legislation 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 […]

November 10, 2016

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 […]

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 […]

March 21, 2017

Interview! Part One – Heather Cammisa, CEO and Tara Sannucci, Pet Retention Coordinator, St. Hubert’s

“A database is only as good as it’s maintained.” In part one of this two-part episode, Stacy talks to Heather Cammisa and Tara Sannucci, the president of St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center and director of the Pet Retention Program, respectively. Tara and Heather detail the plethora of programs that St. […]

March 23, 2017

Interview! Part Two – Heather Cammisa, CEO and Tara Sannucci, Pet Retention Coordinator, St. Hubert’s

“It’s senseless to put out all this advice if you have someone who’s not willing or able to do it all.” In part two of this two-part episode, Tara dives into details while Heather gives us the big picture. Tara has a lot of responsibilities around St. Huberts, which include handling […]

August 5, 2017

Interview! Nathan Winograd, Executive Director, The No-Kill Advocacy Center, Part 1

“It’s actually the policies and procedures of the shelter that are responsible for whether animals die in shelters.” It’s hard to name a field of animal welfare that Nathan Winograd doesn’t have experience in: his animal advocacy work started while attending Stanford Law School, and since then he has worked […]

August 12, 2017

Interview! Nathan Winograd, Executive Director, The No-Kill Advocacy Center, Part 2

“We had to come to the realization that just because you work at an animal shelter doesn’t mean you are passionate about cats and saving their lives.” In Part 2 of this two-part episode, Nathan describes the current animal welfare legislation he is working on—namely the Companion Animal Protection Act […]

October 21, 2017

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

“We’re trying to package these bills in a media-friendly way, a legislator-friendly way, and an advocate-friendly way. Everybody has to be on board.” Ready for Round 5 of Policy Jeopardy? Katie Lisnik once again updates us on the various changes and new initiatives in community cat policy across the US. […]

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 […]

February 23, 2019

Interview! Kay Stout, ED of PAAS Vinita

“What hurts us so often in rescue is that the passion gets in the way of progress.” Kay Stout is the Executive Director of PAAS Vinita in Oklahoma, a multi-faceted group that grew out of the initial shelter that gives the group its name (PAAS stands for “Peaceful Animal Adoption […]

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 […]

September 26, 2019

In the News: Interesting Stories that Could Impact You and Your Cats

This week, I’m sharing a round-up of some recent cat-related news stories that you might have missed. Town in Australia is Limiting the Number of Cats in a Home to Two! I just don’t understand why people think that limiting the number of cats in a home is going to […]

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 […]

February 18, 2020

Dr. Andy Kaplan, The Toby Project

“I’ve always been passionate about saving lives. That’s just who I am as a vet.” Listen to Episode #339 Now 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. […]

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 […]

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 […]

September 1, 2020

Anna Raines, Best Friends Animal Society

“If you want to protect wildlife, if you want to protect birds, then you need to do a full dive into TNR and cat programming.” Listen to Episode #367 Now This episode is sponsored in part by Doobert.com’s FosterSpace, Kitty Sift Litter System, and The American Association of Feline […]

September 8, 2020

Keith Williams, C5 Las Vegas

“Don’t just tell me about the cute kitten you saved. Tell me about the mom that you spayed, because that is where the progress is really going to be made … on the spay/neuter side of the house.” Listen to Episode #368 Now This episode is sponsored in part […]

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 […]

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 […]

December 31, 2020

Home 4 the Holidays Adoption Campaign

Today’s guest post comes to us from Krista Beucler, Marketing & Communications Intern at Community Cats Podcast. Home 4 the Holidays is a campaign put on by the Helen Woodward Animal Center, along with their partner Blue Buffalo Pet Food. The campaign is a three-month adopt-a-thon that connects adopters looking […]

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 […]

August 13, 2024

Improving the Lives of Cats Through Logistics and Legislation with Danielle Bays, Senior Analyst for Cat Protection and Policy, HSUS

“Think about all the things that cats go through…they’re smart, they’re clever and we can learn from them.” Listen to Episode #573 Now This episode is sponsored in part by Maddie’s Fund, Humane Canada, and The Keeping People and Pets Together Pet Food Pantry. Are you curious about the […]

August 20, 2024

Targeted TNR: Getting the Most Bang for Your Buck, Part 1, with Bryan Kortis, National Programs Director, Neighborhood Cats

“Understanding the environment and how we approach the ecosystem with community cats is essential, not just for the cats but for the overall health of the communities they inhabit.” Listen to Episode #574 Now This episode is sponsored in part by Maddie’s Fund, Humane Canada, and The Keeping People […]

August 27, 2024

Targeted TNR: Getting the Most Bang for Your Buck, Part 2, with Bryan Kortis, National Programs Director, Neighborhood Cats

“Collaboration between animal welfare groups and local governments is the key to creating sustainable, humane community cat programs that work for everyone.” Listen to Episode #575 Now This episode is sponsored in part by Maddie’s Fund, The Keeping People and Pets Together Pet Food Pantry, and Tomahawk Traps. In […]

September 3, 2024

Are Cats the Underdogs in Municipal Politics with Stuart Kroll, Animal Rights Advocate, Port Washington, Long Island

“Our goal is to put as much public pressure on the town representatives as possible and to spread as much awareness as we can, because the more people that are aware of the problem, the more people are going to ask the town to do something about it.” Listen to […]

September 10, 2024

Mastering Feline Behavior and Enrichment, with Ingrid Johnson, Certified Cat Behavior Consultant, Fundamentally Feline

“Don’t underestimate your cats. Elevate your expectations of them, and you’ll be amazed at what they can achieve.” Listen to Episode #577 Now This episode is sponsored in part by Maddie’s Fund and The Acatemy . What if your cat’s behavior problems could be solved with just a few […]

October 8, 2024

A Reproductive Revolution: Reframing TNR in Urban Landscapes with Katja M. Guenther, Professor at the University of California, Riverside

“The reproductive justice framework is really useful for thinking about community cats and TNR because it opens us up to engaging with the lives of the cats both personally and before sterilization, but also afterwards.” Listen to Episode #581 Now This episode is sponsored in part by Maddie’s Fund […]