The Community Cats Podcast

Interview! Gavin Ehringer, Author of Leaving the Wild: The Unnatural History of Dogs, Cats, Cows and Horses "It's not enough to take care of animals after they're born, we have to think about their circumstances before the act of breeding even takes place." Gavin takes a critical look at breeding and how our values shape our animals for good and bad in his new book, Wild. The book actually began about 5 years ago when he got the idea about writing about how animals came to be domesticated. He decided to put his entire life into the book and went out on the road in an RV and did research all over the United States for the book. He looks at the history of dogs, cats, cows and horses and how they willingly left the wild in exchange for our care, along with how that relates to what they deal with now in modern times. He digs into what the consequences have been to them becoming domesticated. For instance, with cats, the invention of kitty litter I the 1940's really changed the game for them becoming an indoor pet. A man was using a similar material to absorb oil on the floor of his garage when a neighbor came over and asked to use it for her cat. Voila, and industry was born! It completely changed the game for cats on becoming indoor pets. Gavin also found interesting research around the millennial and their cat ownership rates. Cats have only recently surpassed dogs as America's most popular pet, and more than likely we can than the millennials for that! Because cats are easy to care for and fit into their urban lifestyles very well, adoption rates have skyrocketed with this generation. It also gives them social credibility by adopting through shelters and off the streets. Believe it or not, Gavin didn't have a very positive view of community cats before he wrote the book. He viewed them as destroyers of wildlife. But after his research, he learned how TNR can be so effective and can be the long-term solution. He believes the whole community needs to get involved in these issues and there needs to be long-term discussions if they hope to decrease the amount of animals living and suffering on the streets. To grab Gavin's book, head over to www.leavingthewild.com.

Interview! Nell Thompson - Coordinator of National Getting To Zero Program "I'm passionate for improving outcomes for community cats. I believe TNR would work great with cooperation and collaboration to achieve community change." Nell has worked for over 25 years in the industry and her background is exceptional, due to her veterinary technician experience and knowledge that has heavily influenced her work every since. Her journey was heavily influenced by her parents, who volunteered in shelters when she was a kid and fostered cats and dogs as a family when she was young. The National Getting to Zero Program is in Australia and primarily focuses on homeless cats and dogs and they work to implement change in a respectful way. They work to increase responsibility for companion animals so that every community and municipality can achieve zero euthanasia of all healthy and treatable cats and dogs. Because they are in Australia, they take many methodologies and philosophies that we use here in the United Stated, and work to implement them there, since our cultures are fairly similar. However, the government been difficult to work with when it comes to community cats. For a variety of reasons, community cats are very maligned in Australia. While being aware of the environmental factors, all options for population management need to be looked at and best applied, but the government is more on board with killing the overpopulation numbers that are homeless. Community cats are persecuted in the country based on government standards. In most states in Australia, TNR is illegal. A lot of work has been done by locals to try to change the culture and work in more positive collaboration with the government, but so far, it has been a difficult road. In 2015, the government passed legislation to kill 1,000,000 cats, so the Getting to Zero program has been working in overdrive to get TNR up and running and to manage the population in a better way. What can you do to help? One of the biggest drivers of this program is communication. Just by talking to people it can help to alert them to what is happening in Australia and what the problems are. It can be hard to push through change, but sometimes you need to accept the discomfort that comes with this and push through it. For more information, head over to www.g2z.org.au.

Interview! Keoni Vaughn, Executive Director of Lanai Cat Sanctuary "My job has helped me instantly get to the heart of what I want to do, which is rescue and protect animals that can't speak for themselves." Keoni is the Executive Director of the Lanai Cat Sanctuary, and oversees a staff of only 6, who provide daily care for almost 600 cats! Prior to working here, he was the VP and Director of the Hawaiian Humane Society, where he worked hard to rescue animals. The Humane Society found themselves working as mediators in the midst of an abundance of free roaming cats on the islands, due to constant nice weather and a lack of natural predators. A bulk of his time there was collaborating with colony care givers and housing associations to mediate on how to best handle the overpopulation situations. Keoni was born and raised in Oahu and has worked hard to position the sanctuary as the #1 place to visit in Lanai. He has worked with travel websites to create viral content that has increased the awareness of the sanctuary in the area. 95% of the sanctuary's donations come from visitors and a quick commuter plane or ferry ride will bring in tourists for a great day trip to visit. When given the opportunity to work at the sanctuary, he jumped on it. Despite only having about 3,000 people on the island and it being remote, he was determined to help solve the cat overpopulation issue, despite the limited resources. Him and his team focus attention on where endangered birds live and breed, in order to create the safe environment they need. By using trail cams, along with help from the community, they are able to watch for the colonies and take cats they find to the sanctuary when needed. Believe it or not, 95% of the cats that come to them from the island have never seen a human before! That is why it's also important for Keoni to work on socializing these cats, as well, which about 40% of them are doing well with at this time. Most adoptions they do make happen tend to come from off of the island, so it's important to work with the cats' socialization at the sanctuary on a daily basis. He has also written an article about building sanctuaries in other parts of the country and what the tips and ideas are relevant that he would give. It can be a struggle, but he has learned how to be efficient. He discussed the many requests he gets to build sanctuaries in other parts of the country, but he is adamant about really being able to sit down and evaluate the specific scenario and to start slow! For more information, head to lanaicatsanctuary.org.

Interview! Natalise Kalea, CEO of poundWISHES "We want to save animals, help animals, and better the lives of animals around the world. We aim to execute on our mission through creative innovation and community." Natalise has always been an animal lover, who always dreamed of using her business skills and put them to good use. Now that she is the CEO of poundWISHES, she is doing exactly that! Natalise is a graduate of Stanford Graduate School of Business, who did an internship between her first and second years that encouraged her to create an environment of impact in business. When she was younger, she regularly volunteered with Best Friends in Los Angeles, which opened her eyes to how many different programs needed funding. She remembers seeing people take in 5 to 10 animals at a time, which would only put them into debt. Because of this, she wanted to move into a role where she could directly impact the future. poundWISHES is a crowdfunding platform for animal welfare non-profits that started about 2 1/2 years ago by a little girl who suffered from Leukemia. As a young girl, her family utilized the Make-A-Wish foundation, which always stuck with her. When her family adopted a pet from a shelter when she was 5, she remembered how sad the shelters were and wanted to create a "Make-A-Wish" foundation for them! When she was 12, her and her dad created poundWISHES to help these animals in shelters and elsewhere. poundWISHES receives crowdfunding request for animals in need who may require surgery, medication, or transport. There are also crowdfunding items for natural disasters, or even things like the creation of a dog park! It is similar to GoFundMe, but for animals and is much more hands-on. poundWISHES helps rescues craft and optimize their campaigns and shares campaigns to their community of over 90,000 animal lovers. They also highlight campaigns on their social media platforms, which allows shelters to not have to solely depend on themselves to get the word out. Natalise shares tips on running successful campaigns, such as focusing on the quality and content of the story. Great pictures and videos are a must, along with successfully framing the story to bring an emotional response. poundWISHES is also working to expand into the e-Commerce industry, similar to an Amazon Wishlist. They are aiming to be a one-stop-shop for rescues so they can strictly focus on the work they have to accomplish at their facility. Donors are able to contribute through physical items, along with monetary donations, allowing rescues to worry less about how they will fundraise and bring needed products and medicine in the door. Learn more today at poundwishes.com.

Interview! Haydn Hilton, Owner of Java Cats Cafe in Atlanta, GA "If I would have known how much work a cat cafe was, I might have turned around, but the cats are where the magic is. They market the coffee shop all by themselves when people walk by!" Meet 26-year-old Haydn Hilton, owner of Java Cats Cafe. This is Georgia's first cat cafe in the heart of Atlanta and definitely wasn't where Haydn expected to find herself! Initially going to school to be part of the film industry, she dropped everything to start this business and now enjoys giving advice and mentoring other female entrepreneurs looking to start a business in a male-dominated society. Her business also support local charities and she enjoys being a positive influencer on social media. Because her cafe can't cook their own food directly in the cafe, Haydn farms out the work to a local homeless charity, where the people work in a kitchen creating the food that the cafe receives on a daily basis. What a great way of giving back to the local community! Haydn was always involved in animal rescue growing up. It's in her blood to be very caring towards animals. When she was younger, she spent about a year doing TNR with her family at a neighbor's abandoned barn that had a large population of barn cats left behind. The cats ended up hanging out at her family's house after that and the 20 cats that stayed were like a dream come true to Haydn. She developed a real passion of working with feral cats to tame and nurture them. But she didn't expect to make a career out of it! She was a senior at Georgia State and was in a film class, where she learned about a cat cafe and was immediately drawn to the idea.She quit school, left her job, learned how to be a barista and started the long journey of opening up Atlanta's first cat cafe! Java Cats Cafe is heavily regulated and cats are partitioned in a completely different area. People come into the coffee shop portion, where they can purchase what they want to eat or drink, or just pay a fee to go straight into the cat area. People than can sit in a room with up to 20 cats that are all up for adoption. Who wouldn't love that?! The fee is than used to help support the local shelters that supplies the cats in the cafe. Haydn also discusses the entrepreneurial struggle and how hard it was being a woman to just get into renting spaces. She had a really hard time getting taken seriously, which has caused her to start awoman's entrepreneurial group at Java Cats to make sure that other women can find the support they need. She wants people to feel safe to share the struggles of what happens trying to open the business, while potentially finding a much needed mentor.She also does special activities and events in the cafe. Woman's clothing swap, game nights, paint class, movie night, documentary series, and many other things that brings the community and women together with a bunch of different interests to support the cause. Haydn also discussed the pros and cons with using Kickstarter to help raise her initial equity.Because she wanted to get things open, she needed to get money on the table ASAP. She also wanted the publicity to make sure she was being taken seriously. Which worked. However, between taxes, fees and other things that get taken out, you need to make sure it's actually worth going through the work of setting up a crowdfunding area. She completely believes in the idea of cat cafes, though. Java Cats Cafe has already doubled the adoption rate with cats with PAWS Atlanta. People can see them right away and have a more natural exposure that happens at the cafe. It's more of a playground for cats, rather than the sad environment many shelters tend to have. It's a game changer for cat adoption! Learn more about Java Cats Cafe at their website, javacatscafe.com, or on Instagram and Facebook.

Interview! Frances Carlisle, Attorney "An important and usually neglected part of estate planning is what will happen to a client's pets and animals. Charities which are already overburdened than have to step in, taking resources away from their other needs." Frances Carlisle is an attorney in New York that prepares wills and trusts, along with trusts for animals. She was one of the original members of the New York City Bar Animal Law Committee and has appeared on Animal Planet to discuss the importance of estate planning for continuing care of animals, as well! Because animals can't be a beneficiary, but there are two different ways to provide for continuing care after something happens to a pet owner: Leave an outright bequest for a fund to take care of the animal - This may be where a family member would take on the burden. A pet owner could set up a fun for the person to help defray the cost of care for the animal. Frances also suggests having 2 or 3 names to make sure that if your #1 choice suddenly can't take the animal, there is a back-up. Creation of a trust for an animal - This offers more protections for the animal. This would name your animal as a beneficiary through a trustee, who will ultimately be in charge of overseeing everything for the duration of the pet's life. While working with an attorney may be too expensive for some, there is a new mypetwill.com website, where you can create these items relatively cheap. Frances also discusses the option that pet owners may want to consider looking into sanctuaries for pets that are long-living and may outlast a pet owner's lifespan, such as horses or other larger animals. A sanctuary or stable would be a great option to find something that is likely to be around for the lifetime of the animal. It's also important to think about what a pet owner would do for an extended hospitalization or was suddenly incapacitated. It's necessary to work on an arrangement where someone can immediately feed and care for an animal. A power of attorney may be needed, in these cases. She also recommends carrying a card in your wallet that gives directions on what to do in case of emergency with pets that may be at home. In the case of community cats, a caretaker may want to make sure they give detailed locations and descriptions of where they feed and take care of a colony. Finally, Frances discusses how to consider what to do with your pet when they die. It's important to make sure they are properly taken care of not only in life, but in death!

Interview! Sandy Rees, Founder and Chief Encouragement Officer - Get Fully Funde "I've always felt deep in my soul that I'm here to help lots of people. I have a sensitive heart and can't stand to see anyone suffer." Sandy helps non-profits and charities who have been used to nickel and dime fundraising work on getting to six or seven figures on their bottom line! She shows her students how to find ideal donors and connect with them through authentic messaging. Because one of the greatest challenges for our listeners is fundraising, Sandy has many answers that we need to do the jobs we are trying to do for our community cats! Sandy fell into this career by accident and didn't go to school or classes that teach non-profit management. There really weren't any around! But she went on a tour at a local rescue mission and ended up asking lots of questions. She was soon asked to join their board and a year later, joined their resource development office. Soon, she jumped into fundraising and never looked back! Surprisingly, she was able to apply a lot of corporate marketing from her earlier career into her new one and she soon blossomed. In 2005 she started Get Fully Funded and was able to pick specific clients that she loved and connected with. From farm animals to dogs and cats, Get Fully Funded can cover it! The bottom line is that people are passionate about helping animals, but don't know how to raise money to help. So she retrains her clients to turn fundraising into something that makes people want to help. She gets donors excited! She also believes in working by the 1/10/1000 Rule. Plan ONE fundraising event a year and do it really well! Get TEN grants a year. Stop leaving grant money on the table. These types of grants are out there so apply! Build your donor base up to about 1,000 donors. This will set yourself up for sustainable fundraising long-term. It's also good because if you lose one donor, you'll be able to weather storms through a base of stability. Sandy also talks about ARF club, which focuses on small organizations and training opportunities for these places. They are able to work together with all animal welfare groups through private Facebook groups and other Q&A sessions where they can connect and collaborate. Learn more at http://getfullyfunded.com/arf-club/ and arfclub.com.

Interview! Cameron Moore, Program Manager, Million Cat Challenge "Hurricane Irma's reach was intense for shelters across Florida, but it will only help us to plan for future incidents." Cameron is a return guest (head to Episode 61 for information on how she got started in the business) that is here today to discuss the hurricane relief efforts in Florida. Cameron worked with Maddie's Shelter Medicine Program to do pre and post-storm assessments for a majority of the 155 shelters in Florida. Volunteers were responsible for contacting shelters before the storm to find out what may be needed, evacuation plans and how to distribute supplies. This also parlayed into working with shelters to get pre-storm animals out to safety so the shelter would have room for post-storm animals that would need a place to go. When it came time to moving these animals before the hurricane hit, it proved challenging because carriers were in short supply, gas was drying up because of the mass exodus out of Florida and traffic was so horrible it took hours to travel anywhere. It was a real eye-opener on how to operate things in the future. However, they were able to get 73 animals out of a shelter and into safety before the storm even touched the ground. Cameron stresses the importance of having a plan in place before the storm. It's key. She also stresses how important shelters are who aren't in the eye of the storm, because they can be in a position to take animals that need to be relocated. The key is never to be in a position where shelters have to euthanize pre-storm animals in order to make room for post-storm animals. Overall, things went well and it caused a funding collaborative to come together in order to work smarter together for future events. Thanks to Petco and other charities, there are plans to set up a centralized website with a grant application to help post-storm shelters. Cameron also discusses how to potentially approach hurricane season differently in the future, and how she loved seeing the increase in people being able to take their pets with them who were evacuated to other areas. It only makes it easier on a family and a shelter. Here's the link to the transport best practices webinar series. aspcapro.org/webinar-series-companion-animal-transport-best-practices

Interview! Jim Tedford, President and CEO for the Society of Animal Welfare Administrators, SAWA "Our role is to make connections between people who need relief versus the members we know who can provide relief." Jim is a returning guest who has been actively engaged in the animal welfare movement for over 30 years. He was involved in the professional association of leaders in animal welfare and control, along with the National Council of Pet Population, a subsidiary of SAWA. More specifics of Jim's work, check out Episode 199! Today we discussed SAWA's experience in assisting the recent hurricane victims across the country. Their main role is to mobilize a network of professionals. Currently, there are around 1,100 members around the U.S. SAWA works to bring them together to provide the help when and where it's needed. Work starts before a natural disaster hits, and remains long after for hurricane relief. Another big goal is to make sure people don't get in the way of themselves and cause more harm than good. Many times organizations offer to help and show up before any requests have been made. This can cause people to get in the way of themselves and create more work than needed. SAWA is currently working hard to make sure that Texas and Florida are able to provide the shelter space and resources for the animals that have been displaced and have needed rescuing. Jim also discusses how it's been moving animals from Point A to Point B, as far as paperwork, immunizations, diseases, etc. Overall, it's important to note that when dealing with disasters, the real strength is in the network and that is exactly where SAWA shines. For more information, head over to sawanetwork.org.

Interview! Matt Michaelson and Calvin Bohn, Co-Founders of Smalls "58% of cats are overweight, and 28% of those are considered obese. This is up 7% since just 2011 and something clearly needs to change." Matt, the Master Business Person, and Calvin, Head Chef, are taking a fresh look at feeding felines after seeing just how many cats are overweight, suffering from renal failure or urinary crystals. They realized just how big a difference real food can make for all cats and decided to start a new food company to help with these increasing issues. Matt grew up with cats and dogs and always had a bit of a suspicion about the food he was feeding his pets. It just never quite smelled like food. Calvin's interest in food began with human food. One of the big lessons he hopes that people wrap their head around is that the same truths for human food hold strong for cats, as well. What you eat has a big impact on your energy, day-to-day health and wellness, along with long-term health! While humans are on the bandwagon to work towards better eating, now it's time for our pets, too! Feeding cats also needs to change through more specific feeding instructions, instead of just being based on weight or age. Smalls is working to revolutionize this area by receiving information about a client's cat and creating a specific CALORIE recommendation to feed per day. It lets owners know exactly what to feed their kitty, per day, instead of allowing a cat to free feed, since it's not really inline with a cat's natural predatory behavior. Cats also get most of their hydration through their food and with dry food in today's market, that isn't possible. Cats tend to be chronically dehydrated, which can cause renal failure, obesity, urinary crystals, etc. All food is freshly prepared, frozen and shipped to a client on a subscription basis. They are creating their own cooking classes and teaching people how to cook their own food at home. Smalls believes in transparency and want people to see how the food is prepared and what goes into it! For more information about Smalls, and to order, head over to www.smallsforsmalls.com.

Interview! Adam Myatt, The Cat Man of West Oakland "These cats are street smart, tough as nails, and have definitely scene some stuff, but they are our neighborhood cats and are softies at heart." Cats have been taking over this amazing guy's life for the last 8 years! What started as a small photography hobby has turned into a life-changing endeavor, leading the Cat Man down a path that led to diving head first into cat rescue TNR and opening the first cat cafe in the United States. Adam was actively playing in bands and worked in a recording studio and had a buddy who went on tour and started posting on Instagram with the hashtag #CatsOnTour. So when Adam, himself, went on tour, he kept the tradition alive and it just never stopped! After posting photos for awhile, he had friends who were impressed and encouraged him to do something with them, but he was determined not to invest what little money had had into cat merchandise. But he decided to start a crowdfunding campaign to get things started. Before he knew it, he had people signing up for a calendar he created and it has been wildly successful in the years since! The 2018 Calendar will be his 6th year selling through Kickstarter and he's now even working on a book & calendar pitch for 2019 that may take it even further! Adam has been stunned by how many people have gotten onboard and ordered calendars and also is blown away by how much the community in West Oakland wants to get involved with cat rescue efforts when a cat is trapped. He is focused on doing more TNR in the community and making an impact on that side of things, rather than running an adoption center. In a stroke of irony, the Cat Man won't be adopting any of his feline friends anytime soon. His roomie of over 12 years is allergic and having cats in his own home just isn't in the cards! So how does he get such great pictures of these sweet feral cats? He gets down to their level, even if it means kneeling and laying down in the streets to capture their sweet faces. And of course, treats and catnip always help! Believe it or not, those great pics are all taken with just an iPhone! Because who wants to carry crazy photography gear around the streets of Oakland?! Learn more and grab your own 2018 Cat Calendar at catmanofwestoakland.com.

Interview! Dr. Mike Greenberg, Program Director for Target Zero "We want to teach people to set goals, and then to use metrics to measure their progress towards them." Dr. Mike Greenberg is the program director for Target Zero, a project that helps municipal shelters achieve live release rates of 90% or above for community cats. He is also the co-author of Every Nose Counts: A Guide to Using Metrics in Animal Shelters. Mike describes the book as a practical guidebook for the entire sheltering world and those who care for homeless animals, from volunteers to vets. Every Nose Counts argues for the utility of statistical metrics in predicting live release rate outcomes in shelters, and instructs on the implementation of metrics in the animal welfare world. The book is a marriage of Dr. Greenberg's professional experience in shelter medicine with his interest in data analysis and his passion for education other animal welfare professionals. You can purchase your own copy of Every Nose Counts at sheltermetrics.org or on Amazon, where it is available in both hardcover and electronic formats.

Interview! Sarah-Jane Farrell, Multi Sensory and Forensic Medical Intuitive "The trust process is the first step in our ability to trust that we are enough. It is as ancient as humankind." Sarah-Jane Farrell is a pragmatic psychologist who specializes in healing trauma through utilizing the animal relationships in our lives. Sarah-Jane grew up in Zimbabwe, where she always felt that animals understood her more than people did. She has always been struck by the animal ability to live in the present moment and only focus on necessities, whereas humans often "live from the head instead of the heart." To counter this habit, she encourages her clients to trust themselves and their natural instincts, as well as to observe and learn from the animals in their lives. Sarah-Jane has been fortunate enough to study the lions of the Zimbabwe savannah, and has learned much about interdependence and intergenerational wisdom from these majestic wild cats. Sarah-Jane offers online courses on how to rebuild your "trust process" and harness your innate healing abilities. You can sign up for these courses at accessurtruenature.com, as well as learn a little more about Sarah-Jane and her practice. You can also find a variety of video tutorials on her YouTube channel, or connect with her on Facebook. Still not convinced? Here are some free demos for helping our feline companions from Sarah-Jane: How to help yourself help animals in shelters or distress A soothing song for cats

Interview! Katie Lisnik, Director of Cat Policy and Protection, Humane Society of the United States Ready for Round 5 of Policy Jeopardy? Katie Lisnik once again updates us on the various changes and new initiatives in community cat policy across the US. The challenges facing animal welfare advocates differ greatly across the fifty states: while New Hampshire just passed a bill that approved the adoption of FIV+ and and Felv+ cats, Kansas is the last holdover of this outdated law, and the change seems slow to come. Katie also talks about the importance of clear and public position statements from animal welfare organizations, especially concerning hot-button issues like TNR and FIV+/Felv+ adoption. You can read the Humane Society's position statement on TNR here. If you are interested in getting involved with animal welfare legislation in your state, you can find your state director's contact information on humanesociety.org. You can also find resources for anything related to sheltering, rescue, animal control, TNR, or community cat related at animalsheltering.org. And, as always, you can email Katie at [email protected] if you have any questions concerning animal welfare legislation and policy.

Interview! Bryan Kortis, Director of National Programs for Neighborhood Cats "It feels like we are starting over in Maui. We are having fascinating on-the-ground experiences!" Stacy catches up with Bryan Kortis today to cover a wide range of topics from what is happening in Hawaii with pending legislation that would help community cats, to an update on the group's work in Jersey City, New Jersey, where they recently spayed/neutered about 1,000 cats! Lastly, we are covering what is new with catstats.org. Bryan has partnered with the local Maui Humane Society to build a special TNR room and has been getting involved in the community to get hands-on help. It hasn't been easy, though! He has dealt with a lot of anti-TNR attitudes in Hawaii, which is home to the largest home of endangered bird species. Follow Bryan's work in Hawaii with the action alert! Bryan also makes presentations at conferences and meetings all around the country and is hosting a training online on October 17th, "Combating the Naysayers", which you can sign up for now! To find out more about where Bryan is presenting and what he is up to over the coming months, go to www.neighborhoodcats.org.

Interview! Cathy Unruh and Chad Thompson, Board President and Executive Director, Meow Now, Inc. "My ultimate vision is that there really are no more community cats, because the entire United States has bought into TNVR." Cathy Unruh and Chad Thompson are the founding board president and executive director of Meow Now, Inc., respectively. Meow Now is the first and only non-profit organization providing TNVR services for community cats in Pinellas County, Florida. In the three years since its opening, Meow Now's dedicated team of staff and volunteers have TNVR'd 3,300 cats and provided more than 200 kittens with foster homes! Like most of Florida, Pinellas County boasts a warm, humid climate year-round. While great for vacation, it also creates a perfect breeding ground for both cats and disease. This makes vaccination for community cats very important, which is why Meow Now stresses the V in TNVR. And thanks to Meow Now's efforts, TNVR is now standard protocol by law when dealing with community cats in Pinellas county! To learn more about Meow Now, or to find out how you can support the new organization, please visit meownowfl.org, their page on Facebook, or call (727) 203 5255.

Dr. Nels Rasmussen, Animal Chiropractor and Spiritual Animal Healer "Everyone else is saying 'There's just no hope anymore,' and I'm here to say there is." Dr. Nels Rasmussen is a third-generation animal chiropractor who now works as a spiritual animal healer in neuroenergetic balancing. In the early days of his practice he worked with paralyzed and injured horses, restoring them to riding shape. Now, he works mostly with dogs and some cats and horses. Dr. Rasmussen believes that many injuries and behavioral problems that have veterinarians stumped can be solved by resetting the fight-or-flight response and restoring the energy balance within the animal. In his nearly forty years of practice, Dr. Rasmussen has seen incredible results in his patients and saved many animals from unnecessary euthanization due to mobility issues. For more information on Dr. Rasmussen's work, or to schedule a thirty-minute phone consultation about an animal in your care, please visit healingministryforanimals.com.

Interview! Esther Mechler, Founder of Spay USA "What's the tipping point? What's the age that we could get the veterinarians to agree? The answer seemed to be, by five months." Esther is back for another episode of the Community Cats Podcast, in which she shares more information on the Feline Fix By Five campaign, an initiative to encourage veterinary practices to spay and neuter cats by five months of age. The campaign has been backed by extensive research into the benefits of fixing cats at what used to be considered a very early stage of development, as female cats can become pregnant by six months of age. Esther and her team are hopeful that the Fix By Five campaign will help drive down the kitten population and give some relief to overwhelmed shelters in areas with long kitten seasons. As of July 2017, the campaign has been officially endorsed by eight national veterinary associations. To learn more about the campaign, please visit felinefixbyfive.org. You can help spread the word by sharing Feline Fix By Five on social media, or by requesting that your local veterinary practice sign up.

Interview! Britt Collins, Author and Journalist, "Strays: A Lost Cat, a Homeless Man, and Their Journey Across America" "Being a writer can be a lonely, hard process at the best of times." Britt Collins is a writer, journalist, and animal activist, who has written investigative journalism on animal cruelty and has volunteered at animal rescues and sanctuaries around the world. Her most recent book, Strays: A Lost Cat, a Homeless Man, and Their Journey Across America, tells the true story of a lost cat and a homeless man who find each other in Portland, OR, and develop a life-saving friendship as they embark on an a cross-country journey together. Britt tells Stacy about the difficult process of writing and publishing Strays, as well as her current project of organizing Cat Fest London and what cat rescue organizations look like in the UK. To learn more about Britt and her writing, please visit brittcollins.net. You can also find out more about Cat Fest London at catfestlondon.com.

Interview! Anna Skaya, CEO and Founder of Base Paws "The bigger database, the more associations and discoveries we can make." Anna Skaya is the CEO and founder of Base Paws, a commercial company that conducts feline genetic testing and research. Using the results from genetic testing, we can analyze an individual cat and assess her probability of contracting certain diseases. In less than a year of work, Base Paws has determined that Feline Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM), a common (and serious) disease among cats, affects 15% of cats, using the data collected from willing pet parents and shelters. Perhaps even more importantly, Base Paws' work can help to predict patterns not just in the individual, but the larger population. Currently Base Paws is enlisting pet parents whose cats fit certain criteria to bring their cat in for testing. This will help Base Paws build both their genetic and behavioral database. Anna says that as the database grows, the accuracy of Base Paws' predictions and analyses will increase, which could provide critical information about cat health and improve treatment of feline illness overall. To learn more about Base Paws, please visit basepaws.com. If you're interested in volunteering your cat for testing in order to improve feline genetic research, check out the Base Paws blog and see if your cat qualifies.

Interview! Maribeth Decker, Intuitive Animal Communicator, sacredgrove.com "It's a connection between two souls on a non-physical level." Maribeth Decker is an intuitive animal communicator, whose dogs first began communicating with her after she became a Reiki Master. She herself only realized her gift when she adopted Tibor, a young fear-aggressive rescue dog, who sent her images of his life before coming to live with her. After that experience, Maribeth began consciously practicing animal communication, and has been doing so since 2010. Maribeth describes her communication with animals as "feelings, memories, and body sensations" shared between two beings. In this episode, she recounts some of her experiences, both with her own animals and with clients. Maribeth helps pet and pet owners deepen their connection, resolve behavioral problems, and even give mutual comfort as the pet begins to transition out of this life. She has also authored a book, Peace In Passing, which aims to provide comfort for grieving pet owners through her experiences in assisting transitions. To book an appointment or to learn more about what Maribeth does, please visit sacredgrove.com. You can also join the Facebook group, Spiritual Pet People, to connect with a community of animal lovers who want to deepen their connections to their pets.

Interview! Lorrie Shaw, Owner, Professional Pet Sitting & Blogger, Animals Unfolded "Cats' needs for enrichment are only becoming more understood." Lorrie Shaw is the owner of Professional Pet Sitting and specializes in helping families care for hospice and special needs pets. Through her work, she has observed that medical issues and behavioral issues are very often linked—inappropriate elimination, for example, is the most common reason for a family to rehome a cat, yet this behavior is often indicative of an underlying medical issue the family isn't even aware of. This is where a knowledgeable pet sitter is invaluable: by observing a cat's behavior in their home environment, the pet sitter becomes the eyes and ears for the family when they are away, and can therefore spot problems long before the family notices. Lorrie says that with proper intervention and knowledge, and a good relationship with the local vet, she has witnessed many families keep a cat they may have otherwise surrendered. You can find Lorrie online on Facebook, Twitter, and her website, lorrieshaw.com. You can also keep up with her pet sitting adventures and learn more about animal behavior on her blog, Animals Unfolded.

Interview! Pat Brayer, Clinic Director at the Humane Society of Southern Arizona "The adopters that are drawn to the shy feral kittens are the ones that are going to make them blossom the most." Pat Brayer is the clinic director at the Humane Society of Southern Arizona. In her shelter work, she has pioneered some of the field's most innovative programs, such as the Kitten Kindergarten program, which has successfully socialized and adopted out 82 formerly feral kittens brought into the shelter by trappers. Perhaps the most cutting edge program at HSSAZ is the FELV vaccination program, which is an initiative to lower the stigma surrounding feline leukemia and to increase adoptions of these lovable cats. HSSAZ offers free testing and vaccinations to adopters who are interested in adopting a FELV+ cat but are concerned about the risk to the cats they already own. The program has been hugely successful, with no incidences of vaccinated cats contracting the virus from their FELV+ housemates. You can get in touch with Pat by emailing her at [email protected], or by calling (502) 321 3706. You can also learn more about recent FELV vaccine research by reading this NIH article.

Interview! Nathan Winograd, Executive Director, The No-Kill Advocacy Center, Part 2 "We had to come to the realization that just because you work at an animal shelter doesn't mean you are passionate about cats and saving their lives." In Part 2 of this two-part episode, Nathan describes the current animal welfare legislation he is working on—namely the Companion Animal Protection Act (CAPA) and how it has been implemented, in whole or in part, in various cities and counties across the U.S. He also revisits some of his tougher experiences pushing legislation in more regressive areas and shelters, and warns against the naïveté inherent in the belief that all animal shelters or humane societies are truly interested in saving animals. CAPA seeks to make that ideal a reality by transforming shelters into "temporary waystations to a better life" for cats, not euthanasia sites. To learn more about Nathan's work, you can visit nokilladvocacycenter.org or nathanwinograd.com.

Interview! Nathan Winograd, Executive Director, The No-Kill Advocacy Center, Part 1 "It's actually the policies and procedures of the shelter that are responsible for whether animals die in shelters." It's hard to name a field of animal welfare that Nathan Winograd doesn't have experience in: his animal advocacy work started while attending Stanford Law School, and since then he has worked in animal control, consulted for and ran animal shelters, written animal protection legislation, prosecuted in animal cruelty cases, taught at Cornell School of Veterinary Medicine, spoken internationally on animal welfare topics, and written five books! One such book, Redemption, details the "no-kill" revolution in the United States and advocates for no-kill communities, not just no-kill shelters. In Part 1 of this two-part episode, Nathan gives a detailed description of both his history in animal welfare and the evolution of the sheltering industry in general. Nathan also defines what he means by "no-kill" community, and Stacy discusses with him what that could mean for the future of community cats. To learn more about Nathan's work, you can visit nokilladvocacycenter.org or nathanwinograd.com.

Interview! Kate Benjamin, Designer, Blogger of Hauspanther, Part 2 "Not only does the design of the room at the shelter make it very functional and enjoyable, but it's a showcase for what people can do when they get home." In Part 2 of this two-part episode, Kate delves into how user-centered design theory can be applied to shelters, in order to make adoptable cats' personalities shine and therefore be adopted faster. She has great praise for the new trend of cat cafes and open-concept shelters, which, if designed correctly, can encourage and inspire people to adopt cats and catify their own homes! Check out Kate's blog at www.hauspanther.com.

Interview! Kate Benjamin, Designer, Blogger of Hauspanther, Part 1 "I'm not just writing about cool-looking stuff. I'm writing about stuff that's going to make a difference in these cats' lives." Kate Benjamin has combined her professional knowledge of design and product development with her love of cats to fill a unique niche—she blogs about cat products designed with the cat consumer in mind! She's been writing her blog, House Panther, for about ten years now, which eventually led to two New York Times best-sellers, Catification and Catify to Satisfy. Co-authored with Jackson Galaxy, the books blend his behavioral knowledge and her design perspective to instruct on how best to "catify" your home in ways that are both aesthetically pleasing and most suitable for your cat's unique behavioral needs. Kate believes that if more cat products are designed with the needs of the cat in mind—a design concept called "user-centered design theory"—pesky behavioral problems like peeing outside the litterbox and scratching on furniture can be eliminated, leading to less declawing and less shelter surrenders. In Part 1 of this two-part episode, Kate explains how small pet stores and Etsy designers have influenced big-box pet stores to design more cat-centered products, which makes the products themselves more accessible to a pet owner on a budget. If you're still concerned about price, though, not to worry: Kate has tips on DIY products for those of us with "a creative streak and a little bit of time." Check out Kate's blog at www.hauspanther.com.

Interview! Meredith Hippert, Director of Field Operations, Animal Balance "Through this work, I recognized my passion for serving the underserved, and working with communities to implement change for animals." Though largely self-educated in the field, Meredith Hippert holds an impressively broad resume in animal welfare, from admission guidelines and outreach to foster programming and TNR. Her journey started when she began caring for a colony of cats living behind the tattoo parlor where she worked in Pittsburg, PA. Using online resources such as Alleycat Allies, Meredith learned as much as she could about community cats management and care, and she now serves as the director of operations at Animal Balance in Austin, TX. Under the guidance of former CCP guests Miles Chadwick and Emma Clifford, Meredith has grown in her advocacy for animals everywhere, especially the remote islands that Animal Balance currently assists. For more information about Animal Balance, please visit animalbalance.org. You can also get in touch with Meredith directly by emailing her at [email protected]. And, for more information on veterinarian and animal behaviorist Dr. Sophia Yin, please visit her website.

Interview! Anthony Amos, Owner, HydroDog and Founder of the Bathe to Save Tour "If you want to become a part of HydroDog, you're not just part of a franchise; you're committing to a long-term partnership with the animal rescue world." Anthony Amos is the owner of HydroDog, a mobile grooming salon in Australia that travels from house to house bathing beloved household pooches. He took the idea to the U.S. when he moved here with his wife, three children, three rabbits, and rescue puppy to start the Bathe to Save tour. Over the next twelve months, Anthony and his family will travel through all fifty states, washing dogs at shelters and holding events in an effort to raise $1,000,000 for sheltering, rescue, and adoption initiatives. Anthony talks about how ambitious the project was from the beginning, and the nine months he had to spend "re-learning" how to apply the business to an American context. If you're interested in donating or attending an event, please visit bathetosave.com to see where Anthony and his family are headed next!

Interview! Erika Kelly, founder of Operation Git-Meow "The Navy has always been tied to cats, and that's how the cats got to the base in the first place." Only a year after graduating college, Erika Kelly is already well on her way to making waves in the animal welfare community—she started Operation Git-Meow in December 2016, a non-profit designed to help community cats living on the Guantanamo Bay Naval Station. As you may remember from Stacy's conversation with naval-base resident Caitlyn Macintosh (Episode 53), TNR is strictly prohibited on naval bases. Instead, most community cats are trapped and euthanized, which is ineffective at controlling population and costly to the taxpayer. Operation Git-Meow is in the process of requesting an exception to the law, offering as an alternative an SPCA-funded TNR program that will manage the population of community cats on the base and transport them back to the U.S. at no cost to the taxpayer. Besides this large initiative, Operation Git-Meow seeks to make vaccination, vet check-ups, and microchipping accessible to residents on the naval base and surrounding communities for their pets. Operation Git-Meow is still very much in its nascency, and it needs all the help it can get! If you are interested in donating, please send a check to P.O. Box 52337, Springfield, VA, 22152. You can also help out by liking and sharing Operation Git-Meow on Facebook at facebook.com/operationgitmeow. For any other questions, please email [email protected].

Interview! Karen Hollish, Director of Development and Marketing, Pima Animal Care Center "The community cats project has not only helped us save outdoor community cats; it's helped us provide a better experience for the cats inside our shelters." Karen Hollish is the director of development and marketing at Pima Animal Care Center. In March 2014, she started a development program for the government-run, open-admission shelter in Pima County, Arizona. The program was hugely successful: she raised millions of dollars through fundraising initiatives, and the shelter started to take in about 24,000 pets per year with a save rate of around 70%! In a state like Arizona where pet overpopulation is a big problem and kitten season lasts virtually all year round, this is a huge accomplishment. Pima Animal Care Center has managed to raise its save rate to 90% thanks to its community cat program, and it also has a unique kitten program for people with dementia and other memory issues. While the kitten is socialized, the patients receive all the health benefits of close contact with animals, including unexpected remembrances of beloved family pets! To learn more about Pima Animal Care Center (and to watch inspiring videos of dementia patients interacting with kittens), please visit facebook.com/pimaanimalcare.

Interview! Erin Berry, Executive of Marketing and Communication, BoardSource "You have to think, "What is most important for this organization, not for myself?" Erin Berry is the executive of marketing and communication at BoardSource, an organization that helps strengthen the boards of non-profits. Erin has twelve years of experience in non-profit management, and she's no stranger to volunteering, either—by the end of her high school career, she had logged around 400 hours of community service! Erin tells Stacy about some of the exciting resources that BoardSource has to offer, including the Board Support Program, a year-round development program with almost entirely free access—perfect for smaller grassroots organizations working on the local level. Erin also gives us some of her tips on how to build a strong board and how to start a non-profit organization. For more information, please visit boardsource.org.

Interview! Katie Lisnik, Director of Cat Policy and Protection, Humane Society of the United States "TNR is not a cruel act; it is a humane population management tool, and it should be defined as such." Katie Lisnik is back for another round of "Policy Jeopardy" on the Community Cats Podcast! This time, we get the scoop on animal welfare initiatives in Illinois, New York, Nevada, New Hampshire, and some exciting initiatives on the federal level! If you are interested in getting involved with animal welfare legislation in your state, you can find your state director's contact information on humanesociety.org. You can also find resources for anything related to sheltering, rescue, animal control, TNR, or community cat related at animalsheltering.org. And, as always, you can email Katie at [email protected] if you have any questions concerning animal welfare legislation and policy.

Interview! Jim Tedford, President and CEO of SAWA "The strength of SAWA is in its network." Jim Tedford is the president and CEO of the Society of Animal Welfare Administrators (SAWA). In the early 1980s, fresh out of college with a degree in animal science, he found his first job in animal welfare at a tiny humane society that was "held together with duct tape and love." Since then, Jim has seen the animal welfare game change drastically in the last few decades—Jim's last job at a shelter in New York assisted 12,000 animals a year with a staff of 70 people and over 700 volunteers. We owe much of that to SAWA's network of professionals and resources, which has grown exponentially since its inception nearly fifty years ago. According to Jim, SAWA is the only organization of big leaders in animal welfare who also work "in the trenches," to use his parlance. Jim and Stacy discuss the many resources, programs, scholarships, and conferences that SAWA has to offer up-and-coming animal welfare organizations, as well as the online support community that has sprung up in recent years in SAWA Facebook groups. You can find all of these resources and more at sawanetwork.org—and stay tuned for the website relaunch coming in July!

Community Cats Podcast Anniversary Show, The Podcast Team "I'm learning so much about the talents and passions it takes to make the world a better place for cats." Community Cats Podcast celebrates it's first year online! In the Anniversary Show, Stacy shines the spotlight on the 'behind the scenes' talent that has made this past year a success. She discusses the challenges and highlights of producing episodes and working to spread education and dialogue about community cats. Stacy talks with website director Kristen Petrie, social media/writer Jamie Hovey, writer/editor Anna Domings, audio engineer Danny Ozment from Emerald City Productions, and 'Ask Stacy' host and writer Lisa Finkel. Team links: emeraldcitypro.com mellariumcreative.com jlhvirtualservices.com

Interview! Shawn Flynn, Author, The Kitty Who Rescued Me After I Rescued Him "He had a huge impact on my life, and that's why I decided to write a book about it." Shawn Flynn is the author of The Kitty Who Rescued Me After I Rescued Him, a current finalist in the 2017 International Book Awards. It tells the story of Shawn's newfound best friend and support in a large orange community cat, who he met after purchasing a house with his fiancee in Enfield, CT. To the couple's surprise, the house came with several outdoor cats who hung around the property, one of them being Kitty—and on the day Shawn moved in, he found Kitty sitting on the front porch as if waiting for him to come home! Kitty became a central fixture in Shawn's life, helping him through some difficult personal times. The book serves as a thank-you to Kitty for his presence in Shawn's life. You can find Shawn's book here on Amazon, and you can reach the author himself at [email protected].

Interview! Part Two, Monica Frenden, Cat Program Manager, Austin Pets Alive! "This is the safest large city in the country to be a cat." In part two of this two-part episode, Stacy interviews Monica Frenden about the various cat programs available at Austin Pets Alive! She describes the "Fel-V fever" that spreads once people in the community start adopting feline-leukemia positive cats, as well as the wildly successful ringworm and barn cat programs. In order to design the most relevant programs, Monica and her team study the patterns of "at-risk cats" in city shelters and created specialized programs for those cats—mostly, cats with FIV, feline leukemia, and ringworm. Because of its efforts, Austin Pets Alive! has an astonishing 98% release rate, which is much further above other programs in the state with less resources. To learn more about Austin Pets Alive!, please visit their website at austinpetsalive.org. You can also keep up with APA! on Twitter and Instagram at @austinpetsalive.

Interview! Part One, Monica Frenden, Cat Program Manager, Austin Pets Alive! "We let the public decide what they want rather than assuming what they want." When Monica Frenden lived in rural Illinois, she didn't expect to start a TNR program. What started as a commitment to getting her own cats spayed and neutered exploded into a community-wide support and demand for feline spay-neuter services. Monica began taking her own barn cats to be spayed and neutered in Chicago, the closest resource at a distance of just over 100 miles. Eventually word got around, and neighbors began to approach her about the possibility of taking their own cats to Chicago. Monica was astounded by the overwhelming need for this service—pretty soon she was taking about 50 cats a week! In part one of this two-part episode, Monica delves into her origin story in animal welfare services, and talks about the wildly successful barn cat program she started all of those years ago in rural Illinois. Monica basically had to teach herself how to run a TNR program—attending conferences and trainings on her own time in order to ensure the best possible care for the community felines. Stay tuned for part two, in which Stacy and Monica discuss in more detail Monica's current work at Austin Pets Alive!

Interview! Elizabeth Feldhausen, Founder of Safe Haven Pet Sanctuary, Green Bay, WI "You would think that there would be nose prints all over the windows, but it's actually people face prints! Everybody that walks by presses their face up against the glass, and the cats love it." Elizabeth Feldhausen is the founder of Safe Haven Pet Sanctuary in Green Bay, WI, a cage-free no-kill pet rescue that saves special-needs cats from euthanasia lists in the Midwest. She was inspired to start Safe Haven by an experience in her childhood with a beloved cat who had a stroke and who she nursed for five years afterwards until he died naturally. Safe Haven is only a year old, but it has seen great success since its beginnings. Located in a storefront on one of the main drags of Green Bay, Safe Haven enjoys a lot of foot traffic from the outside as people walking by press their faces against the glass. It also follows the cat cafe model, offering drinks and comfortable seating for patrons, who can choose to go into the cat rooms and interact with the cats. There are plenty of cat caves and hammocks going up and down the walls so that the cats, too, can decide when they would like to interact with people and when they would like to be left alone. Safe Haven's design truly puts the cats' autonomy first! To learn more about Safe Haven, please visit their website at www.safehavenpet.org. You can also connect with Safe Haven on Facebook at facebook.com/safehavengb, and on Instagram at @cat_cafe_wisconsin.

Interview! Jennifer Smith, EasyPetFence.com "With an Easy Pet Fence, cats are able to walk around the backyard safely without worrying about attacks from birds and wildlife." Jennifer Smith is a representative for Easy Pet Fence, an e-commerce store dedicated to the outdoor safety and wellness of animals. Easy Pet Fence has different fencing kits designed for dogs, cats, and even chickens, and their innovative design keeps cats from digging under, climbing up, or getting over the fence. Self-assembly instructions can be found on YouTube or on easypetfence.com, so you can have your kitty out and playing safely in no time! You can find customer testimonials on Easy Pet Fence's Facebook page, or follow them on Instagram (@easypetfence)

Book Review! Stacy LeBaron, Host, The Community Cats Podcast "Get ready for the tissues..." Stacy is back with her book review show. In today's episode she reviews, Redemption, by Nathan Winograd; Call of the Cats, by Andrew Bloomfield; Cat Daddy, by Jackson Galaxy; and Homer, The Ninth Life of a Blind Wonder Cat by Gwen Cooper. Redemption is a book that provides us with some creative solutions to our pet overpopulation issues in the country and the other books are full of emotion and passion.

Interview! Deanna Sanvi, Spay-Neuter Coordinator, Gateway Pet Guardians Community Outreach Program "We help people keep their pets in their homes." Deanna Sanvi is the spay-neuter coordinator for Gateway Pet Guardians Community Outreach Program, a 501(c)3 organization serving about 65,000 people in East St. Louis, IL. Many of these people live below the poverty line, which means that Gateway offers a variety of services besides just spay and neuter, such as pet food banks, adequate outside shelter for animals, and microchipping. Deanna says the main goal of the Guardians program is to keep pets in their homes and animal surrender numbers down—when people know they have options, they can better take care of their pets. To learn more, please visit gatewaypets.com, or search for "Gateway Pet Guardians" on Facebook.

Ask Stacy! Stacy LeBaron, Host, The Community Cats Podcast "Oftentimes, these folks are not upset about the cats in general, but the fact that they're not being cared for." In this, the seventh (!) Ask Stacy episode, Lisa and Stacy leave the world of cat lovers behind for a moment to take a look at "cat opponents"—whether those be the neighbors who resent your feeding station or the touch anti-community cat legislation currently enforced in your town. Backed by years of experience, Stacy provides some insight into the many reasons that people might actually be upset about the presence of community cats—and the answers may surprise you. She shares some of her success stories in mediating tense neighborhood situations and negotiating with lawmakers, to provide some encouragement for those of us who may be discouraged by the roadblocks to a safe and equitable world for cats. Don't forget that the Community Cats Podcast is hosting a webinar on June 17 at 11 am with none other than Hannah Shaw, the Kitten Lady! Her webinar will focus on all things kittens and bottle babies, and how to create the best possible foster home for these little kitties. Sign up now before space runs out! Also, MRFRS' annual Strut for Strays will be held this year on June 4 at 11:30 am, at the Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm in Newbury, MA. If you're in the area and want to show your support for community cats and local shelters, please consider going to this lively and worthwhile event!

Interview! Bianca Leos, Student at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University "Animals lives are going to depend on me one day, so I need to know all this information." Bianca Leos is a student at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. She intends to become a shelter veterinarian working in a high quality, high volume spay-neuter program. When Bianca first started at the Cummings School, she had intended to specialize in large animal medicine. After interning at a horse rescue, however, she changed her course towards rescue and sheltering. She highlights the many differences between the stray animal populations of the Northeast and her native Texas—working in the Cummings shelter has opened her eyes to community cats as a significant population, not just as individual strays. To learn more about the Cummings School, please visit vet.tufts.edu.

Interview! Susan Rosenberg, Director of International Animal Programs at GreaterGood.org "I am working to save everything from ants to elephants." One could say that Susan Rosenberg has been managing animal shelters since she was 8 years old—at that age, she was covertly caring for abandoned animals in her backyard and using her allowance to do so! She has received two "calls of a lifetime," as she calls them—first from Paul Jolly to work for the Petco Foundation, after her tremendous success in setting up a community adoption program at her local Petco; and second from greatergood.org, who offered her the director position of International Animal Programs. Susan's work has touched the lives of animals and people quite literally from coast to coast—while working for the Petco Foundation, she orchestrated community adoption programs at stores across the country. It is now a company-wide mandatory program for every Petco location! It doesn't stop there. In Susan's work for greatergood.org, she finds herself in the happy position to help not just companion animals, but wild animals as well. The organization's highly successful funding efforts allow her to choose interesting and unique programs to assist, such as a bat sanctuary in desperate need of a well. Susan's work is truly changing the world and making it a better place!

Interview! Laura Mullen, SPORE Program Director at San Francisco SPCA "Ringworm is nothing worth dying for." Laura Mullen has worked in the shelter medicine department at the San Francisco SPCA for 15 years. Her current project is the SPORE Program, or Shelters Preventing Outbreaks of Ringworm through Eductation. Ringworm is a pesky fungal infection that lives on the keratin in animal hair and nails—one could call it "cathlete's foot!" Though it's not a life threatening condition, it can wreak havoc on animal shelters, especially those without proper resources for treating and preventing it. Backed by the Maddie's Fund, SPORE seeks to provide those resources through treatment and prevention education and research initiatives. SFSPCA takes in known ringworm animals from other municipal shelters and screens them using in-house cultures to determine the level of infection and, subsequently, the level of treatment required for eradicating the problem. SFSPCA then teaches those shelters best practices for quarantining and monitoring animals exposed to ringworm, as well as proper preventative measures against recurrent outbreaks. To learn more about SPORE or the 3-day SPORE apprenticeship offered later this summer, please email Laura Mullen at [email protected].

Interview! Tina Traster, Award-winning Filmmaker, Writer, and Documentarian of "Catnip Nation" "There are people taking care of community cats, but it begs the question: who is taking care of those people?" Tina Traster is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker. Her written pieces have been featured in a multitude of publications, including a regular segment for the New York Post, and her films have won awards at film festivals across the globe. She has noticed a theme of rescue, caretaking, and advocacy in her last three projects—"This House Matters," a 30 minute documentary on historic preservation in the Hudson River Valley; her award-winning memoir Rescuing Julia Twice: A Mother's Tale of Russian Adoption and Overcoming Reactive Attachment Disorder; and her current project, "Catnip Nation," a series of vignettes about feral colony caretakers. Tina hopes that the film will spark a movement towards better, more consistent legislation surrounding community cats. Tina is currently trying to raise $6,000 for the completion of the project. You can contribute to the cause at seedandspark.com/fund/catnip-nation. To learn more about the film itself, please visit catnipnation.com.

Interview! Rosemarie Crawford, Director of Educational Programs, National Kitten Coalition After her first experience fostering bottle babies with acute health issues, Rosemarie's colleagues realized she was a natural and nudged her towards a career in animal welfare. She worked as a vet tech in Illinois, and subsequetly became a foster coordinator. This eventually led to her current position as the Director of Educational Programs or the National Kitten Coalition, where she facilitates outreach workshops based on specific shelter needs. In this episode, Rosemarie discusses the obstacles facing kitten care and adoption in shelters, as well as the ever-present subject of avoiding burnout for both foster coordinators and volunteers. For more information, visit kittencoalition.org or the Coalition's Facebook page. To download their Kitten Nursery Manual, click here.

Interview! Tracie Hotchner, Author, The Cat Bible and Radio Pet Lady "The point is to reach people and influence their hearts and minds in ways that are really meaningful." Tracie is a premiere podcast presence, supporting the education and wellness of cats. She is the author of The Cat Bible: Everything Your Cat Expects You to Know as well as producer and host of NPR's show "Dog Talk (and Kitties Too!)". Tracie is currently organizing the New York Cat Film Festival, which offers short films and documentaries about cats and the people who love them. The festival will travel to select cities with a philanthropic mission to raise education and funding for local rescues and shelters. As Stacy refers to her, Tracie is 'an outreach queen' who greatly values the importance of story-telling to improve the landscape of animal welfare. To explore further, visit radiopetlady.com and catfilmfestival.com.

Interview! Mike Fry, Founder and Senior Consultant at No Kill Learning "The killing that takes place is harmful and costly and damaging." Mike was raised in a family of animal welfare activists who opened the first no-kill shelter in Minnesota in 1977. After working for Fortune 500 companies in the technology field, he decided to dedicate his shelter experience to end unnecessary euthanasia in local shelters. Mike hosts Just One Day every June 11th, which provides nationwide shelters and animal control organizations the educational opportunity to practice a no-kill philosophy for one trial day. Participants are invited to change their strategies by taking the no-kill pledge. Mike also discusses the negative repercussions of killing in shelters, from high volunteer turnover to questionable shelter ethics. For more information, visit nokilllearning.net and justoneday.ws.