“I think it all comes from being compassionate and coming to them from a place of empathy [and] understanding.” [on dealing with community members] This episode is sponsored in part by CARE,Doobert, and Maddie's Fund. Stacy speaks with Angéline Fahey, who is the Community Cat Program (“CCP”) Manager at the Humane Society of Southern Arizona. The CCP provides trapping assistance, guidance, resources, and education for several counties in Southern Arizona. It also hosts weekly trapping events and hosts regular Zoom meet-ups, where members of a larger coalition of community cat trappers and advocates can discuss ways to improve the quality of outdoor cats’ lives. Angéline discusses her role as the CCP Manager, which involves frequent interaction with the public regarding community cats. She discusses the type of calls that she receives and how she responds to them. She stresses the importance of spreading awareness about community cats, which includes breaking racial barriers. Angéline also talks about the CCP’s trap rental process, its goals moving forward, and its construction of a community cat center. She encourages those in the Southern Arizona region that are community cat trappers or are interested in becoming a trapper to connect with her. To learn more about the Humane Society of Southern Arizona’s CCP, visit theirwebsite. If you enjoyed this episode, check out our interview withAnna Murrin and Valerie Kajko, Project Manager and TNR Coordinator, Metro Denver CAT Projectinepisode 162.
“We’re trying . . . [to] demonstrate that this can be done, done effectively with great results, and . . . exemplify this to every town, because my ultimate belief is that there should be TNR in every town.” This episode is sponsored in part by Humane Network,Doobert, and Maddie's Fund. In this episode, Stacy chats with Joe Federico, co-founder, and director of Stray Paws Animal Haven. After over two decades as a restaurant owner, Joe decided to leave the industry to embark on a journey driven by his passion for animal welfare. After moving to Southern California, he noticed an abundance of stray and feral cats in his neighborhood, and his search for a solution to their suffering and overpopulation of neighborhood cats brought him to the nonprofit organizationFixNation, where he was a full-time volunteer for 8 years. Seeing the need for more capacity, Joe decided to establish Stray Paws Animal Haven in 2018, along with co-founder Melissa Bento. The organization, based in Los Angeles, California, focuses on reducing the stray animal population through TNR, medical rehab, transport, relocation, adoption, networking, and education. Their team of over 70 volunteer trappers is responsible for spaying/neutering an average of over 150 cats per week. In his conversation with Stacy, Joe details how he became involved in TNR and provides insight into the services that Stray Paws Animal Haven provides. He discusses his encounters with community members and how he has helped sway those who previously only saw the cats as a neighborhood problem. Joe also shares some of the challenges he encountered with covid, how the organization overcame them, and how it forced them to become more efficient. To learn more about Stray Paws Animal Haven, visit their website orInstagram. If you enjoyed this episode, check out our interview withAudra Farrell, Community Cares Program Supervisor at the San Francisco SPCA inepisode 101.
“These techniques are successful because they focus on what’s essential in the procedure . . . and [this] allows the surgeon to work more effortlessly and therefore more efficiently.” This episode is sponsored in part by Humane Network,Doobert, and Maddie's Fund. Stacy chats with Dr. June Long, who has been a high-volume spay/neuter surgeon for over six years. She was formally trained at the ASPCA Spay/Neuter Alliance in 2016. Dr. Long routinely performs 30-40 surgeries daily and has performed over 27,000 sterilization surgeries. In her conversation with Stacy, Dr. Long details how she got into the high-volume spay/neuter field and provides a glimpse into what happens behind the scenes in spay/neuter clinics. She shares her thoughts on the need for high-volume spay/neuter services and on the veterinary workforce shortage. She also gives advice to veterinarians that are interested in the spay/neuter or shelter medicine field. Additionally, Dr. Long provides an overview of the Six Minute Spay, an online course she developed, which helps spay/neuter surgeons become more efficient in performing surgeries. The course is self-led and covers everything from the basics of preparing the surgery to performing some of the more complicated procedures. To learn more about the Six Minute Spay, visit the program’swebsite orFacebook page. You can also contact Dr. Long through email. If you enjoyed this episode, check out our interview withMarvin Mackie, DVM, the co-creator of the Quick Spay Technique episode 40.
“Really my big thing in TNR is education and awareness; I want as many people to know about TNR as possible so that they can help save the cats.” This episode is sponsored in part by Humane Network,Doobert, and Maddie's Fund. Stacy chats with Cameron Greig, the Community Cat Coordinator for the Humane Society of Huron Valley (HSHV) in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Cameron shares information about the specifics of HSHV’s Community Cat Program. To date, this program has served over 18,000 cats, averaging around 1,500 spay-neuter surgeries annually. Cameron talks about how he got into this field and how he has approached handling his position. He shares some of the strategies that the program employs. He also details a recent collaboration with the University of Michigan School of Information, where students performed a deep dive into HSHV’s Community Cat Program to figure out ways it could improve its efficiency and systems. Cameron discusses instances where he has had to deal with difficult property managers while TNRing and provides suggestions on how to appropriately handle these situations. He also provides a few tips for trapping. Listener Notes To learn more about HSHV’s Community Cat Program, visit their website. You can also connect with the HSHV’s Community Cat Program throughFacebook. If you enjoyed this episode, check out our interview withAlice Burton, Program Manager, Animal Control and Shelter Liaison episode 36.
“Just to make people aware: pet insurance is a very helpful tool; veterinary financing is a very helpful tool. When they’re combined, it creates a unique situation where they really piggyback and help each other.” This episode is sponsored in part by Humane Network,Doobert, and Maddie's Fund. Edwin Plotts is the Director of Marketing at Pawlicy Advisor. He is also involved with fostering and TNR in Chatham County, Georgia. Prior to moving to Georgia, he was a volunteer and foster with Flatbush Cats in Brooklyn, New York. In his interview with Stacy, Edwin describes the services of Pawlicy Advisor, which he likens to Priceline for pet insurance. This free resource assists pet owners in finding the right insurance so that they can afford veterinary costs. Edwin explains how there is no one-size-fits-all pet insurance and details how Pawlicy Advisor utilizes the Coverage Score and the Lifetime Pricing Score to rank the insurances most appropriate for the pet owner. He also more broadly explains pet insurance, including what it covers and its evolvement over the past five years. You can connect with Edwin through Linkedin. To learn more about Pawlicy Advisor, visit their website. Listener Notes During his interview, Edwin mentionedFlatbush Cats If you enjoyed this episode, check out our interview with Nathan the Cat Lady in episode 388.
“I think we probably overthink it sometimes. And sometimes it’s just a matter of trying different things to see what the cat seems to prefer or what eliminates the behavior that we’re trying to eliminate.” This episode is sponsored in part by Humane Network,Doobert, and Maddie's Fund. Kristen Levine is a nationally acclaimed pet expert and influencer with over 30 years of experience in the industry. Her early work with the SPCA led her to a lifelong career in the pet industry, advocating for pets and their parents on her blog and in the media. Through her blog, she helps pet parents provide the best care for every stage of a pet’s life. In her discussion with Stacy, Kristen shares some of her experiences in the pet industry and how she got into blogging. Many of the questions that she receives through her blog pertain to behavior. Kristen discusses her efforts in educating cat parents and raising overall awareness about fear, stress, and anxiety in cats, which includes founding the Pet Anxiety Awareness Event and the Pet Anxiety Awareness Month. Kristen provides insight on how to identify some of the stress symptoms in cats and what you can do to address these issues so that they can feel comfortable and safe in your home. She also provides her perspective on the Fear Free concept in veterinary medicine and provides several tips on how small organizations can handle PR. To learn more about Kristen and her work, visitPet Living with Kristen Levine. If you enjoyed this episode, check out our interview with Nathan the Cat Lady in episode 388.
“This is for when you’re really desperate to get the tomcat.” This episode is sponsored in part by Humane Network,Doobert, and Maddie's Fund. Drawing from over 20 years of experience working with feral cats, the folks at Neighborhood Cats have gathered together their favorite ways of catching the wiliest of felines. Join Neighborhood Cats' director of national programs, Bryan Kortis, as he offers a collection of helpful, problem-solving tips! Whether it's putting in a clear rear door, using Spam or KFC as bait, wrapping your trap with green garden netting, or training a cat to enter a trap, you're bound to learn something new to improve your trapping success! Links for Listeners View the full Trappers' Tips & Tricks video and slides on our Community Cat Care and Training page (just scroll to the bottom for recordings) or on YouTube. Learn more about Neighborhood Cats. If you enjoyed this episode, check out another great special episode, Colony Caretaking Tips & Tricks Part 1.
“What about the ones where you do all the basics - you do the feeding pattern, you withhold the food, you use the good traps, and all that - but they just won't go in?” This episode is sponsored in part by Humane Network,Doobert, and Maddie's Fund. Drawing from over 20 years of experience working with feral cats, the folks at Neighborhood Cats have gathered together their favorite ways of catching the wiliest of felines. Join Neighborhood Cats' director of national programs, Bryan Kortis, as he offers a collection of helpful, problem-solving tips! Whether it's putting in a clear rear door, using Spam or KFC as bait, wrapping your trap with green garden netting, or training a cat to enter a trap, you're bound to learn something new to improve your trapping success! Links for Listeners View the full Trappers' Tips & Tricks video and slides on our Community Cat Care and Training page (just scroll to the bottom for recordings) or on YouTube. Learn more about Neighborhood Cats. If you enjoyed this episode, check out another great special episode, Colony Caretaking Tips & Tricks Part 1.
“The good thing about spay/neuter is one cat fixed: thousands saved. So you get one done, you can feel really good that night about what you’ve done. You don’t have to have these big huge numbers to make a difference in your community, in your neighborhood.” This episode is sponsored in part by Humane Network,Doobert, and Maddie’s Fund. Linda Chitwood is the volunteer director for the nonprofit charity Homeless Animals Relief Project (“HARP”), located in Senatobia, Mississippi. HARP’s mission is to reduce cat suffering and overpopulation by providing free or very low-cost spay/neuter surgery to those with low income or caring for community cats. Since its inception in 1997, HARP has fixed over 20,000 cats. After moving from Memphis to rural Mississippi, Linda encountered a community without any animal welfare programs and she was compelled to take action. In her conversation with Stacy, Linda shares some of her experiences from her 25 years in animal welfare work and in operating a small nonprofit. Linda also discusses the book that she published, $5 For A Cat Head, which provides guidance on how to get started with TNR and what you can do as an individual in the community. This book also provides helpful advice in dealing with community members while trapping in different environments and other practical hands-on tips. In this discussion, Linda reminds us all to “never lose sight of the beauty and the wonder and the joy of the animals we’re trying to help.” To learn more about HARP, visit theirwebsite. Linda’s book can be found onBookBabyand the Kindle version can be found onAmazon. All of the proceeds from the sale of the book go to the animals served by HARP and will be used to fund spay/neuter surgeries. If you enjoyed this episode, check out our interview with Chris Roy, pilot, and creator of Doobert.com in episode131.
“So I think it’s really important when you start something that you really feel part of it and you have the feeling that you really want to talk about it all of the time.” This episode is sponsored in part by Humane Network,Doobert, and Maddie's Fund. Marta Negro, a lifelong pet lover and avid traveler, faced a difficult task when the COVID pandemic forced her to return home to Spain without her dog. Fortunately, she was able to find a flight volunteer who could reunite her with her dog. Following this experience, Marta recognized the need for this service on a grander scale, which prompted her to develop the platformHelp the Dog Fly. This service connects individuals trying to get their pet home with transport volunteers. In her conversation with Stacy, Marta provides details about the behind-the-scenes work. She also shares the organization’s values, some of the challenges as a new organization, and her goals for Help the Dog Fly’s future. To learn more about Help the Dog Fly, visit theirFacebook,Instagram, orwebsite. If you enjoyed this episode, check out our interview with Chris Roy, pilot, and creator of Doobert.com in episode131.