www.alleycat.org/NFCD

Dear Angela,

National Feral Cat Day (NFCD) is your opportunity to help protect and improve the lives of cats across the county—and it's just around the corner!

On October 16, celebrate NFCD by reaching out to others with the message that feral cats are healthy and happy outdoors and that Trap-Neuter-Return improves cats' lives.

National Feral Cat Day is the perfect opportunity to get involved by distributing educational materials or hosting local events like workshops, fundraisers, or special spay and neuter clinic days. At www.alleycat.org/NFCD, you can read about ideas for holding a local event of your own , download the 2009 poster to hang in your veterinarian's office and other high traffic areas in your community, and participate in our “I’m an Alley Cat Ally” Photo Pledge to tell the world that you care about the lives of feral and stray cats.

Keep an eye out for this year’s poster, arriving in mailboxes soon.

With your help, we can truly make a difference in cats’ lives. You can be their voice—on National Feral Cat Day, and all year round.

Sincerely,

Becky Robinson
President

P.S. If you do not receive a poster, it means we don’t have your mailing address. Be sure to create or update your profile so that you can receive these mailings in the future.

Many local shelters, humane societies, clinics, and pet organizations have special emergency funds to use for families who need special assistance within their communities. Here are a handful, some of which also provide additional help for ongoing animal care:

• Atlanta - Pets Are Loving Support (www.palsatlanta.org/) - P.A.L.S. provides pet-care, including free food and basic veterinary care, and support to the companion pets of critically ill and disabled Atlantans.
• Central Ohio - Pet Promise (www.petpromise.org/programs.html) - Provides financial assistance to low-income pet owners who can’t afford medical care for their pets. Also sponsors Operation Fill-A-Bowl, providing free of charge, cat and dog food to pet owners who need assistance and to the caretakers of feral cat populations. Their City Kitty program provides vaccinations and spay/neuter surgeries for feral cats.
• Connecticut Humane Society (www.cthumane.org) - The Connecticut Humane Society’s Fox Memorial Clinic is a full-service veterinary practice that provides veterinary care for animals whose owners are in financial need.
• New York - NY Save (www.nysave.org) - Aid and assistance for low-income pet owners residing in one of the five boroughs of New York City, whose pet is in need of emergency veterinary care.
• Northern Nevada/Lake Tahoe - Shakespeare Animal Fund (www.shakespeareanimalfund.org) - People in the Northern Nevada/Lake Tahoe area can apply for funds, with an emphasis on those on fixed incomes or with annual incomes below $35,000.
• Salt Lake City - Pet Samaritan Fund (www.petsamaritan.org) - Provides financial assistance to Utah pet owners who cannot afford medical care for their pets due to extreme financial hardship (up to $100 upon receipt of veterinary billing statement).
• San Francisco - Pets Are Wonderful Support (www.pawssf.org) - Provides for the comprehensive needs of companion animals for low-income persons with HIV/AIDS and other disabling illnesses, as well as senior citizens in the San Francisco area.
• Washington, DC – Pets DC (www.petsdc.org) - Dedicated to improving the health and well being of people living with HIV/AIDS or other disabling conditions and their companion pets by providing public health education, exercise, pet food, veterinary care, grooming, foster care, and adoptions services at no cost to individuals in the Metropolitan Washington area.

• Work with your veterinarian. Some veterinarians may be willing to work out a payment plan with you, especially if you can provide some of the payment up front.
• Contact friends and family and fundraise. It’s not easy asking for help. But when your animal’s life hangs in the balance, it may be the best option to borrow money or hold a fundraiser.
• Plan ahead. Cut costs and start a savings plan. Consider getting pet owner’s insurance to cover veterinary costs now to prepare for any tough times you may have ahead.
• Get in touch with breed-specific groups. If your pet is a specific breed, the groups associated with it often have funds available to help provide the care your animal needs.

The news is full of stories of animals losing their homes along with their pet parents due to home foreclosure. Some tips for dealing with this looming threat:

• Educate yourself about ways to prevent foreclosure all together. The best way to keep your whole family together (pets and all) is to stay in your home. At http://makinghomeaffordable.gov/, you can see if you are eligible for government-sponsored foreclosure alternatives, such as refinancing or loan modifications.
• No Paws Left Behind (http://nopawsleftbehind.org/paws/) is a nonprofit that provides tips for homeowners as well as an online network to get your pet into the safest place possible if needed.

Financial Resources for Cat Care

Are you facing tough financial times and struggling to make ends meet for your entire family—including your pets and feral cat colony? Alley Cat Allies has ideas on how to make providing care more affordable, including resources for obtaining food and for helping you cover emergency veterinary costs.

If you are caring for a feral cat colony, there are multiple avenues to find support to help you obtain affordable or free food and shelter for the cats.

Resources for Obtaining Cat Food

• Check for surplus food at your local humane society, or human food bank, or local food pantries. Feeding America has an online food bank locator at www.feedingamerica.org.
• Ask your local market or pet supply store to donate broken packages or dented cans. Some retailers will also donate out-of-date products, which are still good for a few months longer than the sell-by date.
• Ask local vet clinics if they have surplus or just-out-of-date premium pet foods that they are willing to donate.
• Hold a cat food drive. Announce the drive in the local paper to collect donations from the public. Your workplace, local religious institutions, and civic or youth groups may be willing to help as well. Sometimes youth groups, clubs, and high schools require community projects that benefit both people and animals. Work with your local scout troop or volunteer organization on the drive for feral cat caregivers. Ask local markets and pet supply shops if you may put out an attractive bin requesting cat food donations.

Resources for Obtaining Shelters/Cat Houses for Feral Cats

• Ask for scrap lumber from building supply stores or contractors, often available at little or no cost.
• Place an ad asking for used dog houses. This could net several free shelters that, with minor improvements, can be made suitable for cats (usually insulation needs to be added and the door made smaller).
• Host a shelter building party. Get together with other caregivers and/or your local feral cat organization’s supporters to build the houses together. Contact a local Boy or Girl Scout or other youth organization and ask interested youth to complete a service project to help build shelters.
• Alley Cat Allies’ website shows several inexpensive shelters you can make yourself, available at www.alleycat.org/BuildAShelter (click on the second bullet).

Spay/Neuter Help

• Alley Cat Allies’ Feral Friends Network is a group of organizations or individuals with feral cat expertise and veterinary practices and clinics that provide neuter surgeries for feral cats located in communities nationwide. Go to www.alleycat.org/response to locate a Feral Friend near you who may offer low-cost or subsidized spay/neuter surgery for feral cats.

Emergency veterinary care can be costly. These national organizations provide funds to those in need.

• AAHA Helping Pets Fund (www.aahahelpingpets.org) - This fund helps those in need access quality veterinary care for sick or injured pets. Grants temporarily suspended but will begin again in July 2009.
• Angels4Animals (www.angels4animals.org) - Friends or veterinarians use the “contact us” page to refer an animal family in need of financial assistance.
• CareCredit (www.carecredit.com) - Offers a revolving line of credit for veterinary expenses.
• Cats in Crisis (www.catsincrisis.org) - Helps individuals and humane organizations care for cats with chronic or emergency medical conditions through financial and fundraising assistance. Grants temporarily suspended, but check often for re-up date.
• Feline Veterinary Emergency Assistance Program (www.fveap.org/sys-tmpl/door/) – This program provides financial assistance to cat and kitten guardians who are unable to afford veterinary services to save their companions when life-threatening illness or injury strikes.
• Help-A-Pet (www.help-a-pet.org) - Help-A-Pet provides financial assistance nationwide for the medical care of pets whose owners are unable to afford the expense; for individuals with income below $20,000 or a family income below $40,000.
• IMOM (www.imom.org) - Financial assistance for life-threatening and emergency veterinary care. IMOM is dedicated to ensuring that no companion animal has to be euthanized simply because their caretaker is financially challenged.
• The Pet Fund (www.thepetfund.com) - Provides financial assistance to owners of domestic animals

May 11, 2009 - Following calls from Alley Cat Allies and our advocates, Texas Senate clarifies there is no intent to call cats “invasive species.”

Our voices were heard! Facing calls from Alley Cat Allies and our supporters to clarify an invasive species bill, the sponsor published a statement of legislative intent in the Senate Journal stating that there was no intent to classify cats or dogs as invasive species.

Although the statement makes clear that the Senate does not intend cats to be invasive species, the statement is only guidance, not binding language of law. While state agencies typically follow the guidance of the legislature, Alley Cat Allies will monitor the Texas departments overseeing invasive species control to make sure they do no harm to cats. In the unlikely event further action is needed, we will alert you.

Read the Statement of Legislative Intent in the Texas Senate Journal. 

 
Sponsor withdraws an ineffective and counterproductive mandatory spay/neuter bill.

Dear Angela,

Your support makes such a difference! Last month, we asked Floridians like you to take action against the ineffective and counterproductive mandatory pet spay/neuter bill proposed in the Florida House of Representatives. Over the next several days, nearly 400 dedicated advocates joined Alley Cat Allies in sending a strong message of opposition to the Florida legislature. Our voices were heard loud and clear: the bill’s sponsor withdrew the bill, and completely replaced his proposal with a bill that does not include any mandatory spay/neuter provisions.

Alley Cat Allies has been a strong supporter of spay/neuter, especially for stray and feral cats, since our founding nearly 20 years ago. But we don't support the wrongheaded and ineffective policy of mandatory spay/neuter for pet cats.

Although Alley Cat Allies no longer opposes H.B. 451, we will continue to monitor legislation in Florida, and we will alert you if more action is needed. Thank you for your continued support – together, we can make a real difference for Florida's cats.

Sincerely,

Becky Robinson
President

P.S. If you want to learn more about why mandatory spay/neuter is the wrong approach for our nation's cats, see our Mandatory Spay/Neuter Fact Sheet.

Help Us Protect Illinois' Cats

Donate now to help us protect the cats of Illinois »

Dear Angela,

I had to write as soon as I could to tell you about the incredibly dangerous bill, H.B. 2703, that is currently being considered by the Illinois State Legislature. The bill will require animal control officers to pick up and impound any cat found "at large"—even those whose owners have let them out for a while.

I’m sure you can see why this is so incredibly dangerous. Impounding cats means bringing them to the shelter, where their fates are uncertain. Just last year, Alley Cat Allies used the Freedom of Information Act to collect information on the outcomes of cats who entered Illinois shelters in 2008. The numbers were disturbing: animal pounds and shelters killed 60,673 cats. And only 2,991 cats were returned to their owners.

We simply can't let this bill pass. Not only would pet cats found outdoors be in danger, but so would every single stray and feral cat living in the state. And in addition to the "at large" provision, the bill targets many parts of Illinois law favorable to feral cats and their caregivers. The risks of passing this bill are just too terrible to consider.

Alley Cat Allies is already hard at work trying to stop this harmful legislation. We have contacted the residents of Illinois and asked them to speak out and are in regular communication with Illinois State Representatives to explain why this is such a dangerous bill for cats.

But I need your help today. Please make an emergency donation right now to help Alley Cat Allies protect the cats of Illinois and to prevent dangerous bills like this from being considered in other states. 

We have a big fight ahead. This bill was proposed by approximately 50 Illinois county animal control officers. And they have hired a lobbyist to promote their agenda. With your help, Alley Cat Allies can use every tool at our disposal to stop bills that endanger cats. We will mobilize our advocates and work with the legislature until this bill is defeated.

So please, make your gift immediately. Together, we can protect our nation's cats from dangerous laws. 

For the cats,

Becky Robinson
President

Copyright 2008 Alley Cat Allies | 7920 Norfolk Avenue, Suite 600, Bethesda, MD 20814-2525
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Natalie-Thank you so much for posting this information and story.This is ludicrous and makes me so angry since I too am an individual who rescues stray/feral cats and if ever there were a dog wandering around I would rescue him to and to be worried that I could possibly be sued for helping them? It makes me so mad that this man was able to step forward with no papers, dog tags/license anything to prove this dog was his and now he says he wanted to mate him to have more unwanted puppies just frustrates me. She was trying to help this dog and she did. Thanks again for posting.

Love,Chrissy

Setting the Record Straight

 

Anti-cruelty laws apply to all cats&mdashet, stray, abandoned and feral—regardless of ownership.

Dear Angela,

Alley Cat Allies has put a national pest control company on notice that trapping and killing cats can result in criminal convictions for animal cruelty.  Last week we sent a letter to the CEO of Critter Control, alerting him that one of his franchise owners was found guilty on three counts of animal cruelty for killing three feral cats.  We forwarded that letter to 170 Critter Control franchise owners across the country.

Alley Cat Allies also urged Critter Control to remove a page from its website that contained inaccurate statements about anti-cruelty laws.  The page on Critter Control’s website suggested—wrongly—that unidentified cats are rarely protected under state laws.

“It’s simply untrue that acts of cruelty will be excused if the cats are not owned,” said Wendy M. Anderson, Alley Cat Allies Director of Law and Policy.  “Let’s set the record straight: anti-cruelty laws of all states and the District of Columbia apply to all cats&mdashet, abandoned, stray and feral.  These laws exist to protect animals from human violence, regardless of ownership.”

To deter and prevent future killing, Alley Cat Allies took this action to ensure Critter Control and its franchise owners know that there are legal consequences for killing stray and feral cats.

Read the letter Alley Cat Allies sent to Critter Control.

Sincerely,

Becky Robinson
President

Tell Us About Your Event

Announce your event through our event registration form and it will appear on our website!

Dear Angela,

Alley Cat Allies invites you to celebrate National Feral Cat Day (NFCD) on October 16! You can help spread the message about why feral cats need a different kind of care and how your community can band together to stop the killing of cats in your local animal control pounds and shelters by planning your own special event.

Get Event Ideas
Read our list of event ideas and easy activities you can do from home. Sample suggestions include:

• Research your local shelter’s programs and policies for feral cats and either highlight their good programs or denounce their bad programs by writing an editorial for the local paper. View examples here.
• Host a special spay and neuter clinic for feral cats; make it a kick-off event to promote a monthly clinic.
• Organize a cat food drive in your neighborhood to help support local caregivers.
• Talk to a friend, co-worker, or acquaintance about feral cats and help educate others. Here are some talking points to get you started.

Announce Your Event
Be sure to register your local event on Alley Cat Allies’ website. For additional information on publicizing events check out our press release templates. After NFCD, we’ll ask you to share your event outcomes and photos with us, so stay tuned!

Thank you for raising awareness and making a difference in your own communities. Together we can stop the killing of cats and promote humane care practices.

Sincerely,

Becky Robinson
President

Copyright 2008 Alley Cat Allies | 7920 Norfolk Avenue, Suite 600, Bethesda, MD 20814-2525
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Read more
about the cruelty case. 

Dear Angela,

Justice was served when a Richmond area man who killed three feral cats behind a local television station in June was convicted of three counts of animal cruelty. For each cat he killed, he was sentenced to a 12-month suspended jail sentence and a $250 fine.

Keith Copi, the operator of a Critter Control franchise, was found guilty today under a Virginia law that prohibits the “cruel or unnecessary” killing of any cat. At the trial, Mr. Copi admitted trapping and killing the cats, who had been cared for by employees of the television station for years. Mr. Copi’s license has been revoked.

Earlier this week Alley Cat Allies delivered a petition, ultimately signed by over 5,200 of you, to the Henrico County Commonwealth’s Attorney thanking him for taking on this case. The prosecutor personally thanked us for the support you and we gave.

Cats are protected under the anti-cruelty laws of all 50 states and the District of Columbia, and prosecutors are critical to upholding these laws. Those prosecutors who use the anti-cruelty laws to protect stray and feral cats deserve our thanks and support.

Sincerely,
Alley Cat Allies

Copyright 2008 Alley Cat Allies | 7920 Norfolk Avenue, Suite 600, Bethesda, MD 20814-2525
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This notice is not designed to accept or respond to email inquiries. For that reason, please do not reply to this email. If you have questions, please visit our website or online inquiry form.

Become an Alley Cat Ally

Download the "I'm an Alley Cat Ally" pledge page and add your voice to the movement.

Dear Angela,

It’s time to start planning for National Feral Cat Day (NFCD)—October 16th is just around the corner!

To help you prepare, this year’s streamlined NFCD advocacy kit raises awareness about feral cats, the policies and shelter practices that are killing cats, and the importance of expanding humane methods of care for cats such as Trap-Neuter-Return and affordable, accessible spay and neuter services. Your own copy of the NFCD advocacy kit should be arriving in your mailbox any day.

At www.alleycat.org/NFCD, you can read about ideas for holding a local event of your own, download the awareness poster to hang on a bulletin board in your community, and participate in our “I’m an Alley Cat Ally” Photo Pledge to tell the world that you care about the lives of feral and stray cats.

It’s easy: print out the “I’m an Alley Cat Ally” pledge page. Fill in your name, strike a pose, and snap a picture holding the sign. Don’t forget to include your furry friends! Then, just visit the easy submission form. Tell your friends and family to join us, and check back to view our growing photo pledge gallery and slideshow.

We are looking forward to National Feral Cat Day and hope you are too. Help us spread the word about feral cats on October 16th and all year round!

Sincerely,

Becky Robinson, President

P.S. If you did not receive a NFCD advocacy kit, we do not have your mailing address. Be sure to 

Come to
AR 2008!

 
August 14 – 18, 2008
Alexandria, VA

Dear Angela,

Alley Cat Allies’ President, Becky Robinson, will be speaking at the AR 2008 Conference.

Becky will participate in one plenary session:

Paths to Animal Liberation (discussion of controversial strategic issues facing our movement) - Friday, August 15 at 7:15 p.m.

She will also participate in the following workshops:

• Relating to Urban Wildlife (dealing with rodents, feral cats, deer, squirrels, and other urban wildlife) - Saturday, August 16 at 3:30 p.m.
• Companion Campaigns (reports on campaigns to reduce the population and abuse of animal companions) - Sunday, August 17 at 2:30 p.m.
• Effective Tactics for Companions (tactics for ending abuse of animal companions) - Sunday, August 17 at 3:30 p.m.

Visit our exhibit and pick up some complimentary materials!

Thursday, August 14 – Monday, August 18, 2008

Hilton Alexandria Mark Center
5000 Seminary Rd.
Alexandria, VA 22311

Learn about other upcoming Alley Cat Allies’ events.

Sincerely,
           
Alley Cat Allies

P.S. Don’t miss this important conference - Register Now!

Angela,

Becky is also speaking in Pennsylvania on Saturday, August 23 at the Harrisburg River Rescue.  If anyone is PA is planning to go please let me know and maybe we can meet and network!  Registration ends July 31. 

Dear Holly:

Alley Cat Allies’ President, Becky Robinson, is the featured speaker at The Cat Management Forum: The Future of Feral Cat Management Featuring Alley Cat Allies. Sincerely,
Alley Cat Allies

Saturday, August 23, 2008 

Speakers Include:

• Becky Robinson
• Dr. Christine Wilford of Feral Cat Spay/Neuter Project
• Christine Arnold of PAWS
• A representative of the Philadelphia Community Cats Council

P.S. Registration ends July 31! Sign up today!

Dear Angela:

Alley Cat Allies’ President, Becky Robinson , will be speaking at the Unveiling of the Humane Society of Louisiana's Memorial Statue Honoring Animals Lost During Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

The Humane Society of Louisiana will be commemorating the third anniversary of Katrina with a day-long memorial service. They have commissioned artist Mr. Richard Chashoudian to sculpt the nation's first memorial statue that will honor the animals lost during the hurricanes. The unveiling of this statue will take place at 10:00 a.m. Friday, August 29, 2008.

New Orleans City Council
1300 Perdido St. # 2
New Orleans, LA 70112
Click here for directions.

We hope to see you there!

Sincerely,
Alley Cat Allies

P.S. Stop by our exhibit and pick up our materials!

   Come to the
Memorial Statue Unveiling 

August 29, 2008
New Orleans , LA

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Join Feral Power!

Alley Cat Allies · 7920 Norfolk Avenue · Suite 600 · Bethesda, MD 20814-2525 · www.alleycat.org
ACA is the owner and sole moderator of the Feral Power! e-mail list.

Dear Angela:

Alley Cat Allies’ President, Becky Robinson , will be speaking at the Animal Rights Conference.

Becky will participate in one plenary session:

Paths to Animal Liberation (discussion of controversial strategic issues facing our movement)

She will also participate in the following workshops:

 Relating to Urban Wildlife (dealing with rodents, feral cats, deer, squirrels, and other urban wildlife)

 Companion Campaigns (reports on campaigns to reduce the population and abuse of animal companions)

 Effective Tactics for Companions (tactics for ending abuse of animal companions)

Visit our exhibit to enter a prize drawing and pick up some educational materials!

 Thursday, August 14 – Monday, August 18, 2008

We hope to see you there!

Sincerely,
Alley Cat Allies

P.S. Discounted rate until July 31 – register now!

  Come meet our mascot Frank the Feral at the 
Animal Rights Conference!

August 14 – 18, 2008
Alexandria , VA

Home

Support Us

Take Action

Join Feral Power!

Alley Cat Allies · 7920 Norfolk Avenue · Suite 600 · Bethesda, MD 20814-2525 ·

Angela V. Group History Important New Campaign from Alley Cat Allies Monday, 11:43 PM Supporter Alert Dear Ms. Vancleve, Click here to make a donation in support of the Lives Count, Secrets Kill Campaign Then, learn more about the Campaign. By now I hope you have received and read my important letter about Alley Cat Allies' newest strategy to stop the killing of cats, the Lives Count, Secrets Kill Campaign. As you learned, animal pounds and shelters kill more cats entrusted to their custody than they save. But the killing usually happens in secret, away from the public eye. While some facilities keep track of their own numbers, few ever reveal them to the government, let alone the public. As part of the Lives Count, Secrets Kill Campaign, Alley Cat Allies is urging state governments to pass laws requiring these facilities to keep track of every cat they take into custody—and to report to the public each and every fatality. Citizens nationwide deserve to know the real fates of animals inside pounds and shelters. These facilities should be held accountable, and they should be pressured to end cruel policies. Ms. Vancleve, now is the time for your to join our efforts to bring the facts into the light—and stop the killing once and for all.

Lilith thank you for posting, I get that newsletter but others here might not.

Linda, I visited the website and I am JAZZED, I love it and I would love to get involved! Thanks so much to you both I am speaking for everyone I am sure, when i say these are critical issues more awareness about ferals needs to be out there, these sites are great ways to be in the "know" and stay that way. I would have never known you existed there Linda so I can't thank you enough.

Thanks again **hugs**