Interview! Pamela Krausz, Founder and Executive Director of Vermont Companion Animal Neutering Pamela is a founder and the executive director of Vermont Companion Animal Neutering (VT-CAN), a low cost, high volume spay/neuter clinic. As a stationary clinic with a mash-stlye component, VT-CAN performs approximately 3,200 spays/neuters per year in central Vermont, with an additional 2,000 per year as partner to the Felines and Friends Foundation in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom. Pamela has extensive...
Sep 06, 2016•21 min
Interview! Heidi Colonna, Curriculum Development Manager for the Humane Society of the United States and Board Member with Association of Professional Humane Educators Heidi was volunteering at a local shelter in 1994, which compelled her to choose animal science and public policy over a potential business degree. She discusses her focus on 'preventable people problems' and believes education and awareness are key to changing attitudes about all aspects of animal welfare. She and Stacy discuss a...
Sep 03, 2016•21 min
Interview! Kaleel Sakakeeny, Founder, The Other Me Coaching After experiencing the passing of a companion cat, Kaleel's initial interest in animal communication led him to a deeper study of this intuitive practice. In his discussion with Stacy, he explains the premise of animal communication, including the quieting of the mind to facilitate a connection with the animal client. A relationship coach as well as animal communicator, Kaleel volunteers at Gifford Animal Shelter and is a strong advocat...
Sep 02, 2016•19 min
A graduate of Cornell's College of Veterinary program, Sarah is the Program Director for Target Zero, a national initiative focused on assisting financially struggling shelters. She discusses the ways in which this program helps subsidize fixed income pet owners across the country, allowing spay and neuter opportunities that result in drastic decreases in shelter intake. The Community Cat Diversion Program, implemented by Target Zero, prioritizes updating antiquated ordinances and codes through ...
Sep 01, 2016•22 min
An Interview with Danielle Jo Bays, Community Cats Program Manager for the Humane Society of the United States Danielle calls on both her hands-on trapping experience and public policy work to help HSUS develop campaigns and programs that will educate and empower people who want to support cats in their community, such as webinars and tools for trappers and colony caretakers. She underscores the need to engage and communicate with neighbors to make the care of cats a group effort: "sometimes you...
Aug 31, 2016•19 min
An Interview with Angela Walters Rockwell, Executive Director of the Animal Shelter Assistance Program (ASAP), Santa Barbara, California 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 ASAP's ability to deal with a large feral kitten population. There's even a "foster dad...
Aug 30, 2016•20 min
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 for cats, however, sparked her own interest in animal welfare. When her husband was stationed at the naval base in Norfolk, VA, she found a passionate civilian community of cat advocates, as well as a pressing need for population control among the colony living on base. This spurred her to found Cat Team...
Aug 27, 2016•22 min
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, recommendations of safe and effective traps, the pros and cons of fee-waved adoption, and her favorite sources of information about TNR. Stacy also discusses the CCP's newly launched grant program, Community Cat Grants, which provides funds and mentorship to grass...
Aug 26, 2016•23 min
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 trapping volunteer, and quickly rose through the ranks to Feral Cat Program Manager. From there, she elevated to Director of Operations and finally became the Executive Director of the organization in the fall of 2015. Liz outlines some of MRFRS' many services, such as low-cost veterinary care to local families...
Aug 25, 2016•21 min
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 veterinary student herself, Dr. McCobb teaches shelter medicine as an emerging specialty. She explains how her own experience working in shelters showed her that TNR clinics were the perfect way to provide hands-on experience to veterinary students, while also hel...
Aug 24, 2016•20 min
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 private practice, and has volunteered her veterinary service at various local shelters in her home state of Wisconsin. In 2001, Dr. Susan founded Friends of Ferals, an adoption center and spay-neuter clinic for community...
Aug 23, 2016•24 min
John's background in wildlife management and a biology degree from George Washington University led him to become an animal control officer in 1994. Since then, he has served as the director of the National Animal Control Association and,since 2003, the City Animal Care and Services Program in San Jose, CA. John discusses the rewarding effects of switching to a TNR focus after the shelter intake's substantial increase after the 2008 recession. The use of data (including specific euthanasia rates...
Aug 20, 2016•24 min
From working as an animal control officer in 1989 to becoming the first person ever to complete a veterinarian residency in shelter medicine in 2001 at UC Davis, Kate's passion for saving the lives of community cat is undeniable. Within what she calls her 'big picture work,' she has incorporated treatment of infectious diseases in lowering the number of shelter cats and euthanasia. Kate discusses how the excitement of peer-to-peer networking influenced her TNR program called "Million Cat Challen...
Aug 19, 2016•22 min
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 More Homeless Pets" in 2002. At that time, 23,000 was the annual number of deaths among shelter animals. Today, that number has decreased to 781. Rick discusses the concept of economic euthanasia and how a pet's unexpected, high cost health crisis can exacerbate the number of unnecessary deaths. Rick has continued his efforts...
Aug 18, 2016•23 min
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 community cats across the country was ignited. Her grassroots efforts began with soliciting spay/neuter discounts among nationwide veterinarians while chartering her toll-free hotline in 1990. By 1993, she was fielding twenty-three thousand calls a month, leading to expansion programs including United Say Alliance and Spay USA. Esther discusses h...
Aug 17, 2016•21 min
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 dropped to four million. Christine discusses the impact both mash-style and free-standing clinics have had on these statistics, as well as the challenges and triumphs she faced after launching the Feral Cat Spay and Neuter Project in Seattle in 1997. She and Stacy also discuss differing philosophies...
Aug 16, 2016•25 min
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. An advocate for the integration of corporate assistance within the non-profit world, he discusses the positive impact large companies could offer smaller "mom & pop" organizations with significantly lower resources. He also speaks candidly about bridging the gap between private practice and non-profit animal welfare programs, as well as fundraisi...
Aug 13, 2016•25 min
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 over $1 million in grants, has grown the program's original annual budget from $80,000 to over $3 million, launched a high volume spay/neuter clinic in 2008, and founded the Spay Michigan hotline. Amber cites consistent trap availability as a critical component in TNR programs. She challenges every spa...
Aug 12, 2016•21 min
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 herself unable to stomach the reality of surgery. She didn't let her squeamishness stop her from helping animals, however, and found meaningful work in shelters. She is now the program manager at the MSPCA adoption center in Boston, Massachusetts, overseeing the shelter's adoption and spay-neuter events, as well as volunteer and foster care pr...
Aug 11, 2016•25 min
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 veterinarian. After seeing the dire need for more spay-neuter services while working at a 24-hour emergency clinic in Chicago, however, he eventually transitioned into pediatric small-animal medicine. With over 30 years of veterinary experience and having performed approximately 250,000 spay-neuter surgeries, Dr...
Aug 10, 2016•29 min
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 Stacy, she discusses the risks involved in raising kittens this young, and emphasizes that this is a task for rescuers who already have experience. To find out more visit NOVA Cat Clinic online....
Aug 09, 2016•20 min
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.
Aug 06, 2016•18 min
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 with other animal welfare groups and discusses other strategies for handling an influx of kittens, including promotions and foster networks. To find out more visit Arizona Animal Welfare League & SPCA online.
Aug 05, 2016•20 min
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 her own reluctant transition to believing in trap-neuter-release. Now working with Alley Cat Allies, Alice discusses other initiatives, like National Feral Cat Day. For more information, visit alleycat.org or call Alley Cat Allies' nati...
Aug 04, 2016•24 min
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 that they are committed to "give each cat the housing and support and care they need to be successful in the shelter and then successful in their adoptive homes." The Portland area is a pretty great place to be a community cat, she observes, given shelters like CAT as well as...
Aug 03, 2016•24 min
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 support from the ASPCA, Central OK Humane has implemented a raft of programs that have brought live release rates to an all-time high. Their high volume, high quality spay/neuter clinic has treated 11,000 community animals since its inception ...
Aug 02, 2016•21 min
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 connects volunteers, animal welfare professionals and community members. She details their new program, "AniMatch for Cats," which facilitates cooperation amongdifferent constituencies to improve outcomes for cats seeking homes. She believes such a program could wor...
Jul 30, 2016•17 min
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 in Massachusetts for spay/neuter programs that have impacted thousands of animals. She also talks about the importance of getting to know your local legislators, and educating them before you need them, rather than after. "Legislators want to hear directly from their constituents," she notes. While she says a law degree i...
Jul 29, 2016•27 min
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 financial assistance to better support their cat's needs. Since its founding, DCIN has assisted over 700 cats — and loving cat owners. JaneA also discusses how medication and diet can go a long way to assuring that cats have long and happy lives after their diagno...
Jul 28, 2016•19 min
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 the story of an individual cat or situation. Bonney also talks about how to put together an effective non-profit Board of Directors, which she sees as essential to meeting a group's mission. It's important, she notes, to make su...
Jul 27, 2016•26 min
