The Community Cats Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Ep95 - Jill O'Connell and Crystal Arnott Oct 26, 2016

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Interview! Jill O'Connell, Executive Director and Crystal Arnott, Communications and Fundraising Manager, Lowell Humane Society (MA)

"No matter how we operate, we all have the same goals which is to help community cats."

In another episode extolling the benefits of collaboration, Jill and Crystal describe how their relationships with other organizations have benefitted the cats and lower-income residents of Lowell. By bringing low-cost spay/neuter to the community through several different providers, the number of kittens they see is down 75% over 5 years, allowing them the time and space to help place older or medically-challenged cats who come through their doors. They also advocate for rescues to be willing to try new programs, like paper collars that have helped keep local owned cats in their own neighborhoods, and enabled LHS them to discuss responsible pet care with their owners. Finally, they touch on the ongoing challenge and need for a diverse fundraising calendar.

To learn more, visit lowellhumanesociety.org.

Ep94 - Stacey Carver Oct 25, 2016

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Interview! Stacey Carver, President and Executive Director of Berkshire Animal DREAMS (MA)

"Collaboration is a wonderful thing for all of us trying to do animal rescue work."

Stacey tells Stacy about the positive impact that forging "harmonious" partnerships has had on the number of community cats in Berkshire County, especially its "big city" of Pittsfield, MA. With Animal DREAMS providing TNR services, and the Berkshire Humane Society offering physical and administrative space, the two organizations have seen reduced surrenders, fewer free-roaming cats entering the shelter and a sharp reduction in calls complaining about community cats. She also describes another partnership with the state that helped clean up a troublesome situation in North Adams, where discovery of a rabid cat necessitated coordinated efforts to gain the trust of local resident to get their pets vaccinated and subsequently spayed or neutered.

To learn more, visit berkshireanimaldreams.org.

Ep93 - Aimee St. Arnaud Oct 22, 2016

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Interview! Aimee St. Arnaud, Director at Humane Alliance a Program of the ASPCA

"We need to focus on stopping the problem at the root… that's why we focus on prevention."

Aimee St. Arnaud works for the Humane Alliance training vets and community advocates who want to open spay-neuter clinics. She first got the idea to open her own spay-neuter clinic when volunteering with the Toledo Area Humane Society and their Operation Felix, a monthly MASH clinic. After seeing the dearth of resources for cats and the invisibility of the problem even within the animal welfare world, she started the Humane Ohio Spay/Neuter Clinic, which performs 15,000 spay/neuter surgeries a year, 70% of which are cats. She is a big advocate of "spaying it forward," which involves creating supportive community environments in which clinics can grow, making education resources accessible to advocates at any level, and respecting private vets in the area by referring clients of her clinic for most wellness cases. Find her as well as a multitude of free resources at humanealliance.org. Aimee is kind enough to share this great document that will help you decide "Does this cat need to be rescued?" Click here to check it out!

Ep92 - Julie Jacobson Oct 21, 2016

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Interview! Julie Jacobson, Director of Spay Tennessee

"When writing grants, you have to come in prepared, you have to know your mission, you have to know your community."

Julie's back for another interview on CCP! This time, Stacy checks about how things are going for Spay Tennessee, and Julie gives tips on managing grant money, methods to "take the fear out of grant writing," and the pitfalls that can occur with animal transports from shelter to shelter. If you haven't heard Julie's first episode and want to learn a little more about her and how she got started in animal welfare, listen to it here. If you want to get in touch with Julie, email her at spayzilla@yahoo.com.

Ep91 - Book Review Special Oct 20, 2016

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Book Review Special with host, Stacy LeBaron. An episode for both book worms and compassionate cats. In this special episode, Stacy shares some of her favorite resources for information on community cats, as well as how to take care of yourself when doing the hard work of animal welfare. We've included the names of the books and authors down below, as well as links to places you can buy them! To Save a Starfish by Jennifer Blough Nobody's Cats by Valerie Ingram & Alistair Schroff The Humane Economy by Wayne Pacelle Community Cats: A Journey Into the World of Feral Cats by Anne Beall Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen Also, be sure to check out the past podcast episodes Stacy mentions, here and here [link to Amy Sandler, Ep. 87]. And don't forget, if you ever have any questions, you can always email Stacy at stacy@communitycatspodcast.com.

Ep90 - Dr. Peggy Larson Oct 19, 2016

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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 to start their own spay-neuter clinics, investigate animal cruelty in the state of Vermont, and rewrite the policy surrounding spay-neuter with Peter Marsh, friend and lawyer. She first became involved in TNR when she started a makeshift spay/neuter clinic and rescue for community cats out of her home many years ago. In 23 years, the clinic managed to spay a staggering 78,000 cats in Chittenden County Vermont. In conversation with Stacy she talks about the dangers community cats can face depending on the environment they live in, and how shelters with small budgets can start affordable mobile clinics through MASH. To get in touch with Peggy, email her at meowvet1@gmail.com.

Ep89 - Juan Martinez Oct 18, 2016

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Interview! Juan Martinez, Founder and President, JMart Strategies

"Pick one platform, become really good at that platform, before you expand into a second one."

With his 20 years of experience in the legislative and non-profit communications world, Juan has keen insight into the importance of storytelling in the world of social media. He notes that social media has made communicating with your audiences much easier, but that it's critical to understand the various social media platforms, their demographics, and how and when users engage with each one. Juan cautions against feeling the pressure to try to do too much and counsels organizations to master one platform before moving on. He also discusses the "power of numbers" when trying to influence law-makiong….whether you use email or snail mail, if you can put multiple communications in your legislator, someone will take notice. For more information visit www.jmartstrategies.com

Ep88 - Brianna Lovell Oct 15, 2016

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Interview! Brianna Lovell, Outreach and Events Manager, at Alley Cat Allies "No action is too big or too small." To commemorate National Feral Cat Day (NFCD), Stacy speaks with Brianna about the origins of this annual event. Originally, National Feral Cat Day was simply a way to celebrate Alley Cat Allies' 10th anniversary, but in the years following that, it's become a catalyst for groups to undertake a variety of projects that educate the community or help cats directly. Brianna notes that individuals can do something as simple as posting on social media or take part on a more involved project like a fundraiser or spay/neuter clinic. "It's up to everyone out there to make the change happen," she says. Brianna also discusses the many resources on Alley Cat Allies website, and the "grueling task" of choosing photos for their annual calendar. For more information visit www.alleycat.org

Ep87 - Amy Sandler Oct 14, 2016

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Interview! Amy Sandler, Executive Coach, and Certified Breathwork Meditation Teacher

"Usually our minds are somewhere in the past or somewhere in the future."

In this "out of the box" interview, Stacy speaks with Amy Sandler about how mindfulness and meditation can help decrease the stress and manage the challenges often faced by those in the animal welfare field. Research has shown that mindfulness can increase our focus, resilience, creativity, and performance. It's important, Amy notes, that we have compassion for ourselves, or what she calls, "filing up the well." She walks Stacy through a simple meditative breathing exercise, and talks about the importance to taking a few breaths and setting an "intention" before addressing a specific situation or challenge. "47% of time, our mind is wandering..that's just what the mind does." For more information please visit amysandler.com.

Ep86 Part 2 - Hannah Shaw Oct 13, 2016

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Interview! Hannah Shaw, "The Kitten Lady"

"I live and breathe cat advocacy…that's what I do."

Little did Hannah Shaw know that the day that she borrowed some shoes to climb a tree and save an orphaned kitten, she would be starting a career that would inform and engage cat lovers around the world. An expert in saving and raising kittens, Hannah teaches workshops, develops programs, and shares compelling (and adorable!) content through her significant social media and web presence. In this two part episode, Hannah and Stacy discuss the link between abandoned kittens and the need for spay/neuter for Community cats, how to tell stories that will inspire others to take action, and the difficult and challenging side of caring for the most vulnerable of felines. As she puts it, "there are so many lives out there that need us."

For more information please visit kittenlady.org.

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