law Archives - The Community Cats Podcast

July 29, 2016

Interview! Kara Holmquist, Director of Advocacy, Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

“It’s hard and it’s messy and it’s not pretty, but when it works we can really change policies that impact so many animals.” A veteran advocate for animals, Kara talks about her involvement in several game-changing initiatives — a license plate program and tax check-off — that created funding sources […]

August 31, 2016

Interview! Danielle Jo Bays, Community Cats Program Manager for the Humane Society of the United States

“Many cats are outside through no fault of their own.” Danielle calls on both her hands-on trapping experience and public policy work to help HSUS develop campaigns and programs that will educate and empower people who want to support cats in their community, such as webinars and tools for trappers […]

September 3, 2016

Interview! Heidi Colonna, Curriculum Development Manager for the Humane Society and Board Member with Association of Professional Humane Educators

“Humane education can prevent situations where people lack knowledge of basic care and, in other cases, lack of empathy.” Heidi was volunteering at a local shelter in 1994, which compelled her to choose animal science and public policy over a potential business degree. She discusses her focus on ‘preventable people […]

September 6, 2016

Interview! Pamela Krausz, Founder and Executive Director of Vermont Companion Animal Neutering

“One thing that people don’t realize is how much healthier the cat population is on farms when the population is spayed/neutered.” Pamela is a founder and the executive director of Vermont Companion Animal Neutering (VT-CAN), a low cost, high volume spay/neuter clinic. As a stationary clinic with a mash-stlye component, […]

September 7, 2016

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

“I’m actually really excited about how TNR is being viewed across the state.” Sheri 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 […]

September 8, 2016

Interview! Cameron Moore, Project Manager, Target Zero

“When we offered spay/neuter to them, these caretakers would cry with happiness.” Given Cameron’s contribution to a diverse number of game-changing initiatives, she and Stacy have a wide-ranging conversation about a number of topics related to TNR, abandonment and adoption programs, and helping communities get the support they need to get […]

September 10, 2016

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

“Feeding animals in bowls is a wasted opportunity to enrich their brains.” Kelley earned a Master’s in Animal Behavior, has taught at Cornell Veterinary School, and now consults with both pet owners and shelters to improve life and outcomes for companion animals. She and Stacy talk all things behavior, and […]

September 14, 2016

Interview! Linda Gage, No More Homeless Pets Network Specialist, Best Friends Animal Society

“These animals deserve a life outside: that’s where they’re born, that’s where they live, that’s where they’re used to being.” Linda outlines the myriad resources that the No More Homeless Pets Network offers to small organizations around the country: ideas on how to get a Community Cats program started, marketing […]

September 15, 2016

Interview! Andi Kola, Founder Lumen LS, Broward County, Florida

“What are all the bad things that could happen to me if I were a cat?” Andi is a man on a mission… a mission to eliminate euthanization of cats in his home area of Broward County, Florida and beyond. He recounts his efforts to work with local animal control officials as […]

September 16, 2016

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

“We want feral cats to be safely in their nocturnal environment, or pet cats safely at home not wondering into a busy road.” It would be challenging to find someone with more experience in the animal welfare field than award-winning writer Merritt Clifton. From his childhood ambition to “starting a […]

September 17, 2016

Interview! Cheryl Ann Fernandes, Regional Shelter Care Representative, PetLink

“We’re trying to help shelters and Animal Control Officers embrace pet identification as a means of improving live release rates” Drawing on Cheryl Ann’s diverse, 25-year career in animal welfare, she and Stacy have a wide-ranging discussion about the challenges of being an urban animal control officer, the persistent challenge […]

September 20, 2016

Interview! Amanda Arrington, Director, Pets for Life Program at The Humane Society of the United States

“We have as much to learn as we have to give.” Amanda’s childhood interests in both animals and in social justice have led her to a career overseeing a groundbreaking program to help not just pets, but people in underserved areas. She leads he innovative HSUS “Pets for Life” initiative, which […]

September 21, 2016

Interview! Tammy King, Founder, Mayport Cats (FL)

“Fix a feral before you feed him!” Mayport Village, a fishing village near Jacksonville, Florida, had become a popular place for people to “dump” cats, both healthy and sick. Enter Tammy King, who brought her persistence and compassion to address the problem. Originally dealing with 200-250 cats, the population is now […]

September 22, 2016

Interview! Mike Phillips, President, Urban Cat League, and Community Outreach Coordinator for the New York City Feral Cat Initiative

“When you’re frustrated, remember that every cat you neuter is an tremendous improvement in that one cat’s life.” Even though he had lived in Manhattan for decades, Mike didn’t know there were street cats in New York: “I had no idea because I lived on the 43rd floor,” he observes. In […]

September 24, 2016

Interview! Taryn Breuer, President, Friends of Jeannette Hunt Animal Shelter (NE)

“Gosh we’re not alone out here….maybe we can get this population under control.” Taryn describes how rural Blair, Nebraska needs its resident cats to help keep rodents from getting into the grain farmed there, but also needs an active TNR effort to keep the numbers of cats in check. Participating in […]

September 27, 2016

Interview! Mike Cahill, Director, The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources’ Division of Animal Health

“When your options are quarantine or euthanize, that’s the worst part of the job.” Mike’s been an integal part of Massachusetts’ animal welfare efforts for 22 years. He has extensive experience managing situations where community cats — and potentially their caretakers — have been exposed to rabies, and recounts several challenging […]

September 28, 2016

Interview! Peter Wolf, Cat Initiatives Analyst, Best Friends Society

“A lot of the folks who end up writing these laws don’t have a great deal of experience [with community cats], and you can end up with some real dire unintended consequences.” Peter Wolfe is a cat initiatives analyst at Best Friends Society and a blogger at Vox Felina, where he seeks […]

October 5, 2016

Ask Stacy! Questions and Answers for Inquiring Cats

“We also need to educate or partner with folks in the local community so they can be our neighborhood watchers.” As Community Cats Podcast celebrates its eightieth episode, Stacy and guest host Lisa Finkel discuss how bird lovers and cat lovers can work together to decrease both the number of […]

October 6, 2016

Interview! Blake and Adrienne Kuhre, Founders of the Furry Foundation

“If we can be better on the educational side, then I feel that we can prevent a lot of these issues from happening.” Blake and Adrienne are the founders of the Furry Foundation, a non-profit, foster care organization in Los Angeles focused on TNR, cat socialization, and educating the community on proper […]

October 7, 2016

Interview! Cindy Wiemann, Treasurer of the National Animal Care and Control Association (NACA)

“Now we’re getting calls about one or two cats…not the calls where someone wants 25 cats removed.” Cindy was instrumental to bringing TNR to the small community of Madison, Georgia. She helped research the appropriate ordinances, and ultimately Madison implemented the first 100% government operated and funded TNR program in […]

October 19, 2016

Interview! Dr. Peggy Larson, Founder of Cat Spay and Neuter Clinic, Colchester, VT

“You have to balance, to make sure that that cat’s going to be alright going back to where he came from.” Peggy Larson, founder of National Spay/Neuter Coalition, holds degrees from Ohio State Vet School, UC Davis, and Vermont Law School. She has used her education to support fellow vets trying […]

October 28, 2016

Interview! Martha Smith-Blackmore, DVM, Founder of Forensic Veterinary Investigations, LLC

“Don’t worry about things you can’t change…take that passion and make it action and see what you can do.” *Please note, while not graphic, this episode deals with topics related to animal cruelty that some listeners may find disturbing. If you need to skip it, might we suggest listening to […]

December 10, 2016

Interview! Elizabeth Putsche, Founder, For All Animals

“It’s all about data and supporting information. That’s what really speaks to government officials.” Elizabeth Putsche is the founder and executive director of For All Animals, a 501(c)3 organization that “identifies and fills voids in the animal protection field.” The organization is based in Baltimore, which in 2007 was one of the […]

February 23, 2017

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

“This is the thick of legislative session season.” Where in the USA is cat policy these days? Katie Lisnik can tell you! Katie is back for her third interview with Stacy, and this time she is taking us on a tour of various states who have serious bills and legislation that […]

February 28, 2017

Interview! 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.” In this Spay Day episode, Stacy is joined by Bruce Myers, an animal protection lawyer and new director of the United Spay Alliance. The United Spay Alliance (USA) seeks to establish […]

June 24, 2017

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.” Katie Lisnik is back for another round of “Policy Jeopardy” on the Community Cats Podcast! This time, we get the scoop on animal welfare initiatives in Illinois, New York, Nevada, […]

October 14, 2017

Interview! Bryan Kortis, Director of National Programs for Neighborhood Cats

“It feels like we are starting over in Maui. We are having fascinating on-the-ground experiences!” Stacy catches up with Bryan Kortis today to cover a wide range of topics from what is happening in Hawaii with pending legislation that would help community cats, to an update on the group’s work in Jersey […]

December 16, 2017

Interview! Frances Carlisle, Attorney

“An important and usually neglected part of estate planning is what will happen to a client’s pets and animals. Charities which are already overburdened than have to step in, taking resources away from their other needs.” Frances Carlisle is a New York attorney who prepares wills and trusts, including trusts […]

February 10, 2018

Interview! Brianna Grant, Communications Associate at Alley Cat Rescue

“We believe in protecting all cats, no matter what area they are in.” Brianna Grant was always involved with cats and when she was younger, she found a particularly sweet whose terrible condition broke Brianna’s heart. She spent the next few months taking care of this little stray and in […]

March 24, 2018

Interview! Daniel Spehar, Co-Founder of the Together Initiative for Ohio’s Community Cats

“I hope all of us can focus on a shared goal of fewer community cats instead of focusing on the differences. Let’s focus on the most effective and humane ways to reach our common goal.” Daniel Spehar works to enact animal-friendly legislation as a volunteer with the Humane Society of […]

June 16, 2018

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 […]

August 19, 2018

Interview! Danielle Bays, Director of Cat Protection and Policy, Humane Society of the United States

“If there isn’t anything that prohibits what you’re doing [for cats], you don’t necessarily need to make a law that actually allows for it.” Danielle Bays, the new Director of Cat Protection and Policy at the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), plays “Cat Protection and Policy Jeopardy!” with […]

October 7, 2018

The Importance of Advocacy and Voting For Cats and the Community

It seems like over the last few weeks, the news has been filled with references to Kavanaugh, Ford, #metoo and the Supreme Court. While you might think these issues have nothing to do with cats, I think they do. We need to support an environment where everyone feels it is […]

March 30, 2019

Interview! Danielle Bays, Director of Cat Protection and Policy, HSUS

“We’ve seen…so much progress so rapidly across the country.” Danielle Bays, Director of Cat Protection and Policy at the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), is a frequent flyer here on CCP, having appeared before on Episode 55 and Episode 261. She joins Stacy again here to talk about […]

May 4, 2019

Interview! Dave Hanley, CEO of Tomorrow

“Do this for yourself. Do this for your cats.” Listen to Episode #298 Now 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 […]

May 11, 2019

Interview! Lindsay Hamrick, Policy Director for Companion Animals, HSUS

“On the community cat front, it’s abundantly clear that cats have been second in all of the policies that have been pushed forward.” 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 […]

June 15, 2019

Scott Giacoppo, Director of National Shelter Outreach, Best Friends Animal Society

“Across the board, [TNR]’s working. We have yet to find a place where it’s not working.” Listen to Episode #304 Now 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 […]

January 7, 2020

Dr. Jennifer Conrad, The Paw Project

“We know that this is the wrong thing to do to cats. No matter where you are, it’s the wrong thing.” Listen to Episode #333 now This episode is sponsored by Dr. Elsey’s Veterinarian Formulated Quality Products for Cats, makers of “litter we’re so confident you’ll love, your first […]

March 10, 2020

Debbie Chatenever, community cat caretaker

“Going out and helping those cats gave me reason to want to get up and get dressed and go outside.” Listen to Episode #342 Now In this episode, Stacy chats with community cat caretaker Debbie Chatenever, who walks several miles each day to feed the community cats in her […]

April 7, 2020

Camille Labchuk, Animal Justice

“It’s not just about making sure [animals] don’t suffer; it’s about making sure they have lives worth living, that they’re respected as individuals.” Listen to Episode #346 Now In this episode, Stacy is joined by Camille Labchuk, an animal rights lawyer and the executive director of Animal Justice, Canada’s […]

April 14, 2020

Danielle Bays, Humane Society of the United States

“[There is] a major shift in how we’re thinking about how cats use their claws, and why they use their claws, and why they should keep them.” Listen to Episode #347 Now In this episode, HSUS Senior Analyst for Cat Protection & Policy Danielle Bays joins Stacy to talk […]

April 21, 2020

Tina Traster, Catnip Nation

“That’s really the point of the film … to show that we’re not powerless.” Listen to Episode #348 Now Award-winning journalist, author, and filmmaker Tina Traster, previously featured on CCP Episode 186, joins Stacy again to update us on her documentary, Catnip Nation. The film advocates for TNR through […]

June 2, 2020

Karen Little, Alley Cat Advocates

“We’re here and we’re here to stay.” Listen to Episode #354 Now Karen Little, featured previously on CCP Episode 17 and Episode 112, joins Stacy to discuss the new things going on with the organization she and her husband founded in Louisville, Kentucky in 1999, Alley Cat Advocates. In […]

October 8, 2020

The Kansas Law that Keeps FeLV+ Cats from Being Adopted

Today’s guest post comes to us from Krista Beucler, Marketing & Communications Intern at Community Cats Podcast. Kansas State Law 47-624 sounds pretty reasonable. Under the Kansas Statutes for Livestock and Domestic Animals, the law pertains to “any domestic animal affected with any contagious or infectious disease.” These animals are […]

November 17, 2020

Susan Russell, Writer, Attorney, Animal Advocate

“Animals and people do need to be cared for. It’s not an either or, it’s a both and.” Listen to Episode #378 Now This episode is sponsored in part by Doobert.com. Founding member of Archimedes’ Printing Shoppe and Sundry Goodes, Susan Russell has had diverse experience as a writer, […]

December 1, 2020

Best of 2020 – Dr. Jennifer Conrad, The Paw Project

“We know that this is the wrong thing to do to cats. No matter where you are, it’s the wrong thing.” Listen to Episode #380 now This episode is sponsored in part by Doobert.com, and KittySift. In this episode, Dr. Jennifer Conrad, who founded The Paw Project in 1999, joins […]

December 8, 2020

Best of 2020 – Camille Labchuk, Animal Justice

“It’s not just about making sure [animals] don’t suffer; it’s about making sure they have lives worth living, that they’re respected as individuals.” Listen to Episode #381 Now In this episode, Stacy is joined by Camille Labchuk, an animal rights lawyer and the executive director of Animal Justice, Canada’s […]

April 8, 2021

Animal Laws: What’s Going On Around the Country

As animal lovers, we all want our laws to protect animals, who don’t have the ability to advocate for themselves. But it can be very confusing to try to keep up with all the bills moving through city and state governments, as well as the national government. So we’ve prepared […]

April 20, 2021

Danielle Bays, Senior Analyst for Cat Protection & Policy, HSUS

“Let’s be proactive, let’s build relationships, let’s share all the good work and success that people are doing, even if it’s a small thing.” Listen to Episode #400 Now This episode is sponsored in part by CDE Cages and Doobert.com. Can you believe it’s our 400th episode? This week we […]

April 22, 2021

Virginia TNR

In our last blog post, we touched on a few of the cat-related laws in the works around the country. One of those laws was SB 1390, a bill in Virginia that would clarify the rules and regulations around TNR so that localities around the state can better participate. This […]

August 12, 2021

More on Animal Laws

Back in April, we posted a blog about animal legislation around the country and a few people reached out with news from other initiatives, which we’re covering here. Want to voice your support for one of these issues? Many organizations will create a template you can borrow to contact your […]

August 26, 2021

Evictions: Should We Be Worried about Pets?

There have been a lot of stories in the news lately about how we should be worried about the upcoming eviction situation that may be happening across the country. The fear is that we are going to be inundated with requests for help with pets as their owners are displaced. […]