The Community Cats Podcast

Interview! Susan Linker, Co-founder of Our Companions Animal Rescue "We've come a long way with spay and neuter in our area." Susan is the co-founder of Our Companions Animal Rescue, a forty-three acre sanctuary in Ashford, CT. A non-profit organization with 400 volunteers, 2,500 donors and plans to double in size, Our Companions Animal Rescue prioritizes creating a low-stress environment for cats and dogs to optimize better health and behavior, hence better adoption outcomes. Susan discusses ways to do this, including using cottages as 'real life' spaces for cats rather than stress-inducing cages. She and Stacy also discuss similarities and differences between 'sanctuaries' and 'adoption centers,' and the belief that both are only pieces in the animal welfare puzzle that also includes TNR, education and public policy. To explore further, visit ourcompanions.org and their Facebook page, or call 860-242-9999.

Interview! Bonney Brown, Founder and Principle Consultant of the Humane Network "Engaging the public in our work is the key to making it sustainable." Stacy has once again invited Bonney Brown from the Humane Network back on the show! Bonney fills Stacy in on what the Network's been up to in the past year, such as helping rescue groups to better their strategic planning, improve their live release rate, and ensure their sustainability, among other things. Bonney and Stacy also chat about how the ways we interact with cats outdoors have changed, due to the advent of cat harnesses, pet strollers, and catios, as well as how free adoption of adult cats during peak kitten season can actually help your shelter. In case you missed it, you can listen to Bonney's first interview with Stacy here. And you can check out the Humane Network at humanenetwork.org, or email [email protected] if you have any questions for Bonney herself.

Interview! Jonathan Rosenberg, Founder of Tabby's Place "I wanted to do something for the cats nobody wanted." Jonathan Rosenberg wasn't very interested in animal welfare—or even considered himself a "cat person"—until he met Tabby. When a stray cat showed up on his porch one day, begging for food and a place to sleep, Jonathan and his wife took him in and gave him a very happy life for the next sixteen years. When Tabby was diagnosed with and subsequently passed from terminal cancer, however, Jonathan's whole life focus changed. He quit his job and started Tabby's Place, a sanctuary for special needs cats and cats in otherwise "helpless" situations. Tabby's place helps about 120 domestic cats a year and countless more community cats. Located in New Jersey, Tabby's Place boasts a large, fence-in outdoor area for cats who are too sick or needy to leave the sanctuary, an in-house medical clinic, as well as a wide scope of different programs. Jonathan describes to Stacy his journey towards becoming an advocate for cats as well as the expansion of his own ideas of how and where cats should live. To learn more about Tabby's Place, or to sponsor a cat at the sanctuary, please visit tabbysplace.org. *Correction! Jonathan Rosenberg, the subject of this interview, made us aware of an error in this episode and we'd like to make sure you know the facts! In the intro to this podcast, we said, "Tabby's Place boasts a large, fenced-in outdoor area for cats who are too sick or needy to leave the sanctuary," Jonathan tells us this is not so. There isn't a large, outdoor area. Tabby's Place has many special needs cats, mixed in with other cats, inside the sanctuary. There are multiple "sun rooms" (rooms with three walls and a forth screened-in wall), that provide cats exposure to sunlight and fresh air. Most cats have access to these rooms.

Interview! Harold Rhee, Host of This is Pawprint Podcast "Your volunteers may have skills that you never knew about. You don't really know unless you truly empower people to share their talents." Harold Rhee is the creator and host of This is Pawprint, another animal welfare podcast! With his wife Nancy, he interviews the "heroes of animal rescue," such as Tamar Arslanian, author and photographer of Shop Cats, as well as our very own Stacy LeBaron! Stacy and Harold compare notes on creating their shows, and Harold offers encouragement to those listeners who want to start their own media endeavors to broadcast their shelters and rescues, whether it be a YouTube channel or a podcast of their own. Harold's podcast has featured mainly dogs and cats, but he hopes to branch into other species as well. You can listen to Harold's podcast at thisispawprint.com, and keep up with it on Facebook or Instagram. (Psst—Harold interviewed Stacy a couple weeks ago. Listen to her episode here!)

Interview! Steve Lawrence, Co-Director of The Cat Rescuers, and Tara Green, TNR volunteer of Brooklyn Animal Action "I think it's important for viewers to understand the kind of dedication and commitment that's required to do this work." When Steve Lawrence moved to Brooklyn with his wife Helen, he didn't know the first thing about community cats. However, after individuals of a backyard colony started showing up at his backdoor begging for food, he began to investigate and uncover the world of the estimated 1,000,000 community cats roaming the streets of New York City. With co-director Rob Fruchtman, Steve has followed the work of four TNR rescuers working in Brooklyn (including co-guest Tara Green of Brooklyn Animal Action) for the past three years, filming them in action for a documentary called The Cat Rescuers. He and Helen are now also certified in TNR and hope to bring the film to wider audiences at international film festivals to raise awareness of community cats and to spread TNR as a global practice. If you are interested in learning more about the upcoming film, please visit catrescuersfilm.com. There, you can view the demo reel and sign up for the email list to be notified when the Kickstarter for finishing the film goes live!

Interview! Robin Olson, Blogger at CoveredinCatHair.com and founder of Kitten Associates "I love telling these stories because every single cat that we bring into our rescue always has something we can learn from." Robin Olson is the writer behind the award winning "Covered in Cathair" blog, which chronicles the stores of the 500 cats she's rescued over the years. She also is the founder of Kitten Associates, which opened its doors in 2010. Located in Sandy Hook, CT, Kitten Associates started the Kitties for Kids program after the Newtown school shooting, which provided a space for any affected by the tragedy to come and spend time with the kittens in the shelter. Robin's own involvement in cat and animal welfare started when she was going through a hard time in her life many years ago, so she is very familiar with the profound healing power that cats can have in our lives. Check out Robin's blog at coveredincathair.com. You can also follow Robin's work on Facebook at facebook.com/CoveredinCatHair.

Interview! Rebecca Jewell, Executive Director of the National Kitten Coalition "Foster programs are my first love by far." Rebecca Jewell is the executive director of the National Kitten Coalition. Her family fostered many pregnant cats and litters when she was growing up in Ohio, which inspired in her a love of foster programs. In fact, she built her own foster program from scratch when she first became the volunteer coordinator of a shelter in the DC area 11 years ago—just when she had started to work in the field! After only four years of operation, they had a 97% survival rate for neonatal kittens in the summer of 2010. Since then, Rebecca has been overjoyed to see foster programs become a top priority for shelters. She believes that building strong relationships within your community can make up for a great deal of the lack of monetary resources that so many shelters and rescue programs face, especially since every community has such unique needs. To learn more about the Kitten Coalition, or to download their brand-new Kitten Nursery Manual, please visit kittencoalition.org. You can also follow the happenings at the Coalition at facebook.com/kittencoalition.

Interview! Jackson Galaxy, Star of Animal Planet's My Cat from Hell, and Founder of the Jackson Galaxy Foundation "I was used to not following rules and cats don't follow rules for the most part." It's the Cat Daddy himself in this special episode of the podcast! Stacy has a fascinating conversation with Jackson Galaxy, the once-musician whose special bond with felines catapulted (sorry!) him to fame as a champion for helping people better understand cat behavior and find creative ways to help them. Season Eight of his show, My Cat From Hell, opens in late April with Jackson bringing 50 doomed kittens from Los Angeles on a van ride to Denver, accompanied by Kitten Lady Hannah Shaw. Jackson describes a number of the life-saving initiatives his foundation is piloting throughout the country, and gives a treasure trove of advice about what individuals can do to make a difference: "Every something that you do will save somebody." For more information visit jacksongalaxyfoundation.org. Photo Credits: All color photos by Andrew Martial. The black and white is Lori Fusaro.

Interview! Dr. Theo Capaldo, President and Executive Director of the New England Anti-Vivisection Society "We really try to fight science with science." Dr. Theo Capaldo is the president and executive director of the New England Anti-Vivisection Society (NEAVS). NEAVS is committed to ending the use of animals as test subjects, and in fact spearheaded the successful campaign to the use of chimps in biomedical research in the United States. As a licensed psychologist, Dr. Capaldo is concerned about the impact of forced dissection in education as early as high school: she believes it works to eliminate compassion from students of the sciences. She also stresses how ineffectual animal testing is, and encourages constituents of schools and organizations, as well as consumers of animal-tested products, to start local campaigns against animal testing. To learn more about NEAVS, please visit neavs.org, or visit releasechimps.org to learn about their successful chimp project. You can also call NEAVS at (617)-523-6020 between the hours of 9 AM to and 5:30 PM, Eastern.

Interview! Carter Luke, President and CEO of the Massachusetts Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (MSPCA) "Fall in love with a cat…find a cat and try to help it." Luke reflects on some of the changes he's seen for cats in his 40 years in animal welfare. His approach is based on building coalitions of different groups who can jointly bring different talents to the table to affect change in the "disease of homelessness" for cats. He was one of the founders of the National Council of Pet Population Study and Policy, which did ground-breaking research on why people resist getting their pets spayed or neutered, and collected objective data on the population of animals in shelters and beyond. Luke credits a "public health approach" to the MSPCA's success in reducing feline intakes into its three shelters, tracking intakes by neighborhood and zip code and targeting spay/neuter outreach in those areas. Find out more by visiting mspca.org.

Interview! Renee Harris, Founder of PAWS to Success Program at the San Diego Humane Society "If individuals took responsibility for their pets, then there would be no indiscriminate breeding." Renee Harris has been volunteering and working in animal welfare since the tender age of twelve, and over her 30+ year career she has seen the field change enormously. She pioneered the Paws to Success program at the San Diego Humane Society, which includes the first orphan kitten nursery of its kind. The nursery provides 24-hour care to bottle babies, and the program saves over 3,000 kittens each year! Renee is concerned about the high rates of euthanasia among cats brought into shelters—from her research of San Diego Animal Control's data, she found that 70% of euthanasia cases were cats who had, in her estimation, fairly treatable conditions. Renee is determined to lower this number, and she wants to start with changing how we socialize and treat feral cats in the shelter. Lastly, she shares with Stacy her ideal plan for her dream cat facility! To get in touch with Renee, you can email her at [email protected].

Interview! Sarah Pizano, Program Director for Target Zero "You are doing this on behalf of the cats. Put the nerves on the back burner; it's about saving cats." Stacy revisits with Sarah Pizano, the program director for Target Zero and the podcast's guest of episode 56. Sarah shares with us an innovative way that Target Zero was able to move funds from a foundation in Cincinnati all the way to the shelters and communities of the Northern Area Kentucky Development District, an organization that does a lot of non-profit work in the human sector but had yet to branch into animal welfare. By partnering with private vets and humane societies in the district, Target Zero was able to provide low-cost spay-neuter to both local shelters and poor families with cats in the area, and has since expanded that project into other parts of Kentucky as well as northwest Georgia. To learn more about Target Zero, please visit target-zero.org.

Interview! Brad Shear, CEO of the Mohawk Hudson Humane Society "We are not here to be exterminators." When it comes to animal sheltering, Brad Shear has run the gamut of shelter needs and sizes. He started his career in the local shelter of a small city in Colorado, and since then has moved around the country to several different cities to share his knowledge and experience. For the past ten years he has been the CEO of the Mohawk Hudson Humane Society in New York state. His current shelter has a variety of unique programs, such as the option for those moving to domestic violence shelters to temporarily house their pet at Mohawk Humane, and the STAR program, a partnership between the shelter and the sheriff's office that sends dogs and cats to local jails to be trained and socialized by the inmates. Brad shares his journey from traditional sheltering values to the superiority and ethics of TNR, and hopes that, in the near future, shelters will begin to develop sheltering plans unique to cats rather than simply using the same strategies implemented with dogs. To get in touch with Brad, please visit mohawkhumane.org or call (518) 434-8128.

Interview! Merritt Clifton, Editor at Animals 24-7 "These days, shelters probably see only a fraction of the real numbers of cats in the community." In this episode, Stacy revisits Merritt Clifton, the editor of the Animals 24-7 news site. This time, Merritt gives an in-depth look at the use of statistics and data in animal welfare. He gives some inside tips and tricks into how one person can estimate population levels of community cats in their area and track that population over time. Merritt advocates for better data-keeping and measuring of statistics in the animal welfare world so that organizations and individual advocates can learn from one another. Listen to Merritt's first interview with Stacy here, or visit him at animals24-7.org.

Beth Clifton, Photographer and Social Media Editor for Animals 24-7 "Take Personal Responsibility with Animals in Need" Beth Clifton is the photographer and social media editor for Animals 24-7. She is also the wife of previous CCP guest Merritt Clifton, and she cites him as one of the people who changed her thinking around TNR and community cats. Beth has had several jobs involving animals, and when she first started working as an animal control officer, her encounters with community cats were largely negative. Because of this, she didn't think that cats should live outside at all, but when she met Merritt, she began to expand her perspective on these very misunderstood populations. She explains to Stacy her view on feeding stations for community cats and her fear that "random acts of feeding" can actually do more harm than good. She hopes that anyone who chooses to help community cats will do so in a conscious and educated way, and take personal responsibility when handling these wild animals. To learn more about Beth or Animals 24-7, please visit animals24-7.org.

Ask Stacy! Stacy LeBaron, Host of The Community Cats Podcast "This is all about being a family." As kitten season approaches, guest host Lisa Finkel talks with Stacy about creatively managing community kittens. Describing kitten fostering as a "pre-program" to the adoption process, Stacy offers insight on productive ways to set up a healthy and sustainable foster care program. Many elements contribute to a successful system, from the medical and administrative structure to compassion fatigue support. Lisa and Stacy also touch on the joys of socializing feral kittens, lovingly referred to as 'tiny tigers,' the pros of kitten nurseries, and tips for fundraising during kitten season.

Interview! Jocelyn Bouchard, Executive Director, Yavapai Humane Society "How do we elevate the status of cats?" Jocelyn's work in animal welfare began as a vet tech in a spay/neuter clinic in Vancouver BC in the 1980's, when high volume clinics were cutting edge. Twenty years' experience living in Maui fueled her belief that managing colonies, including feral kitten socializing and the tracking and removing of tame abandoned cats, is as important as TNR for decreasing numbers. Jocelyn discusses her insights and goals for her recent work at Yavapai Humane Society in Prescott Valley, Arizona, and the differing challenges community cats face in Maui versus Arizona, two vastly different environments. She also discusses her battle against negative perceptions of feral cats through education, in hopes of bridging the gap between the cat reputations as wild versus domestic. For more information, visit yavapaihumane.org or contact Jocelyn at [email protected]

Interview! Laura Baughman, Director of Operations, National Kitten Coalition "You're going to get a whole lot more kittens when you start a nursery." As we enter "kitten season," Stacy talks to Laura about "kitten nurseries," a new and hot concept for management of neonatal kittens. Laura recently researched and wrote a manual for organizations thinking about starting their own kitten nursery that provides a complete blueprint for approaching this challenge. She notes that before an organization considers a kitten nursery, it should have a strong and capable fostering program in place. Then, it's important to identify the goals and realities of establishing a nursery, including budgeting, space, staff needs and access to medical care. Once you start a nursery, Laura observes, you're going to be a "magnet for kittens" and the task may be even more challenging than expected. For more info check out kittencoalition.org.

Interview! Sara Kent, Director of Shelter Outreach for Petfinder "Video is a great way to let cats speak for themselves…and they don't have to say a lot." Petfinder has brought the world of technology to shelters and potential adopters. Sara, who's been there for 17 years, speaks with Stacy about the visibility it brings to hundreds of thousands of pets seeking a home, and how it seeks to improve the adoption experience by offering ongoing support once new pet parents have selected their new family member. Petfinder was one of the first sources to offer videos of shelter pets, and, as Sarah notes, "even a 15 second clip of a cat purring in a volunteer's lap" can make a profound difference to that cat's changes. She talks about upcomig improvements to Petfinder, including enhanced search options, and a more mobile-friendly experience.

Interview! Julie Bank, President and CEO of Pasadena Humane Society and SPCA "I saw the animal shelter as a living museum." Julie Bank is the president and CEO of Pasadena Humane Society and SPCA. She approaches running an animal shelter from the unique perspective of curating a museum—in fact, she enrolled in a museum education program purely to bring the tools of alternative education used in museum programming back to the animal shelter. Julie says that for her, it's very important that shelter messaging is holistic: the facility, uniforms, staff education, signage, all must be consistent with one another in order to communicate the appropriate message. Julie gives some advice about how to be an effective leader when in a management position at a shelter, and also tells us about Pasadena's unique Employ-a-Cat program. To learn more about Pasadena Humane Society, please visit pasadenahumane.org.

Interview! Anna Murrin and Valerie Kajko, Project Manager and TNR Coordinator, Metro Denver CAT Project "Having a physical location in the community builds up trust." Anna Murrin and Valerie Kajko are the project manager and TNR coordinator, respectively, of Metro Denver CAT Project in Denver, CO. CAT, or Cats Around Town, is a unique project in that it provides resources for all cats in a targeted area by setting up its home base in the neighborhood it serves. Still in its pilot phase, the project is currently based in the 80219 zip code, one of the many neighborhoods of Denver with a large community cat population. CAT surveys the residents of the community and the local shelters in order to identify locations of colonies and colony feeders. This project has long been in the making, as Anna and Valerie say that it is sometimes hard to get isolated animal welfare groups to work together. The results of the CAT project, however, prove to them that the slow process of putting people in contact is very worth it. For more information on the CAT project, please visit www.denvercats.org.

Interview! Part Two - Cheryl Fernandes, Shelter Care Representative, PetLink "The microchip is the silent voice for the animal." In part two, Stacy and Cheryl Ann dive into the complexities of microchipping once microchips have been placed—how do you scan a newly-trapped feral cat? What are best practices for animal control officers when recovering an animal afield whose microchip turns out to be a dead end? Cheryl Ann also argues for microchipping in colonies—the little chips can store information about vaccinations and other medical history, thus reducing blind precautionary measures. Don't forget that August 15th is Check Your Chip Day! You can listen to Cheryl Ann's first interview here, and to access the microchip database that Cheryl Ann mentioned in Part 1, go to www.petmicrochiplookup.org. You can also get in touch with Cheryl Ann herself by calling her cellphone at (781)-281-5167, or email her at cherylann.fernandes@datamars.

Interview! Part One - Heather Cammisa, CEO and Tara Sannucci, Pet Retention Coordinator, St. Hubert's "A database is only as good as it's maintained." In part one of this two-part episode, Stacy talks to Heather Cammisa and Tara Sannucci, the president of St. Hubert's Animal Welfare Center and director of the Pet Retention Program, respectively. Tara and Heather detail the plethora of programs that St. Hubert's has to offer, mostly focusing on education: humane education, training and behavior help and the pet helpline, and advocacy for correct animal welfare legislation. Tara tells a story of how she counseled a distressed cat owner when she had lost her cat in a snowstorm, advising her not to give up hope, and emphasizes to Stacy that keeping faith is one of the most important parts of recovering your lost pet. For more information on St. Huberts' many programs, please visit sthuberts.org, or search for St. Huberts on any form of major social media. For help with a pet or to reach Tara directly, you can visit sthuberts.org/pethelpline.

Interview! Part Two - Heather Cammisa, CEO and Tara Sannucci, Pet Retention Coordinator, St. Hubert's "It's senseless to put out all this advice if you have someone who's not willing or able to do it all." In part two of this two-part episode, Tara dives into details while Heather gives us the big picture. Tara has a lot of responsibilities around St. Huberts, which include handling cat behavior challenges in the shelter such as socialization of shy cats and keeping the cats happy and entertained. She also mans the Pet Helpline, and she is doing just as much rapport and trust-building with human guardians as she does with the shelter animals. Meanwhile, Heather gives us an idea of what life is like for community cats nowadays in New Jersey—the difference between now and twenty years ago, she says, is marked. To access the trove of resources available from St. Huberts, please visit sthuberts.org, or search for St. Huberts on any form of major social media. For help with a pet or to reach Tara directly, you can visit sthuberts.org/pethelpline.

Interview! Lauren Burbridge, Coordinator, Massachusetts Animal Fund "If every taxpayer in MA payed just one dollar… we could help over 40,000 cats and dogs every year." Lauren Burbridge has figured out how to help people and animals at the same time: she is a licensed social worker who started the Massachusetts Animal Fund, an organization that seeks to develop agricultural resources to end animal homelessness in the state. Lauren works directly with the public (particularly low-income communities), Animal Control officers, and local town offices to provide spay-neuter for those who need it most—the perfect marriage of her degree in social work with her passion for animal rights. Besides funds management, Lauren also created the Core Competencies Program from scratch—a brief but thorough training for animal control officers in matters such as emergency preparedness, safe handling, animal control law, and others. The MA Animal Fund relies solely on taxpayer donations administered by the Department of Agricultural Resources, and is always in great need. If you are a Massachusetts resident and would like to donate, remember to check the box on line 32F of your income tax form! To learn more about the MA Animal Fund, check out their website, or follow them on Twitter: @line32F. If you live outside of Massachusetts and are interested in starting a similar program in your state, feel free to contact Lauren at [email protected].

Interview! Joyce Briggs, President, Alliance for Contraception in Cats and Dogs "Whenever we intervene with animals in an ecosystem, there are implications for other animals." Joyce Briggs is the president of the Alliance for Contraception in Cats and Dogs. With a background in public health, she is concerned with how to better manage populations of cats and dogs, as well as how to sterilize these animals using non-surgical methods. This is the mission of the ACC&D, and it poses unique challenges that Joyce discusses with Stacy: how can we develop permanent contraceptives? what would contraceptives look like for community cats? how could a trapper or animal control officer tell that a cat is receiving non-surgical contraception? Joyce also provides some information on the Michelson Prize, a large grant for establishing non-surgical sterilization programs. To learn more about the ACC&D and the work Joyce does there, please visit www.acc-d.org.

Interview! Dr. Dena Mangiamele, Author/Lecturer "'Safety first' does not exclude cats at all." When Dena Mangiamele started to practice veterinary medicine with the City of Los Angeles Department of Animal Control in the 1990s, animal sheltering procedures and best practices looked very different from how they do now. Dena helped to implement groundbreaking (at the time) programs like early spay-neuter, which greatly lowered the euthanasia numbers in the shelter, as well as the shelter's annual intake. Dena continues to propagate these programs in shelters across the country through her consultation service, and also teaches animal safety and handling programs for shelter volunteers and animal control officers. She is passionate about instilling the belief in these shelters that high-volume low-cost spay-neuter is possible for them, even if the results aren't immediately apparent. To learn amore about Dena, you can visit her at www.doctordena.com or pick her brain directly by emailing [email protected].

Interview! Gavin Ehringer, Author "We are so people-focused because behind every animal that is coming into our clinic is a person." Gavin Ehringer has been writing about companion animals for 25 years, fueled by a childhood growing up next to a game farm and spending his young adult years working on a ranch. In this unorthodox episode, he outlines the different "classes" of animals—working, companion, purebred, and show—and tells Stacy about the unintended consequences of breeding. His upcoming book, Coming to the Fire: The Unnatural History of Dogs, Cats, Cows, and Horses, explores the relationship between companion animals and humans, and how humans have used their relationship with us to advance their own survival. To find out more about Gavin's new book, please visit www.comingtothefire.com.

Interview! Michelle Rivera, Founder, Spay-Neuter Kansas City "We are so people-focused because behind every animal that is coming into our clinic is a person." Michelle Rivera is the founder of Spay-Neuter Kansas City, a 501(c)3 non-profit that services the Kansas City areas in both Kansas and Missouri. Now going on its fifteenth year of operation, SNKC has increased the live release rate to 90% in the cities' shelters, and it services around 20,000 animals each year. Before the impetus of SNKC, Michelle did not see animal welfare service in her future—she used to be extremely afraid of dogs! However, in order to regain confidence after leaving an abusive relationship, a therapist encouraged her to volunteer at the local shelter. In this way she created her own redemption story by helping lost and abused pets to find theirs. Because of this background, her goal at SNKC is two-fold: to better the lives of the animals that enter the SNKC clinic, and to create an inclusive "workplace culture" for her staff. She believes that a healthy workplace is crucial to provide top-notch service to animals and pet owners, and to prevent the drama and burnout that can be so parasitic to non-profit, welfare-focused organizations. To find out how you can create a better workplace culture in your organization, you can email Michelle with your questions at [email protected].

Interview! Priscilla Ma, Executive Director, US Chapter of World Animal Protection "People don't want to know just about suffering, they want to know how they can help." Priscilla Ma is the executive director for the US chapter of World Animal Protection. While doing humanitarian work with Smile Train, she traveled throughout the world and saw the different kinds of impacts that animals can have on humans, and the myriad of ways that the animal-human relationship can manifest itself. She joined WAP in 2015, and since then has been promoting the organization's four main tenets: animals and farming, animals and communities, animals in the wild, and animals and disaster. Priscilla goes more into detail about what those pillars are in the episode and explains that, when working in an international organization, you can make an impact on millions of people by telling the story of one animal. To learn more about the US chapter of WAP, please visit worldanimalprotection.us.org.

Interview! Cheryl Fernandes, Shelter Care Representative, PetLink "The microchip is the silent voice for the animal." In continuation with Microchipping Madness, Stacy invites Cheryl Ann Fernandes back to the show to discuss the importance of microchipping. Cheryl Ann explains a bit about the technology behind the microchip, what RFID is and what it stands for, and also highlights the importance of buying your microchips from a reputable company. She also reinforces some of the statistics covered in earlier Microchipping Madness episodes—less than 2% of lost cats are returned to owners, as opposed to much higher rates for dogs. Check with your local veterinarian or shelter about opportunities for microchipping your pets today! Listen to Cheryl Ann's first interview here, and to access the microchip database that Cheryl Ann mentioned, go to www.petmicrochiplookup.org. You can also get in touch with Cheryl Ann herself by calling her cellphone at (781)-281-5167, or email her at [email protected].

Interview! Brigid Wasson, Co-founder Missing Pet Partnership "We recommend that all cats be chipped, but it isn't foolproof." Brigid is back for another interview with Stacy, and to kick of March Microchipping Madness, Brigid talks about the importance of microchipping your pets. Microchipping is an especially important development when it comes to cats, as the Return to Owner (RTO) rate for our feline friends is between 1 and 2% in the US! Brigid also discusses the drawbacks of microchipping, such as out-of-date information. She urges owners adopting new cats to get their pet scanned as soon as possible in order to check for a microchip and, if one is present, to call the company and update their contact information right away. If you haven't yet listened to Brigid's first episode, you can do so now by clicking here. To get in touch with Brigid, or to learn more about the Missing Pet Partnership's Mission Reunite Animal Shelter Training Seminar, please email her at [email protected].

Bruce Myers, Executive Director, United Spay Alliance "The law tends to be way behind the needs on the ground… We've got to let the law catch up." In this Spay Day episode, Stacy is joined by Bruce Myers, an animal protection lawyer and new director of the United Spay Alliance. The United Spay Alliance (USA) seeks to establish timely spay-neuter programs in each state that are easily accessible to people who need it—not just a list of clinic locations, but a state-wide database with e-resources and FAQs. Bruce is optimistic about this goal, as it has relatively light financial projections, and in his first year as director he hopes to address some of the animal welfare issues in the Southern United States. He is open to hearing from people in the animal welfare community on subjects such as messaging, education, and access! To get in touch with Bruce, email him at [email protected].

Interview! Rob Halpin, Director of Public Relations at the MSPCA "Journalists love to help animals just like we do." Rob Halpin is the director Public Relations at the MSPCA Angell Animal Hospital in Boston, MA. He transitioned from the corporate sector, working as a PR agent for At&T, to his current job about five years ago and found a perfect blend of two of his biggest passions: public relations and animal welfare. In this episode he gives some PR tips for new organizations that might not be used to working with the media, and talks about how those organizations can create a symbiotic relationship between themselves and the media by feeding any media coverage they get into their own social media outlets. To check out some examples of press releases and media pitches, visit the newsroom at mspca.org. To get in touch with Rob himself, email [email protected].

Interview! Katie Lisnik, Director of Cat Protection and Policy at the Humane Society of the United States "This is the thick of legislative session season." Where in the USA is cat policy these days? Katie Lisnik can tell you! Katie is back for her third interview with Stacy, and this time she is taking us on a tour of various states who have serious bills and legislation that affect community cats on the docket for 2017. Some of these bills the HSUS itself is pushing, and some of the bills it is trying to change—in Hawaii a bill for state-funded TNR is in the making, while in WY animal welfare advocates are trying to change the language around "nuisance animals" and making sure community cats don't fall under that definition. Plus, Katie gives us a teaser of some of the programming for the upcoming HSUS Expo from May 9 to 12 in Fort Lauderdale, FL. To find out what the HSUS is doing near you, or to get more information on the Expo, please visit animalsheltering.org. You can also get in touch with Katie or Danielle Bays by emailing [email protected].

Ask Stacy! Five Tenets of Building an Organization "We have to focus on giving people the guidance they need, but also let them take ownership a task, too." In this Ask Stacy episode, Lisa and Stacy go through Stacy's 5 Tenets of Building an Organization to Help Community Cats, which are: Understand your community, Build a skills matrix, Delegate tasks, Communicate with donors and volunteers, and Review and evaluate goals. Stacy is more than happy to consult with organizations on working on these tenets, so please email her at [email protected] if you have any questions! Don't forget: the Cat Stats webinar is fast approaching on February 23rd! If you still have not reserved your spot, go to the Community Cats Podcast website and search for "cat stats webinar" to fill out the participant form. Also, be sure to submit a selfie with your cat to the My Feline Valentine photo contest before February 28th for a chance to win a $50 Amazon gift card and other prizes!

Interview! Rachel Geller, Certified Humane Education Specialist "The moral and humane response to animal abuse begins with assisting kids in developing empathy and compassion for animals." We are once again re-visiting an old friend of the podcast—Dr. Rachel Geller, vice president of the Gifford Cat Shelter and certified humane education specialist. As a cat behavior counselor, Rachel has been busy giving talks at various youth organizations to teach children compassion towards animals. She has worked with high-risk children and youth for a long time, teaching not only the importance of empathy towards animals, but also helping to build symbiotic relationships between youth and animals for mutual support. Rachel talks about the different types of humane education programming at Gifford, such as a program where children who lack confidence in reading or speaking aloud come to the shelter and read to a cat—the child gets a non-judgmental audience, and the cat receives some much-needed attention and company! You can listen to Rachel's first interview on the podcast here, or find out more about Rachel's upcoming lecture at the Whole Cat Workshop by visiting massanimalcoalition.com. To consult with Rachel about humane education programming for your organization, email her at [email protected].

Interview! Tamar Arslanian, Author of Shop Cats of New York "Isn't a life in a shop where they're loved better than a cage or being put down?" Tamar Arslanian is the blogger behind ihavecat.com and the author of Shop Cats of New York, the coffee table book that Stacy recommended in her last book show. In the three years it took to write the book, Tamar partnered with photographer Andrew Marttila, who she calls a true "cat whisperer," and adventured all around New York meeting amazing cats in shops and the communities that form around them. In conversation with Stacy, Tamar debunks some of the myths surrounding shop cats, such as that shop cats are more neglected than their home counterparts, and shares some of her favorite stories from Shop Cats. You can find Shop Cats on Amazon or at ihavecat.com, and you can follow the shop cats on social media by searching for "Shop Cats of New York" on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Interview! Christina Ha, Co-Founder of Meow Parlour and Creator of Cat Camp NYC "How can I bridge the gap between people who want to learn about cats and the experts who know all about cats?" Until 3 1/2 years ago, Christina's passion was food rather than felines. But after adopting her first kitty, Mr. Socks, she decided to combine her talents as a pastry chef with a growing interest in cats by becoming the co-founder of Meow Parlour, New York City's first-ever cat cafe. "I couldn't understand why are were cat cafes all over the world and not in New York," she observes. Meow Parlour partners with Kitty Kind, an all-volunteer rescue group who provides cats for the cafe, many of whom have found forever homes in the process. Christina also details her upcoming event, Cat Camp NYC, a two day feline-focused event in March featuring speakers, shopping and interaction with cat lovers from all over. To find out more about Cat Camp NYC go to: www.catcampnyc.com

Interview! Shaun Sears, Co-Owner, Canopy Cat Rescue "What we do is extremely dangerous…even savvy tree climbers have difficulty rescuing cats." You don't need to call a fireman to rescue your cat from a tree when Shaun Sears is around. Shaun and his partner are certified arborists who have "branched out" (sorry!) into the specialty of rescuing cats from trees. Their firm, Canopy Cat Rescue, has recovered nearly 800 cats from trees over the last two years, and was featured on the Animal Planet program, "Tree Top Cat Rescue." They operate as a non-profit, relying solely on donations for their work, so that they can rescue any cat regardless of an owner's ability to pay. Shaun shares the knowledge he's learned about how to deal with all types of cats —friendly and scared, feral and owned — and busts the myth that a cat will simply climb down when it's hungry. To find out more about Cat Canopy Rescue go to: http://www.canopycatrescue.com

Interview! Rob Leinberger, President, National Animal Care and Control Association "The communities that I have seen do best have a network." Rob Leinberger has been in the animal control game for 25 years—first starting as a veterinary assistant in high school, then working as an animal control officer for Chesterfield County in Virginia. He is the president of the National Animal Care and Control Association (NACA), and in January of 2016 he became the Animal Control Supervisor of Richmond Animal Care and Control, where he gives basic training to new officers. Over his extensive career, Rob notes that he has seen a sizable shift in the attitude towards and treatment of community cats, which began with small, isolated groups working to make their own programs for community cat care and colony management. He recommends finding opportunities to connect and collaborate with local entities whenever possible (police, health department, even small businesses) in order to build a strong support network for small animal welfare organizations. If enough localities successfully implement community cat programs, he says, one can affect change on a larger scale. To learn more about NACA, or to access NACA's guidelines for a "generic approach" to community cat programing, please visit nacanet.org.

Meg Bond, Owner, Events by Meg "You need to find the kingpin to what is taking up space." Meg Bond has a "Type-A" dream job—she organizes for a living! Meg is a self-employed event coordinator and residential stager/organizer, which means that she sets up residences to be most appealing to perspective buyers. She also helps people organize their homes and office, and in this episode she shares some great tips for organizations looking for fresh ideas on planning events or rearrange their home bases. The key to re-organizing, she says, is finding the "kingpin" of what is holding everything back—and oftentimes, it's in the last place you think. You can learn more about Meg's business on her Facebook pages, Staging by Meg and Events by Meg, or you can get in touch with her by calling (978)-337-4444, or by emailing [email protected].

Joe Miele, TNR project coordinator, Broken Promises SW "A tight-knit colony is going to keep other [cats] out of the area." Joe Miele is the TNR project coordinator for Broken Promises SW, a non-profit that seeks to address community cat overpopulation in Las Cruces, New Mexico and the surrounding county. Joe has been working with community cats since the mid 1990s, when he began teaching TNR classes with the Animal Protection League in New Jersey. He was inspired by the amount of people who wanted to help the community cat population in New Jersey, but found a very different scene when he moved to Las Cruces. Faced with extremely anti-community cat ordinances, along with the general community's overwhelming apathy towards the colonies in the area, Joe started Broken Promises SW to try and help the cats in the area. There are very few resources for his TNR group in Las Cruces, so they rely mainly on donations and are always happy to accept help. To learn more about Broken Promises, or to donate to Joe's cause, search for Broken Promises SW on Facebook. You can also get in touch with Joe by emailing [email protected] or by calling 575-680-1955.

Gus Ray, Owner of Baycom Diagnostics "From a scientific point of view it's been one of the hardest things I've ever done, but also the most rewarding." Gus Ray is the owner of Baycom Diagnostics, a new company that provides A1C testing for dogs and cats. The A1C test aids in the diagnosis and treatment of diabetes by reading your average glucose levels over a period of time—for cats 90 days, for dogs 120. The disparity between human blood and cat and dog blood proved quite a challenge to develop a test comparable to the "gold standard" in diabetes medicine, but as Gus is a "scientist at heart," he was determined to find the answer. After years of research and development, Gus's test is patent pending and he is working with vets to make A1C tests available in their practices. The A1C test is faster, more accurate, and more affordable than existing glucose tests, and to promote awareness and access to the test, Baycom will give away $100,000 in tests to shelters this year. Gus' next venture is to develop a mouth swab tests so that owners can manage their pet's diabetes within the home. To learn more about the A1C test, or to find out how you can receive a donation for your shelter or cause, visit baycomdiagnostics.com or search for "Gus Ray" on LinkedIn.

Myles Chadwick, Vice President of the New School at Emancipet "In order to reach people who haven't been [reached] before, we have to do a lot of listening, not just a lot of telling." What do line cooks and high-volume spay-neuter vets have in common? Coming to the animal welfare world from a background in restaurants and cooking, Myles didn't know the first thing about TNR when he became the assistant manager of client services at an ASPCA hospital in New York City. However, he became fascinated with the process and eventually took over the management of the TNR clinics. He is now the director of clinic operations and training at Emancipet, an organization committed to making low-cost spay-neuter services affordable and accessible. He is also the vice president of the Emancipet New School, which provides training for animal welfare organizations in their messaging and outreach to communities that have low incidence of spay-neuter. Now a seasoned advocate, Myles talks about his slow discovery of the "underlying truths" of his field, and highlights that the "sharing of information" is the most important part of making low-cost spay-neuter accessible. He believes that pet overpopulation is the product of barriers to entry rather than irresponsibility. To learn more about Emancipet or the New School, visit emancipet.org and emancipet.org/newschool.

Steve Smith, Founder of Pet Releaf "We follow the science first and foremost." In this episode, Stacy interviews a different kind of person interested in pet health and medication—Steve Smith, co-founder of Pet Releaf, a service that provides hemp- and CBD-infused products for pets. Pet Releaf was born of Steve's personal experience with his dog Mattie. As she aged, Mattie showed signs of serious arthritic pain when she walked, and she was clearly suffering. Although Steve was never able to find a suitable holistic cure during Mattie's life, he and his business partner were determined to find one for other dogs and cats. They began researching medical marijuana, moved to Colorado, and started Pet Releaf. Almost six years later, Pet Releaf is stocked in almost 600 stores around the US, is legal in all 50 states, and even has a presence abroad! For more information about Pet Releaf, visit petreleaf.com. Or, to get in touch with Steve, email [email protected].

Stacy's back with more recommendations in the second ever Book Review Show! These four books offer a wide variety for anyone in the animal welfare world: from a coffee table book of city kitties, to a birder's views on managing free-roaming cat populations. As last time, the final book recommendation does not talk specifically about cats, but instead offers ways in which you can build your social media presence, craft a more communicative message, and more. We've included the names of the books and authors down below, as well as links to places you can buy them! And don't forget: if you ever have any questions or book recommendations, you can always email Stacy at [email protected]. Shop Cats of New York by Tamar Arslanian (author) and Andrew Marttila (photographer) Alley Cat Rescue's Guide to Managing Community Cats by Louise Holton Cat Wars by Peter Marra and Chris Santella Platform by Michael Hyatt

Emma Clifford, Founder and Executive Director of Animal Balance "I don't think you can put a dollar figure on humanely managing all species." Emma is back for another interview! This time, she tells Stacy about her most recent and fascinating trip to the Galapagos Islands in early December. There she and her team at Animal Balance Galapagos worked with the local parks service to develop a community-based sterilization program for cats (TNR in CCP speak!). She talks about working in a habitat with extremely sensitive and protected flora and fauna, and the important symbolism of the success of the program in such a place. Emma also gives us a sneak peek at her upcoming project in Hawaii, a place that presents similar environmental challenges as the Galapagos. Emma hopes that the work her team is doing in the Galapagos will serve as a template for the Hawaii program, and is excited for the future of community-based TNR in other parts of the world. Click here to listen to Emma's first interview with Stacy, or visit ABG's website to donate and learn more about their community-based sterilization program.

Laura Moss, Founder, and Jamie Brooks, Communications, AdventureCats.org "We [are] trying to… rebrand not just what it means to be a cat lady… [but also] what a cat is." Laura Moss and Jamie Brooks are partners in Adventure Cats, a website that promotes safe ways for cat owners to explore the outdoors with their cats, and seeks to dismantle negative stereotypes about cats and the people who own them. Barely two years old, the site has exploded with activity and popularity, and has brought together a community of people who do outdoor activities with their cats. Jamie and Laura believe that spending time outdoors with your cat improves their physical, mental, and emotional health, and they hope that Adventure Cats will show people that cats are just as multi-faceted as dogs and other animals! To learn more, please visit adventurecats.org, and be sure to check out the new Adventure Cats book that's coming out in May!

Interview! Mary Peng, CEO & Founder, International Center for Veterinary Services (Part 2) "It has to be high-quality, high-volume spay-neuter, with Chinese characteristics."' In part two of this special two-part episode, Mary Peng continues to tell the story of ICVS, and goes into more detail about the unique challenges the hospital must face in China. She says that they have had to adapt programs and practices learned in the US to Chinese situations. For example, Mary believes that the private sector must play an important role in bringing these resources to China, as the government does not have the resources to help. ICVS is in the unique situation of offering non-profit services to the public without the benefits of non-profit status, and relies heavily on donations on their website to maintain their facility and programs. However, there are so many opportunities for those outside of China to help out. To learn more about ICVS, donate to their cause, or contact their bilingual Chinese-English staff, please visit www.icvsasia.com, or search for ICVS Asia on any major social media site. This episode was sponsored by www.catstats.org.