learn more about SPARC (http://www.sparcinsight.org)

Sponsor Links:

• Maddie's Fund (https://www.communitycatspodcast.com/maddies604)

Follow & Review

We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts(https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-community-cats-podcast/id1125752101?mt=2). Select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.

This episode is sponsored in part by Kitty Sift and Doobert.com.

Deborah Cribbs, a banker by trade, is the chair of the board of trustees for Joanie Bernard Foundation and the Ten movement, which works in the greater Cincinnati area to help achieve a no-kill community for cats. The foundation’s ad campaigns featuring Scooter the Neutered Cat have helped increase awareness and engagement in the community about spay and neuter and community cats. The work of the foundation has helped improve the live release rate in Cincinnati shelters from just 37% to over 96%.

Deborah and Stacy talk about how Deborah came to the animal welfare industry through the mission to spend the foundation’s money wisely. They discuss how to target impactful spending that drives change in the community, and how to engage the public, giving them ownership of the problems in the community. Deborah shares how with a focus on spay/neuter and community cats, their ad campaigns have been able to drive community members to action.

For more information on the Joanie Bernard Foundation, visit their website, and for information on the Mild Kingdom campaign and for resources on tnr, go to the Ten movement’s website.

“Keep following your dreams. Keep following your heart. Keep going to where you’re led to go because it’s a life worth living when you’re following your heart.”

This episode is sponsored in part by Dr. Pussum's Cat Nip, Doobert, and Maddie's Fund.

After dropping out of film school and being kicked out of his aunt’s house, Caleb Curtis found himself without a home. Rather than staying at a homeless shelter, he opted to get a bicycle and learn how to tour. Along the way, he found two-month-old Marilyn Monroad, and over the next 8 years, the pair would cycle over 12,000 miles across 32 states

In his conversation with Stacy, Caleb talks about how he got into touring and sheds some light on what life is like on the road for Marilyn. He discusses some of the lessons that he learned during his first year of running Calico Cats and touches on some of his long-term goals for the brand.

Caleb also provides insight on how he funds these trips, along with the type of content that he produces. One of his projects includes a book about these trips, which is written from Marilyn’s perspective.

Caleb and Marilyn’s journey serves to remind us all that our companions along the ride can be just as important as our destination. Caleb strongly believes that what matters most to Marilyn is that they’re together.

To learn more about Caleb and Marilyn, visit their website.

Listener Note

During his interview, Caleb mentions 1bike1world.

If you enjoyed this episode, check out our interview with Michele Tilford, an experienced cat-assisted therapy handler, in episode 249.

In this episode, Stacy chats with Steven Morelli, CEO and founder of Waggle, a new—and very different—crowdfunding platform to help pet owners and shelters/rescues raise money for animals in need of urgent veterinary care.

Steven, who has a background in finance and data analytics, found himself increasingly angry over the way various crowdfunding platforms operate. Frustrated, he decided to start Waggle to connect people who find themselves considering surrendering or euthanizing their beloved pets because they can’t afford needed veterinary care with people who want to help.

Waggle differs from other platforms in that rather than funds going to the person or group raising money, they go directly to veterinarians. Waggle has a network of participating veterinarians, but they will send funds to any veterinarian an individual or group is working with.

Stacy and Steven go on to discuss matching funds and how vet clinics and shelters/rescues can establish their own funds, as well as how fees and tax deductibility work (hint: there are other areas where Waggle differs from other platforms!). Steven also tells Stacy how Waggle makes sure to send updates back to donors, to be sure that people truly feel like their money is going where they intended it to go.

To learn more, visit the Waggle website.

Colleen Bray, Director of the Boone County Kentucky Animal Shelter, has seen a lot of change with regards to cats in her time in animal welfare. She has worked in many roles in the field, and she joins Stacy to share not only her own shelter’s success stories but also the cumulative success of the northern Kentucky region.

In 2011, Boone County Animal Shelter had a cat live release rate of 26.5%. In the fall of 2012, they began an animal control-administered TNR program, and by 2013, their cat live release rate had gone up to 46%. By 2015, they were TNRing every cat colony they could find, and in 2018, they achieved an incredible 94% live release rate for the 1,135 cats they took in that year.

To learn more about Boone County Animal Shelter, you can visit their website (which is under construction at the time of this podcast), or you can email Colleen directly. Colleen also recommends visiting the Kentucky Animal Care and Control Association’s website to learn more about that organization and the training opportunities it offers Kentucky groups.

"Collaboration between animal welfare groups and local governments is the key to creating sustainable, humane community cat programs that work for everyone.”

This episode is sponsored in part by Maddie’s Fund, The Keeping People and Pets Together Pet Food Pantry, and Tomahawk Traps.

In the second half of this enlightening two-part webinar series, Stacy LeBaron is once again joined by TNR experts Susie Richmond and Bryan Kortis from Neighborhood Cats. In this episode, Brian details the complexities of maintaining and expanding a targeted TNR program once it’s off the ground.

Brian shares his and Susie’s experiences with overcoming common obstacles, such as community resistance, resource limitations, and the difficulties of keeping momentum going after the initial campaign. You will hear the importance of setting realistic goals and timelines and gain practical advice on how to sustain your efforts over the long term.

This episode is packed with actionable insights and proven strategies to help you navigate the challenges that come with targeted TNR. Whether you’re dealing with limited resources or struggling to keep your program on track, this conversation will provide the tools and inspiration you need to succeed.

To learn more about Neighborhood Cats, please visit their website.

Also, be sure to visit our YouTube channel to check out all of our videos, episodes, and presentations. To download handouts mentioned in the show, you can visit our Community Cat Care Training and Education page to find them, along with many other TNR and community cat care educational opportunities.

Follow & Review:

We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.

Myles Chadwick, Vice President of the New School at Emancipet

“In order to reach people who haven’t been [reached] before, we have to do a lot of listening, not just a lot of telling.”

To find out more visit Lowell TNR Collation online.

This episode is sponsored in part by Humane Network and Doobert.com.

As Kristen Bell is to sloths, so Jon Dunn is to cats. Senior Specialist of Communications and Host of the Best Friends Podcast by Best Friends Animal Society, Jon just really loves cats. He joins Stacy for his first-ever podcast sitting in the guest chair and answers questions instead of asking them.

Jon and Stacy talk about TNR and how the mindsets around community cats have evolved. They touch on reunification challenges faced by cats and current conversations about how and who is able to adopt.

Jon offers some insight into what it takes to have a successful podcast and how BFAS, as an organization, embraced podcasting as a timely communication vehicle to launch its first episode in April of 2020.

Listen and subscribe to Best Friends Podcast. You can also follow Best Friends Animal Society on Facebook, Instagramand YouTube.

Quick Notes:

• Jon mentioned VeganGR.com, his Grand Rapids, Michigan guide to vegan life.

Michael tells Stacy about all things animal welfare in Arizona, from a ten-month kitten season to roaming packs of chihuahuas. In addition, he emphasizes the importance of working with other animal welfare groups and discusses other strategies for handling an influx of kittens, including promotions and foster networks.

To find out more visit Arizona Animal Welfare League & SPCA online.

Dr. Nels Rasmussen, Animal Chiropractor and Spiritual Animal Healer

“Everyone else is saying ‘There’s just no hope anymore,’ and I’m here to say there is.” 

“We really need to explore the unique needs and challenges that exist in the different parts of the state . . . so that when potential remedies are offered or additional resources are created, they can be targeted.”

This episode is sponsored in part by The Urban Cat League, Doobert.com, and Maddie's Fund.

On this episode, Stacy is joined by Dan Spehar, co-founder of the Together Initiative for Ohio’s Community Cats and a former guest of the show (CCP Episode 240). Dan is also an independent researcher who focuses on community cat management and has co-authored numerous published peer-reviewed articles on the subject.

In his conversation with Stacy, Dan summarizes some of his findings from his recent report, “Identifying Ohio’s Community Cat Resources: A State of the State Report, 2023”. This report, which resulted from research funded by Ohio Animal Advocates, provides a directory of community cat spay-neuter and TNR services by county and a comprehensive assessment of the current community cat resource landscape in Ohio.

Dan also discusses a prior report examining the efficacy of a TNR program in Newburyport, Massachusetts. Additionally, he and Stacy discuss the veterinary shortage issue, and Dan describes some of Ohio’s recent legislative efforts in addressing these issues.

To learn more about Dan’s work, visit the Together Initiative’s website.

You can also reach out to Dan directly by email at communitycatsohio@gmail.com.

Always a lover of animals, a young Bryn Rogers thought she would take the obvious career path of veterinarian—until she shadowed at a vet office and found herself unable to stomach the reality of surgery. She didn’t let her squeamishness stop her from helping animals, however, and found meaningful work in shelters. She is now the program manager at the MSPCA adoption center in Boston, Massachusetts, overseeing the shelter’s adoption and spay-neuter events, as well as volunteer and foster care programs. Learning from her volunteers, coworkers, and the communities of other shelters is a reoccurring theme in her work, combining the knowledge and experience of the people in these spheres to more effectively achieve common goals. In conversation with Stacy, Bryn provides insightful tips for how shelters can provide high amounts of spay-neuter procedures at low cost, exposing shier cats to the public for adoption, and growing a foster care program and training volunteers—and utilizing the more seasoned among them to help new recruits and build a stronger community.

To learn more visit the MSPCA online.

Marlan leads a “boots on the ground” initiative to go into Kansas City's underserved communities to provide education, wellness and other resources to keep families and pets together. These efforts include a pet food pantry that distributes more than 40,000 pounds of dog and cat food a year, a MASH-style high volume spay/neuter clinic that aims to treat 10,000 pets a year, and other ways to “make cats better neighbors for us.” He is a big believer in making sure 100% of every feral colony is fixed and describes the feeling of getting that last cat trapped: “you feel like a superhero!” 

To find out more visit the Spay and Neuter Kansas City online.

Have you ever wondered about the heroes behind the scenes, tirelessly working to ensure a better future for our feline companions? In a heartening discussion with Tiffany Ditto from the Texas Coalition for Animal Protection, we journey into the frontlines of animal advocacy. 

We reveal the transformative impact TCAP's low-cost veterinary services, including an astounding number of spay-neuter procedures, have on the lives of cats – both pet and feral – across Texas. Tiffany shares her passionate insights on TCAP's endorsement of Trap-Neuter-Return and Return to Field practices, vital vaccination programs, and the support systems in place for those caring for cat colonies. 

Navigating the complexities of animal overpopulation requires innovation, collaboration, and education. This episode peels back the curtain on the cutting-edge veterinary surgery externship program TCAP has instituted, fostering a new generation of vets ready to tackle shelter medicine with zeal and expertise. 

In this episode, you will hear:

• Combating the veterinarian shortage and enhancing animal welfare
• The critical role of wellness vaccination clinics in preventing pet surrenders
• Ending euthanasia through animal sterilization
• Trapping and fundraising for feral cats
• Improving cat life in Texas
• Borrowing cats to control cat overpopulation
• Age considerations for spaying and neutering

Resources for this episode:

• Texas Coalition for Animal Protection Website - https://texasforthem.org
• Texas Coalition for Animal Protection Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TCforAP/
• Texas Coalition for Animal Protection Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/tcapspayneuter/?hl=en
• Texas Coalition for Animal Protection YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@TCforAP

This episode is sponsored in part by: 

• Maddie’s Fund (https://www.communitycatspodcast.com/maddies547)
• Tomahawk Live Trap (https://www.communitycatspodcast.com/tomahawk)
• United Spay Alliance (https://www.unitedspayalliance.org)

Follow and Review:

We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.

Episode Credits

If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you.

Interview! Richard Angelo, Legislative Attorney for Best Friends Animal Society

“Getting those community cat programs started, where cats are not even entering the shelter… it’s so key in saving lives.”

Richard Angelo, a legislative attorney for Best Friends Animal Society, is a long-time animal welfare advocate who fell into animal law when he ran across the story of a pit bull in need of help. He simply couldn’t walk away, and with that case, his move into companion animal law began. For years, Richard had a private legal practice dealing with companion animal issues, and towards the end of that part of his career, he began to get more and more involved with community cat caretakers and the issues they were facing with ordinances that prevented or curtailed TNR efforts.

It was around that time that Richard saw an ad for a legal position at Best Friends. He got the job, and he’s been going strong ever since, working on a huge variety of animal-related issues around the country, including legislation around community cats. Richard is very proud of the work Best Friends does to make rapid, lasting changes in the cat live release rate in shelters around the country through community cat programs.

As a member of the American Bar Association (ABA), and vice-chair of its Animal Law Committee, Richard helped convince the ABA to pass a resolution in support of TNR in 2015, making them one of the first non-animal organizations to do so.

Richard advises folks who are having a hard time getting TNR programs going due to legislation in their area to open upon a dialogue with their local shelter and community leaders — and to arm themselves with good data and success stories. He and Stacy both encourage listeners in these situations not to give up. Stacy urges us not to walk away from the cats, as there is always a way to get them the help they need, even if there are ordinances in place that make it more difficult.

To learn more about Best Friends Animal Society, visit bestfriends.org. You can also sign up for legislative alerts specific to your area at bestfriends.org/action, or you can email Richard Angelo directly at richarda@bestfriends.org. To learn more about the American Bar Association’s Animal Law Committee, visit apps.americanbar.org, and you can see their TNR resolution by clicking here.

In this episode, Dean Killingbeck of Pets Strong CBD joins Stacy to discuss CBD and Pet Strong’s products. Born and raised on a farm, Dean developed a deep appreciation of nature and herbal medicine, and when his senior dog began to develop mobility issues, Dean decided to try CBD. The results were positive, but Dean was dismayed by the quality of products available for pets, and by the misinformation, he found online. So he decided to start his own company and write a book to help educate pet owners about how CBD can help pets.

Dean explains to Stacy what CBD is, how the products you see on the market may differ from each other, and why some are better than others. Dean and Stacy talk about the issues that CBD tends to be the most helpful with, including pain/mobility issues, anxiety, skin and coat issues, and loss of appetite. Dean tells Stacy what you should look for in a CBD product, and they discuss some tips and tricks on how to give CBD to cats—plus Dean offers CCP listeners a discount code on their first Pets Strong order (and an ongoing discount for nonprofit customers).

To learn more, or purchase Pets Strong CBD products or Dean’s book, CBD for Pets: A Guide to Pet Wellness with CBD, visit the Pets Strong website.

It's an Ask Stacy episode!

“You could feel the energy busting through the wires”

Stacy reflects what all that she’s learned since launching the Community Cats Podcast, having completed more than 100 episodes speaking with experts all over the US and beyond. She recommends a number of her favorite interviews, with individuals like Emma Clifford, Hannah Shaw (the “Kitten Lady”), Dr. Kate Hurley and Dr. Christine Wilford — all of whom have different areas of expertise, but embody enthusiasm and energy in their work to improve the lives of cats.  Additionally, she talks about the topic of how cats control rat populations (it’s not quite how you think!) and gives recommendations for making winter in the northern climates more comfortable and healthy for community cats.

Interview! Jennifer Blough, Psychotherapist in Compassion Fatigue and Author

With experiences ranging from animal care attendant to animal control officer, Jennifer choose to passionately pursue the subject of compassion fatigue as a psychotherapist after struggling with it herself over the years. She focuses on how compassion fatigue effects those specifically in animal welfare, and has written To Save a Starfish: A Compassion Fatigue Workbook for the Animal Welfare Warrior. She discusses with Stacy the variety of symptoms as well as tools to manage it, find balance, and recognize the importance of refueling.

For more information visit deepwatermichigan.com.

Brace your whiskers for a deep dive into the heartwarming world of community cat care as we reveal secrets to crafting the perfect winter shelters and share non-invasive tricks for keeping our feline friends safe and neighbors happy. Our guide through this chilly chapter is Bryan Kortis, National Programs Director at Neighborhood Cats. His expertise is just what we need to navigate the wintry challenges that face community cats. 

Bryan brings a wealth of knowledge and practical advice on constructing winter shelters that not only provide warmth but also blend seamlessly into urban landscapes. Whether it’s crafting shelters from scratch or adapting readily available materials, his insights are invaluable. And it's not just about the physical structures – Bryan delves into the nitty-gritty of keeping peace with neighbors, non-invasive cat deterrents, and ensuring the overall health and well-being of the cats we cherish. 

From vitamin C supplements to cranberry extracts for urinary health, we cover all the essentials and even sprinkle in some wisdom on leveraging the community for support. Storms may howl and snow may fall, but with this episode's guidance, you'll have the tools to shield your community cats from nature's challenges. Discover the significance of proper shelter placement and the art of prepping a storm-ready haven to keep their tails wagging while giving you peace of mind.

In this episode, you will hear:

• Tips for winter shelter building and cat management

• Using Mylar blankets for cold climates

• Cat-proofing garden and car

• Nature's remedies for cat health

• Community cat care and support

• Funding and food for animal colonies

Resources from this Episode

Neighborhood Cats Website - https://www.neighborhoodcats.org

Neighborhood Cats Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/neighborhoodcats/

Neighborhood Cats Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/nbrhoodcats/

The Everything TNR Playlist - https://communitycatspodcast.com/everythingtnr

Visit TNR Workshops and Community Cat Care Training for more webinars like this - https://www.communitycatspodcast.com/community-cat-care-training-education/ 

This episode is sponsored in part by Maddie’s Fund (https://www.communitycatspodcast.com/maddies556) and Tomahawk Live Trap. (https://www.communitycatspodcast.com/tomahawk).

Follow and Review:

We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.

Episode Credits

If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com. Let them know we sent you.

Dave Hanley, developer of the Tomorrow app, is an entrepreneur who is also a pet (and human) parent. Tomorrow is designed to help anyone set up a legal will quickly and easily—and even appoint guardians for their pets and/or children. The app is free, with no strings attached. (It is funded by the optional sale of life insurance products.)

Dave’s own love for cats began as a child when his parents gave his older sister a kitten one Christmas. Since then, Dave has always felt a connection to cats and currently shares his home with two twin sister cats. He was inspired to create Tomorrow after learning that 50 million children are not protected by legal guardianships providing for their care. Dave’s experiences in wading through his own parents’ outdated estate plans and documents after their deaths provided additional motivation to develop the app, which he hopes will encourage everyone to protect themselves and their families with these important documents.

One experience that really stuck with Dave after his mother’s death was the challenge of finding a new home for her cat. The process took him and his siblings quite a while, and the whole time, he felt certain that someone in his mother’s retirement community would have taken the cat in—but neither he nor his siblings had any idea who might have been willing, because they had never had that conversation with their mother, nor had his mother ever noted the information anywhere. The Tomorrow app would have solved all that, had it been available, as it not only allows you to set up guardians for your pets, it also allows you to enter important information about them and their health, diet, etc.

Dave encourages everyone to have conversations about what will happen to your pets, children, and assets after your death. “It’s not dark,” he tells Stacy; “it’s just having a plan.”

You can learn more on the Tomorrow website , or you can download Tomorrow through an app store—it’s available for both Apple and Android phones.

Laura Moss, Founder, and Jamie Brooks, Communications, AdventureCats.org

“We [are] trying to… rebrand not just what it means to be a cat lady… [but also] what a cat is.”

Interview! Sherri Gustafson, Spay/Neuter Community Liaison for the Massachusetts Animal Fund

Sherri serves as the Spay/Neuter Community Liaison for the Massachusetts Animal Fund, which provides a voucher program for low income pet owners. This program focuses on three main priorities: S/N support for municipal shelters, providing vouchers for low income pet owners, and providing TNR opportunities for community cats. She and Stacy also discuss Animal Control Officer training, rabies control within feral colonies, and emergency funding for issues such as animal hoarding.

Nancy, who has been involved in the start-up of community cat TNR programs in Florida and now in Delaware, identifies several of the critical factors for building a successful effort:  educating and developing working partnerships with community entities, concentrating on cats in a small area first, and keeping detailed records of the number of cats affected. “Numbers, numbers, numbers…getting grants is all about the numbers.” She also shares her experience mentoring different size groups seeking to build their TNR capabilities, and the different challenges they face.

To find out more visit the Brandywine SPCA online.

This episode is sponsored in part by Smalls Fresh Cat Food and Doobert.com.

Lisa got involved in animal welfare through volunteering at shelters. She first began transporting animals from high-kill areas in the south, but then shifted her focus to the root of the problem: access to spay and neuter services.

From that was born Fido Fixers, a nonprofit providing low-cost spay/neuter for dogs and cats with mobile clinics in underserved areas. With their seven mobile clinics, they partner with local groups which operate the clinic and provide the vet.

Stacy and Lisa talk about the logistics of working with local groups, the vet shortage, and how the spay/neuter clinics can expand to cover wellness, vaccines, and microchips as well.

Learn more about Fido Fixers on their website, though to contact them, use their email. You can also find them on Facebook.

Interview! Merritt Clifton, Journalist and Founder, Animals 24-7 News

Interview! Aimee St. Arnaud, Director at Humane Alliance a Program of the ASPCA

“We need to focus on stopping the problem at the root… that’s why we focus on prevention.”

Christy and Stacy have a wide-ranging discussion about low cost spay/neuter, developing a successful TNR effort by building community coalitions, and Christy’s experience with the Pets for Life program, which she states changed her mind completely about the pets of the underprivileged: “everyone deserves to have love in their lives.” She also describes the inspiring work she’s involved with at the Jackson Galaxy Foundation, where clicker training for cats (yes, you read that right!) is changing the game for shy and fearful shelter cats.

To find out more visit the The Jackson Galaxy Foundation online.

Kim Saunders was a practicing attorney when she decided to move into the animal welfare world full-time (after years of volunteering). She spent 15 years at Petfinder before moving into a more hands-on role at St. Hubert’s. She is now the Operations Director at Liberty Humane Society (LHS), the only licensed animal shelter in Hudson County, NJ, which one of most densely populated counties in the state. Hudson County has rich cultural and socioeconomic diversity, with 15% of the population falling under the poverty line. LHS provides all animal control services, as well as shelter and adoption services to the county.

In this interview, Stacy and Kim discuss how the recent government shutdown has impacted shelters, particularly pet retention programs. Kim is passionate about keeping animals that already have a home in those homes, and LHS offers a flexible pet retention program that assists with whatever people need—from super basic supplies like crates and litter to more complex needs like intensive medical care. During the government shutdown, LHS collaborated with another area group to make sure that the needs of local pet owners facing shutdown-related difficulties were being met.

LHS has also recently added a Community Cat Coordinator to its staff. This role, which is currently about 80% outreach, is tasked with coordinating and expanding the subsidized community cat spay/neuter program LHS began last year. They have a mobile spay/neuter clinic and they partner with another New Jersey group to provide services on that vehicle to both community cats and owned pets as well. The Community Cat Coordinator is in charge of community outreach regarding the spay/neuter program and community cat issues in general, and LHS plans to allow the position to grow and change to meet the current needs of the local community.

Liberty Humane is always glad to share what they’re doing and to hear about what others are doing. You can learn more about them or get in touch via their website.