pet owners Archives - The Community Cats Podcast

June 20, 2016

Interview! Sandy Monterose, Executive Director, Jackson Galaxy Foundation

“When we work together, we exemplify a humane world.” Sandy reflects on her long career in animal welfare, why working with people might be more effective than hands-on work with animals, and the Jackson Galaxy Foundation’s current initiative to improve conditions and adoptability for shelter cats. To find out more […]

June 24, 2016

Interview! Kit Lilly, Founder and Board President, Charles River Alley Cats, Boston MA

“I realized there was a whole world of feral cats out there” Kit, the founder of the largest TNR group in the greater Boston area, provides insights on how to develop an effective TNR program. Because 50% of the cats found by Charles River Alley Cats are “friendlies,” the group […]

June 25, 2016

Interview! Marnie Russ, Founder and Board Member, National Kitten Coalition

“Once you save one, you’re hooked for life.” Marnie tells Stacy about her commitment to increasing the survival rates for neonatal kittens through education, information sharing, cooperation and hands on learning. Her organization, the National Kitten Coalition, specializes in helping shelters, rescue organizations, the veterinary community and individuals, better understand […]

June 28, 2016

Interview! Mike Keiley, Director, Noble Family Animal Care and Adoption Center, MSPCA at Nevins Farm, Methuen, MA

“We were literally swimming in cats.” In this episode, Mike describes the profound improvements and progress for cats he has seen in his 20+ year career at the MSPCA. By implementing programs to reduce the stress of cats in the shelter, aggressively targeting communities with low cost spay/neuter services, and […]

June 29, 2016

Interview! Dr. Diana Newman, Former Director of the Barry County (Michigan) Animal Shelter.

“People are mad…they want kittens and now there are no kittens!” Dr. Newman describes how the Barry County Animal Shelter implemented a TNR program — with the help of the MRFRS Mentoring Program and PetSmart Charities — that has resulted in a drastic reduction in unwanted litters among unowned cats. […]

June 30, 2016

Interview! Betsy McFarland, Former Vice President, The Humane Society of the United States

“The answer comes from all of us.” Formerly a “true blue dog person,” Betsy tells about the kitten on a woodpile outside her house that fueled her interest in assisting community cats. She also addresses the challenges found on the human side of the equation in animal welfare and rescues: […]

July 1, 2016

Interview! Laura Burns, President of Habitat for Cats, Rochester NY

“I had never seen one cat outside, let alone one hundred!” 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 […]

July 2, 2016

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

“We know TNR works, now it’s just a matter of executing.” Nationally recognized expert Bryan Kortis talks with Stacy about all things TNR: his beginnings trapping a colony of cats on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, the founding of Neighborhood Cats.org to help teach TNR to others in New York and […]

July 5, 2016

Interview! Christie Rogero, Manager, Jackson Galaxy Foundation

“Nobody goes into this knowing everything you need to know.” Christie and Stacy have a wide-ranging discussion about low cost spay/neuter, developing a successful TNR effort by building community coalitions, and Christie’s experience with the Pets for Life program, which she states changed her mind completely about the pets of […]

July 6, 2016

Brigid Wasson of the Missing Pet Partnership

July 6, 2016

Interview! Brigid Wasson, Board Member, Missing Pet Partnership, and Founder of Path Ahead Animal Shelter Consulting

“A lot of cats are not really lost.” Stacy interviews Brigid about some of the thorniest questions surrounding community cats: how do you assess whether a cat is owned, feral or a community cat, when should you intervene with a cat versus letting it be, and how to help rescues and […]

July 7, 2016

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

“We simply can’t say, “I’m an animal person…I don’t want to deal with people.” In this episode, Katie chronicles her wide-ranging activities as a proponent for improving outcomes for cats and communities. She details her work helping improve public policies relating to cats, advocating for coalitions to join together in a […]

July 8, 2016

Interview! Karen Little, Founder, Alley Cat Advocates, Louisville KY

“Long term vision and careful planning leads to success.” 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 […]

July 9, 2016

Interview! Rachel Geller, Vice President, Ellen M. Gifford Shelter for Homeless Cats, Brighton MA

“If we can keep a cat that has a solvable, fixable behavior problem in its home, it’s better for the cat and for the owner.” 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 […]

July 12, 2016

Interview! Julie White, Former Senior Director of Grants, Programs and Field Initiatives at PetSmart Charities

“You can save more lives by fixing one cat than you can with one adoption.” Julie applied her for-profit experience and strategic mindset to the issues facing Community Cats in her years at PetSmart Charities and Executive Director of the Feral Cat Spay/Neuter Program in Washington State. She points out […]

July 13, 2016

Interview! Jessica Lifford, Former Executive Director, Indy Humane Animal Welfare Center

“Cats are resourceful and a lot smarter than we give them credit for.” Jessica has had broad exposure to many different functions necessary to helping community cats: TNR, high volume spay/neuter clinics, and even managing a pet food pantry. When she joined Indy Humane, there were nearly 800 cats on the waiting […]

July 14, 2016

Ask Stacy! Questions and Answers for Inquiring Cats

“We all have stories…and it’s those stories that can empower us to believe that we can do more for cats.” In this episode, Stacy’s in the interview chair and speaks about her motivation for launching the Community Cats Podcast, the wide array of volunteers, services and skills necessary to support […]

July 15, 2016

Interview! Nancy McCall, Chief Development Officer, Brandywine Valley SPCA

“The first thing you want to do is find out who’s going to be a good partner.” 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 […]

July 16, 2016

Interview! Rachael Max, Founder of Here Today, Adopted Tomorrow Sanctuary, Brimfield MA

“Don’t be afraid to ask complete strangers for help.” Rachael started her career as an academic scientist and brings disciplined thinking to her cageless cat shelter and TNR efforts. She and her mother founded Here Today, Adopted Tomorrow after attending a Best Friends workshop. She describes how the cats in her care […]

July 19, 2016

Interview! Kit Jenkins, Former Grant and Adoptions Programs Manager for PetSmart Charities

“You don’t have to change the world in 20 minutes.” Kit reflects on the “bad old days” 30 years ago when “cats were third class citizens, who came in and went out the back door” and there was no formal way for rescues or shelters to share information and build community regarding […]

July 20, 2016

Interview! Scott Giacoppo, Chief Community Animal Welfare Officer Washington (DC) Humane Society

“Community cats are not homeless..they are loved and cared for.” 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 […]

July 21, 2016

Interview! Ashley Davis, Director, Scituate (MA) Animal Shelter

“People may be the problem but they’re also the solution.” After TNR’ing 43 cats and fostering multiple litters of kittens, Ashley became “addicted” to trapping and decided that a career in animal welfare was inevitable for her. She speaks about her communications efforts to educate individual neighborhoods about the importance […]

July 22, 2016

Interview! Shelby Parsons, Communications Manager at Mississippi Spay and Neuter

“Even though we’re behind, we don’t want to be.” Shelby describes the challenges of helping community cats in the rural South, where 40% of residents have no access to the internet. So, she reaches out to local social services organizations to get information to individuals who don’t even know what spay/neuter […]

July 23, 2016

Shauna McVey, Program Coordinator for State of Delaware Office of Animal Welfare and Spay/Neuter Program Manager

July 23, 2016

Interview! Shauna McVey, Program Coordinator for State of Delaware Office of Animal Welfare

“We’re all about working through compassion.” The State of Delaware has legislation in effect establishing a spay/neuter program for non-profits and low-income individuals, which is funded by a $3 surcharge on rabies vaccines. Shauna talks about how those funds are put to work through with participating veterinarians and local shelters. […]

July 26, 2016

Interview! Marlan Roberts, “Families Better Together” Manager for Spay and Neuter Kansas City (Missouri)

“I knew I could be the voice for the animals and wanted to help.” 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 […]

July 27, 2016

Interview! Bonney Brown, President, Founder, and Principal Consultant at Humane Network

“The connection of one to one is really magical.” After reminiscing about their early work together, Bonney and Stacy discuss fundraising strategies and the importance of focusing your message on successes and future opportunities. It can be overwhelming to think about thousands of animals in need, but inspiring to tell […]

July 28, 2016

Interview! JaneA Kelley, Blogger at Paws-and-Effect.com, Secretary and Social Media Manager at Diabetic Cats in Need

“Diabetes is not a death sentence for cats.” Have a diabetic cat, or know someone who does? JaneA describes her experience with her own cat plus the work she does as a member of the “virtual” team that runs Diabetic Cats in Need. (DCIN). DCIN assists cat owners with education and […]

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 […]

July 30, 2016

Interview! Julia Pesek, Community Outreach Coordinator for the MSPCA at Nevins Farm (MA), and Vice President of the Massachusetts Animal Coalition (MAC)

“I think I was born a cat lady.” Julia says that earning her Masters in Animals and Public Policy at Tufts gave her a perfect “launching pad” for what she wanted to do with her life. It also led her to take an active role at the Massachusetts Animal Coalition, which […]

August 2, 2016

Interview! Susana Della Maddalena, CEO and President, Central OK Humane (Oklahoma)

“We’re in the business of saving lives.” With her ten years of at the helm of PetSmart Charities, and her current role leading Central OK Humane, Susana is in a perfect position to share her perspective both as a a funder of animal initiatives, and a recipient of grant dollars. Thanks to previous […]

August 3, 2016

Interview! Karen Green, Executive Director of the Cat Adoption Team (CAT), Portland, OR

“Relationships and people make all of the work we do in animal welfare possible.” 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 […]

August 4, 2016

Interview! Alice Burton, Program Manager, Animal Control and Shelter Liaison

“When an animal control agency/animal shelter is working with a TNR group, it’s a great relationship.” Former animal control officer Alice Burton has transformed her beliefs about trap-neuter-release. Alice tells Stacy about synergistic relationships between animal control departments and TNR organizations, resources for communities that hope to introduce TNR, and […]

August 5, 2016

Interview! Michael Morefield, Communications and Marketing Manager for the Arizona Animal Welfare League and SPCA

“We all have our own donor sources, yes, we have our own projects and so on, but we are in this together.” 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 […]

August 6, 2016

Interview! Dr. David Haworth, DVM, PetSmart Charities President

“I am extremely optimistic about the future.” Dr. David Haworth, DVM, PhD has impact on his mind. He discusses how he works to help PetSmart Charities save 1,400 lives a day, through grantmaking, adoption centers, supporting spay/neuter and other initiatives. To find out more visit PetSmart Charities online. Listen to Episode […]

August 9, 2016

Interview! Ellen Carozza, LVT, Nova Cat Clinic, Arlington, VA

“The canine has always been given more precedence in medical care.” Ellen Carozza is a veterinary technician with a passion for rescuing and raising neonatal kittens. She lovingly brings the kittens she raises everywhere with her, and implements innovative ways to care for them, including electrolytes, probiotics and plasma. With […]

August 10, 2016

Interview! Marvin Mackie, DVM, Co-Creator of the Quick Spay Technique

“In the human side of things, you can never get to zero in something that you think is absolutely ideal.” Dr. Marvin Mackie began his lifelong work with animals from an early age. Raised on a farm around cows and horses, he entered veterinary school with the intent of becoming a large animal […]

August 11, 2016

Interview! Bryn Rogers – Program Manager at the MSPCA, MA

“I’m better at being a copycat than an original… With all the webinars and podcasts like these, you can learn so much from each other.” 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 […]

August 12, 2016

Interview! Amber Sitko, Founder, All About Animals Rescue, MI

“We don’t ever want anyone to come to the clinic and say we don’t have enough traps for you.” A computer consultant with Microsoft by day, Amber channeled both her passion for cats and her business-sense into launching Michigan’s All About Animals Rescue in 2005. Since then, she has raised […]

August 13, 2016

Interview! Zeke Zekoff, DVM Founder, United Pet Fund, OH

“We need an organization that can educate the public, but, at the same time, also provide resources for the smaller ‘mom and pop’ groups.” With 33 years of experience as a veterinarian in Cincinnati, Ohio, Dr. Zeke founded United Pet Fund in 2010 and United Pet Resource Center in 2015. […]

August 14, 2016

Interview! Dr. Emily McCobb, DVM, MS, DACVAA, Director, Shelter Medicine Program Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine Tufts University

“I would like every veterinarian to be supportive of TNR and to understand the huge difference that it’s made.” In this episode, Stacy interviews Dr. Emily McCobb, director of the Tufts Shelter Medicine Program and clinical associate professor of anesthesiology at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine. Having volunteered at TNR clinics as a […]

August 14, 2016

Caitlyn Macintosh, Cat Team 7 Volunteer Coordinator and HSUS District Leader Volunteer

“I think it’s very hard for people to envision the solution, especially if they don’t have an investment in their heart in cats.” Initially a dog person and very allergic to cats, Caitlyn Macintosh made an unlikely candidate for founder of an organization dedicated to helping community cats. Her US Marine husband’s passion […]

August 16, 2016

Interview! Christine Wilford, DVM, Founder, The Feral Cat Spay Neuter Project, WA

“Equate the cost of helping an individual cat with how many spays and neuters you aren’t doing.” In her 8th 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 […]

August 17, 2016

Interview! Esther Mechler, Founder of Spay USA

“I felt if this cat shouldn’t have been born and if there weren’t such a surplus, they’d all have a better shot at a good life.” After her first experience losing a beloved stray to overpopulation in a Bridgeport, CT shelter, Esther’s passion for improving the quality of life for […]

August 18, 2016

Interview! Rick DuCharme, Founder and Executive Director, First Coast No More Homeless Pets

“What really keeps me and most of our team coming to work every day is the fact that we have seen such great success.” A national expert in animal welfare issues, Rick is an advocate for spay/neuter programs targeting low income pet owners. He founded Jacksonville, Florida’s First “Coast No […]

August 19, 2016

Interview! Kate Hurley, DVM, Director Koret Shelter Medicine Program at UC Davis

“I thought to myself, there has to be a better way…and that was what drove me, right after vet school, to go to work in a shelter.” From working as an animal control officer in 1989 to becoming the first person ever to complete a veterinarian residency in shelter medicine […]

August 20, 2016

Interview! Jon Cicirelli, Assistant Director Public Works, Director Animal Care and Services, San Jose, CA

“The program changed our view, philosophy, and focus and what we were saving on the cat side was helping us do better on the dog side as well.” John’s background in wildlife management and a biology degree from George Washington University led him to become an animal control officer in […]

August 23, 2016

Interview! Susan Krebsbach, DVM, Founder, Dane County Friends of Ferals and Founder of Creature Counseling

“We have a better option for this subset of underrepresented cats.” In the field of animal welfare, “Dr. Susan” possesses a prolific resume. She opened her own veterinary-behavioral consulting service in 2000, has maintained a position as veterinary advisor for the Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association since its beginning in 2008, runs a […]

August 25, 2016

Interview! Liz Pease, Executive Director of the Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society

“My hope is that there comes to be more acceptance of the idea of a community cat.” Liz began her work with cats in 2004, when she was feeding a local cat colony and reached out to the Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society for help. Soon after, she became the MRFRS’ main […]

August 26, 2016

Ask Stacy! Questions and Answers for Inquiring Cats

“When you’re looking to recruit, recruit everywhere and all of the time.” It’s time for another Q&A session with Stacy! In this episode, Stacy takes questions posted to the CCP Facebook page. Listeners asked for advice on how to keep the peace between an area’s cat colonies and its disgruntled residents, […]

August 30, 2016

Interview! Angela Walters Rockwell, Executive Director of the Animal Shelter Assistance Program (ASAP), Santa Barbara, California

“For community cats, it takes a community. There’s always something you can do.” Angela shares fascinating information about ASAP’s innovative programs, particularly their recognized “Tiny Lion Tamers” initiative that socializes feral kittens within the shelter environment. So far, this program has 125 “graduates” and has made a significant difference in […]

November 17, 2016

Interview! Diego Alves, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Pet and Tie

“We want to be the premium app for pet parents and pets.” Ever have trouble finding a pet sitter? Diego did, and that experience was the impetus to his envisioning an virtual community where pet owners could connect to all of the services they need. His new app, “Pet and […]

June 20, 2016

Interview! Julia Pesek, Community Outreach Coordinator for the MSPCA at Nevins Farm (MA), and Vice President of the Massachusetts Animal Coalition (MAC)

August 2, 2016

Interview! Dr. Emily McCobb, DVM, MS, DACVAA, Director, Shelter Medicine Program Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine Tufts University

August 14, 2016

Interview! Angela Walters Rockwell, Executive Director of the Animal Shelter Assistance Program (ASAP), Santa Barbara, California

November 17, 2016

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