Interview! Niki Cochran, Program Manager at Alley Cat Rescue
June 9, 2018
Interview! Richard Angelo, Legislative Attorney for Best Friends Animal Society
June 16, 2018
This suggestion has been presented to me many times and I feel the need to share this idea with all of you! Based on the data, there are many areas of the country where we seem to have cat overpopulation under control. These successful areas have offered community low-cost spay/neuter neuter for owned cats as well as aggressive trap-neuter-return programs for years. There are other parts of the country where overpopulation is definitely not under control, however. Shelters are still overflowing with intakes and space is always a consideration.
My question is whether we should develop a “matchmaking” program where programs in the Northwest, Northeast and other areas partner with organizations or geographic regions to assist and mentor those organizations around change. The components of the partnership would include more than just receiving cats and kittens from the mentored organization. A partnership could include things like:
- Mentoring/Partnering and setting up a high-quality, high-volume spay/neuter clinic.
- Supporting organizations on writing grant applications or establishing special fundraising efforts to support fee-waived adoption events and/or free/low-cost spay/neuter.
- Guidance on how to grow volunteer programs, etc.
- Food/supply drives.
- Executive guidance/strategic planning.
I am sure there are more ways that we could partner effectively, but these areas would be a good start. In July, listeners will have a great opportunity to hear more about some of these topics when I chat with Mike Keiley and Carmine DiCenso from Massachusetts on thinking about next steps for community cats.
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So what do you think? Can we be buddies?
