The Community Cats Podcast

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Danielle Bays, Humane Society of the United States Apr 14, 2020

Show notes

In this episode, HSUS Senior Analyst for Cat Protection & Policy Danielle Bays joins Stacy to talk about what's going on in the world of cat policy issues. Danielle, who has chatted with Stacy in CCP Episode 55, Episode 261, and Episode 293, also shares details about the upcoming HSUS Expo conference. The conference will be held in San Antonio May 6–9 and will feature a whole track devoted specifically to cats.

Stacy & Danielle goes on to talk about the major focus lately in the U.S. on concerns about cat declawing. They also discuss the HSUS's upcoming publication of a revised guide to community cats for municipal officials. Danielle also talks about ways listeners can get involved in advocacy, including attending the Taking Action for Animals conference in Washington D.C., which will be held July 25–26, 2020.

To learn more about current advocacy issues around cats, or about HSUS Expo and other educational opportunities, visit Animal Sheltering, the HSUS website focused on the shelter and rescue community. You can also email Danielle directly for more information on any of the topics in this episode, and you can visit our 2020 Online Cat Conference page to purchase downloads from Danielle's (and others') sessions at the conference.

Camille Labchuk, Animal Justice Apr 07, 2020

Show notes

In this episode, Stacy is joined by Camille Labchuk, an animal rights lawyer and the executive director of Animal Justice, Canada's only animal law advocacy organization. Camille also hosts the Animal Justice's Paw & Order podcast, which was reviewed in the CCP blog back in February.

Stacy and Camille discuss what's going on in Canada with regard to cats, including the fact that, as Camille puts it, "People are really waking up to the idea that cat declawing shouldn't be a practice that we allow any more in society." Stacy and Camille also chat about community cats in Canada, how Camille would like to see the government give more support to community cat-related issues, and about the relatively new legal concept of putting an animal at risk.

To learn more, visit the Animal Justice website, where you can also link to the Paw & Order podcast. You can find out more about Animal Justice's conferences, which are open to everyone—not just lawyers—at the Canadian Animal Law Conference website.

Elaine Spencer and Melanie Gardner, T-Town TNR Mar 31, 2020

Show notes

In this episode, Stacy chats with Elaine Spencer and Melanie Gardner from T-Town TNR, an all-volunteer nonprofit dedicated to resolving the feline overpopulation crisis in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Since 2015, the organization has spay/neutered over 3,700 cats. Elaine is the group's lead support for grant writing, and together, she and Melanie serves as the group's IT consultants.

Elaine and Melanie talk with Stacy about how they became involved with TNR, and with T-Town in particular, and they discuss the importance of data as it relates to getting grant funding and running an efficient organization. T-Town utilizes a free software program called AirTable to coordinate their spay/neuter appointments, track colonies, microchips, and equipment, and to track requests for assistance. The software updates in real-time and can be accessed in the field via cell phone, as well as by veterinary offices with which T-Town is connected.

T-Town has seen an incredible improvement in efficiency and data collection now that they utilize AirTable, but the process of selecting a software package was a long and challenging one, as Elaine tells Stacy. Elaine encourages everyone to do their homework around software options and to reach out to her if they have questions about AirTable.

To learn more, visit the T-Town TNR website or their Facebook page. You can also email Elaine directly to talk more about T-Town's experiences with AirTable.

Alisse Russell, Puff Cat Rescue, Inc. Mar 24, 2020

Show notes

In this episode, Stacy speaks with Alisse Russell, founder and executive director of Puff (Paws Up for Felines) Cat Rescue, Inc., a recently launched grassroots group with an ambition to grow into a nationwide rescue network. Puff Cat is dedicated to helping solve community cat overpopulation, and Alisse, who currently works in the human mental health field, is working toward becoming a humane education specialist.

Alisse and Stacy discuss what Puff Cat hopes to do, which is to reach smaller, independently run rescues so that those groups can expand their reach and get the support they need. The aim is to create a whole new social network for people in this field so they can communicate directly with each other. A dedicated CCP listener, Alisse is currently working with CCP Episode 330 guest Lizz Whitacre of Pawlytics on a software platform.

To learn more about Puff Cat Rescue, visit their website, Instagram, or Facebook pages. You can also visit Alisse's Instagram page.

Lori Behrman, The Toby Project Mar 17, 2020

Show notes

In this episode, Stacy talks with Lori Behrman, who runs the day-to-day operations of the Toby Project, including the mobile spay/neuter clinic. Lori has been with the Toby Project since Day One, and she considers her work not just a job, but a mission. She tells Stacy about how Dr. Andy Kaplan, founder of the Toby Project (CCP Episode 339) inspired her to get involved eleven years ago, and about how much she has learned since then about the concepts of spay/neuter, no-kill, and pet overpopulation.

Stacy and Lori discuss the specifics of how the mobile clinic operates, the work it's currently doing in Yonkers (in addition to its normal work in New York City), and the clinic's staffing model. They talk about the challenges of running a mobile clinic, including winter weather and equipment issues. Lori notes that "it is an expensive endeavor to run a mobile unit," and suggests that anyone thinking of starting one takes the time to talk with others who have already done so to learn all they can.

To learn more about the Toby Project, or to get in touch with Lori, email info@tobyproject.org. You can also find the Toby Project online at their website, on Facebook, and on Instagram.

Debbie Chatenever, community cat caretaker Mar 10, 2020

Show notes

In this episode, Stacy chats with community cat caretaker Debbie Chatenever, who walks several miles each day to feed the community cats in her area. Debbie gets the cats the medical care they need at her own expense, and she shares with Stacy the story of how she got involved with caring for her local community cats.

Stacy and Debbie also discuss how beneficial a support network could be for Debbie and others like her, and they talk about Debbie's strong belief that there needs to be accountability around abandoning cats. Debbie tells Stacy about how she talks with the children she meets in her neighborhood as she feeds, and how she shares information with them about community cats, spay/neuter, and how we can help.

To learn more about Debbie and the work she does, or to reach out to her, please email Stacy.

Jill Tucker, California Animal Welfare Association Mar 03, 2020

Show notes

Jill Tucker, CAWA and CEO of the California Animal Welfare Association (CalAnimals), joins Stacy in this episode to talk about her career in animal welfare, which stretches back to 2002. They talk about how Jill ended up in animal welfare after being in the software industry for many years.

Jill & Stacy also discuss CalAnimals—how it came to be, the role it plays in the state, and how Jill came to be in a leadership role there. They talk about the diversity of resources in California and the challenges that presents, as well as about community cats and how Jill facilitates work between groups with different approaches to the issue.

To learn more, visit the CalAnimals website. You can also email Jill directly with questions—she's always glad to connect with others in animal welfare!

Britney Fox Hover, Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society Feb 25, 2020

Show notes

Britney Fox Hover, the shelter director at the Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society (MRFRS) in Salisbury, Massachusetts, began at MRFRS as a volunteer in 2009. In addition to now running the group's shelter and medical programs, Brit also oversees the adoption program, including a very successful Feline Leukemia (FeLV+) adoption program.

Brit and Stacy talk a bit about how Brit came to love cats and get involved at MRFRS, and about MRFRS's history and programs and what makes the organization unique. As Brit puts it, MRFRS "took in animals that other shelters maybe just didn't know a lot about or didn't have resources to care for," including FeLV+, chronically ill, and behaviorally challenges cats.

Brit and Stacy also discuss the MRFRS's FARS program, a financial assistance program for lower-income owners of injured or ill pet cats, and how that program helps keeps cats in the loving homes they already have. "You see the stress and the heartbreak that goes along with surrendering a pet … for the people and for the animal," Brit says. "Being able to prevent that and keep people and their animals together is really, really important."

To learn more about the MRFRS and its programs, visit the MRFRS website, or email the organization's general email address.

Dr. Andy Kaplan, The Toby Project Feb 18, 2020

Show notes

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. Stacy & Andrew discuss Andrew's journey to becoming a vet and how he came to learn about and become involved in pet overpopulation—including the touching story of Toby, the dog who put a face on the overpopulation issue for Andrew.

The Toby Project has a mobile spay/neuter clinic that splits its time between doing surgeries for low-income pet owners and for feral cats (through TNR-certified rescuers). Andrew would like to devote more of the clinic's time to feral cats, as he feels like those are the animals who truly have no other option.

He and Stacy discuss the challenging aspects of running a mobile clinic, feedback from other veterinarians, and the struggle of expanding the model, as well as the other animal-related advocacy work Andrew does. "I'm into advocating for any animal in any circumstance," he tells Stacy. "I happen to be medically trained for dogs and cats, but I'll do what I can for anything."

To learn more, visit the Toby Project website.

Mario Arbore, Square Paws Feb 11, 2020

Show notes

Mario Abore, the founder and owner of Square Paws, a cat furniture design company, sits down with Stacy to talk about how Square Paws came to be. Mario, an architect by trade, designs all the furniture as art that your cat can inhabit, and it is all hand-crafted in the United States. Square Paws donates 10% of their proceeds to animal welfare.

Stacy and Mario discuss the free-roaming cat rooms that Square Paws designed for the North Shore Animal League America in partnership with Beth Stern, in honor of Billy Joel. Square Paws has designed several other shelter facilities, and Mario talks about the process of learning what kinds of materials do and don't work in a shelter environment, as well as how much he'd like to do more shelter projects.

To learn more, visit the Square Paws website, check out their Instagram and Twitter feeds, or call them at 844-577-7297. You can also email Mario directly. To see the cat rooms at the North Shore Animal League America, check out the Square Paws blog post about the project.

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