We Care For Animals, a Small Rescue with Big Results!

Guest Post by Molly H. Mednikow

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Linda Muse, a Board Member of We Care for Animals (W.C.F.A.).

We Care for Animals is a small nonprofit organization that works in Mesquite, NV, and surrounding communities. The Mesquite Animal Shelter does not have a feral cat program. Although the shelter does not trap feral cats, they do euthanize them. As it is the only shelter within hours, We Care For Animals does very important work! They educated the public about the importance of Trap-Neuter-Return to Field and feral cat population management.

We Care For Animals, a Small Rescue with Big Results!

We Care For Animals is based in Mesquite, but is extremely active in surrounding communities, including the “Arizona Strip”.[i]

Very often, Good Samaritans leave out food and water for feral cats, which are also referred to as “Community Cats”. We Care For Animals (W.C.F.A.) advices these caretakers and provides a formal infrastructure to ensure that the cat colony always has clean water, food, and a waterproof shelter. Caretakers monitor the health of the colony, and stay alert to any new members of the colony that need to be fixed.

Thanks to W.C.F.A. community cats are:

• Humanely trapped;
• Checked by a veterinarian for parasites;
• Get needed vaccinations, including the rabies vaccine;
• Are spayed or neutered;
• And are “Ear Tipped”, the commonly accepted sign that a feral cat is spayed or neutered.

Linda recounts many success stories! In 2014, one family in Scenic, AZ was feeding 42 cats. W.C.F.A. organized TNR for the colony, and to date, there are no new cats or litters in the colony!

A Best Friends Network Partner

Linda is proud that W.C.F.A. is a network partner of Best Friends Animal Society. During 2012-13, Best Friends conducted a TNR campaign with W.C.F.A. and One More Chance Cats, a small rescue group in St. George, Utah. Feral colonies had settled in at two trailer park communities and a small group of retailers in Beaverdam, AZ.   BFAS trapped 219 cats and transported them to the Best Friends Sanctuary in Kanab, UT. Afterwards, the cats were returned to their original “field” location. This year, 2017, is the first time that a new litter has been born in the Beaverdam colony.

Best Friends continues to aid in W.C.F.A. efforts. In 2014 Linda transported 90 feral cats to St. George and met up with the BFAS. The following day they met up again to return the cats to their colonies.

Residents have noticed the difference, yet some people dislike community cats and want them completely removed. Linda visits these people to educate them about the benefits and the need for TNR cat management programs. If these people are still resistant, W.C.F.A. will not assist them further.

A Community Cats Grantee

When donors consider charitable giving, small rescue groups are often overlooked. Luckily, Community Cats Grants, a program run by the Community Cats Podcast and the LeBaron Foundation, recognizes these small groups, that stretch out every single penny donated. Community Cats Podcast is thrilled to have granted W.C.F.A. with a $1000 matching donation in 2017.

This grant helps W.C.F.A. pay for spay and neuter surgeries and other rescue efforts. During 2016 W.C.F.A. paid for 182 surgeries, 65 of which were for feral cats. As of September 2017, W.C.F.A. paid for 148 surgeries, 49 of which were feral cats.

To learn more: https://www.wecareforanimals.org

https://www.facebook.com/wecareforanimalsmesquitenv/

Learn more about: Community Cats Grants

About the Author: Molly H. Mednikow founded Amazon Community Animal Rescue, Education & Safety in 2004. Amazon CARES is the first and only domestic animal rescue group and no-kill shelter in the Peru’s Amazon Region. She is now an Amazon CARES volunteer, but devotes most of her time studying Animal Law at Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland, Oregon.

Learn about Amazon CARES: http://www.facebook.com/AmazonCaresFans.

Follow Molly on Twitter at www.twitter.com/LegalMolly.

[i] The Arizona Strip includes Beaver Dam, Scenic, Littlefield, and, Desert Springs.