Alley Cat Rescue Letter Endorsing Trap-Neuter-Return for Outdoor Cat Population Management Gains Support From Over 160 Cat Experts Around the Globe
November 8, 2022
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Debbie Holzer
Phone: 818-927-4130
Email: [email protected]
Mt. Rainier, MD (November 8, 2021) - In reaction to the Polish Academy of Sciences’ recent classification of domestic cats (Felis catus) as an “invasive alien species,” Alley Cat Rescue (ACR) has penned an open letter to environmental leaders of multiple Island and other nations, urging them to reject any policies that promote cat culling and to manage feral cat populations through the nonlethal practice of Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR).
Over 160 veterinarians, animal welfare groups, and other cat professionals signed in support of the letter, which has been sent to the heads of the economic departments of Australia, Brazil, Cayman Islands, Dominican Republic, Galapagos Islands, Haiti, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Jamaica, Japan, Mauritius, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, Slovakia, Sri Lanka, Trinidad and Tobago, and the USA. These countries were selected due to their unique wildlife, which some conservationists believe are threatened by feral cat predation.
Alley Cat Rescue President and Founder, Louise Holton, explains the group’s motivation behind the letter, saying “We agree that outdoor cat populations need to be controlled. Nonlethal humane methods exist and we have over 30 years of proof that they work effectively. And what other methods are offered? Snaring, poisoning, shooting, bludgeoning them to death. Is this the way to treat any animal, let alone the cat, beloved by many all across the world?”
ACR argues, through historical examples and scientific studies, that eradication is less effective and more costly than TNR. The cat advocacy organization also uses historical evidence to reveal common unintended consequences of eradicating cats from an enclosed ecosystem. ACR points to Marion Island as one example, where cats were culled in order to protect sea birds. Cats were killed off over a 19-year-long campaign, resulting in an explosion in the mice population. The mice turned to preying on sea bird chicks, proving the campaign to be an expensive failure.
The full letter and list of signers is available on Alley Cat Rescue’s website at saveacat.org/tnr-support-letter.html.
Alley Cat Rescue is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to the welfare of all cats: domestic, stray, abandoned, and feral. ACR advocates for humane nonlethal control of feral cats. For more information, visit their website www.saveacat.org.
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November 8, 2022
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Debbie Holzer
Phone: 818-927-4130
Email: [email protected]
Mt. Rainier, MD (November 8, 2021) - In reaction to the Polish Academy of Sciences’ recent classification of domestic cats (Felis catus) as an “invasive alien species,” Alley Cat Rescue (ACR) has penned an open letter to environmental leaders of multiple Island and other nations, urging them to reject any policies that promote cat culling and to manage feral cat populations through the nonlethal practice of Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR).
Over 160 veterinarians, animal welfare groups, and other cat professionals signed in support of the letter, which has been sent to the heads of the economic departments of Australia, Brazil, Cayman Islands, Dominican Republic, Galapagos Islands, Haiti, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Jamaica, Japan, Mauritius, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, Slovakia, Sri Lanka, Trinidad and Tobago, and the USA. These countries were selected due to their unique wildlife, which some conservationists believe are threatened by feral cat predation.
Alley Cat Rescue President and Founder, Louise Holton, explains the group’s motivation behind the letter, saying “We agree that outdoor cat populations need to be controlled. Nonlethal humane methods exist and we have over 30 years of proof that they work effectively. And what other methods are offered? Snaring, poisoning, shooting, bludgeoning them to death. Is this the way to treat any animal, let alone the cat, beloved by many all across the world?”
ACR argues, through historical examples and scientific studies, that eradication is less effective and more costly than TNR. The cat advocacy organization also uses historical evidence to reveal common unintended consequences of eradicating cats from an enclosed ecosystem. ACR points to Marion Island as one example, where cats were culled in order to protect sea birds. Cats were killed off over a 19-year-long campaign, resulting in an explosion in the mice population. The mice turned to preying on sea bird chicks, proving the campaign to be an expensive failure.
The full letter and list of signers is available on Alley Cat Rescue’s website at saveacat.org/tnr-support-letter.html.
Alley Cat Rescue is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to the welfare of all cats: domestic, stray, abandoned, and feral. ACR advocates for humane nonlethal control of feral cats. For more information, visit their website www.saveacat.org.
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Alley Cat Rescue Announces New African Wildcat Project
September 20, 2021
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Debbie Holzer
Phone: 818-927-4130
Email: [email protected]
Mt. Rainier, MD (September 20, 2021) – Alley Cat Rescue, Inc. (ACR) is commencing a project to map African wildcat (Felis lybica) sightings throughout Africa and surrounding countries. The African Wildcat Project will collect data from individuals visiting and living in these areas via ACR’s Facebook group (facebook.com/ACRAWCProject) and online report form. Those reporting sightings will provide details including the sighting date, location, and notable physical characteristics of the wildcats.
The goal of the African Wildcat Project is to create a visual representation of AWC distribution that will aid ACR and other conservationist groups in monitoring the species’ population, which has been labeled by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as in decline. AWC’s are becoming rarer due in part to habitat loss and hunting, but the most significant threat to the survival of their species in hybridization through breeding with free-roaming domestic cats.
Alley Cat Rescue has been involved with preserving the AWC South African subspecies, Felis l. cafra, for many years. Through their African Wildcat Conservation Action Plan, which was founded and has been funded to date mainly through grants from the Ayers Wild Cat Conservation Trust, ACR works with South African organizations, game rangers, and resorts and lodges to implement focused trap-neuter-return (TNR) efforts for domestic cats living along game preserve borders, thereby maintaining populations of genetically pure African wildcats in the region.
ACR President, Louise Holton passionate about this iconic species. “We need to preserve this beautiful small wildcat as she has given us our amazing housecats that have given people so much companionship over a long period of time —living with a small tiger in your home!” says Holton. “Cats make great companions but we do need to control their numbers, using humane nonlethal methods, which work more effectively than killing.”
To date, ACR has TNR’d close to 3,000 domestic cats in towns bordering Kruger National Park.
The African Wildcat Project expands ACR’s focus efforts geographically from South Africa to any territory Felis lybica inhabits. Crowd-sourced data on AWC sightings is a novel venture made possible by the popularity of social media. Alley Cat Rescue encourages anyone who has personally seen an AWC to report the sighting to them via their Facebook page or survey at surveymonkey.com/r/AWCReport.
For more information about African Wildcats and ACR’s conservation projects, visit http://www.saveacat.org/african-wildcats.html.
Alley Cat Rescue is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to the welfare of all cats: domestic, stray, abandoned, feral, and small wildcat species. ACR advocates for humane nonlethal control of feral cats. For more information about ACR, visit their website http://www.saveacat.org.
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September 20, 2021
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Debbie Holzer
Phone: 818-927-4130
Email: [email protected]
Mt. Rainier, MD (September 20, 2021) – Alley Cat Rescue, Inc. (ACR) is commencing a project to map African wildcat (Felis lybica) sightings throughout Africa and surrounding countries. The African Wildcat Project will collect data from individuals visiting and living in these areas via ACR’s Facebook group (facebook.com/ACRAWCProject) and online report form. Those reporting sightings will provide details including the sighting date, location, and notable physical characteristics of the wildcats.
The goal of the African Wildcat Project is to create a visual representation of AWC distribution that will aid ACR and other conservationist groups in monitoring the species’ population, which has been labeled by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as in decline. AWC’s are becoming rarer due in part to habitat loss and hunting, but the most significant threat to the survival of their species in hybridization through breeding with free-roaming domestic cats.
Alley Cat Rescue has been involved with preserving the AWC South African subspecies, Felis l. cafra, for many years. Through their African Wildcat Conservation Action Plan, which was founded and has been funded to date mainly through grants from the Ayers Wild Cat Conservation Trust, ACR works with South African organizations, game rangers, and resorts and lodges to implement focused trap-neuter-return (TNR) efforts for domestic cats living along game preserve borders, thereby maintaining populations of genetically pure African wildcats in the region.
ACR President, Louise Holton passionate about this iconic species. “We need to preserve this beautiful small wildcat as she has given us our amazing housecats that have given people so much companionship over a long period of time —living with a small tiger in your home!” says Holton. “Cats make great companions but we do need to control their numbers, using humane nonlethal methods, which work more effectively than killing.”
To date, ACR has TNR’d close to 3,000 domestic cats in towns bordering Kruger National Park.
The African Wildcat Project expands ACR’s focus efforts geographically from South Africa to any territory Felis lybica inhabits. Crowd-sourced data on AWC sightings is a novel venture made possible by the popularity of social media. Alley Cat Rescue encourages anyone who has personally seen an AWC to report the sighting to them via their Facebook page or survey at surveymonkey.com/r/AWCReport.
For more information about African Wildcats and ACR’s conservation projects, visit http://www.saveacat.org/african-wildcats.html.
Alley Cat Rescue is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to the welfare of all cats: domestic, stray, abandoned, feral, and small wildcat species. ACR advocates for humane nonlethal control of feral cats. For more information about ACR, visit their website http://www.saveacat.org.
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Alley Cat Rescue Global Feral Fix Challenge 2021 Continuing Through 12/31/2021
August 10, 2021
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Debbie Holzer
Phone: 818-927-4130
Email: [email protected]
Mt. Rainier, MD (August 10,2021) – Alley Cat Rescue, Inc.’s Feral Fix Challenge continues through to the end of 2021 and veterinarians/clinics can still register to participate. The Feral Fix Challenge is an annual global event that brings veterinarians and communities together to save cats’ lives. The Challenge invites veterinarians to get involved with trap-neuter-return (TNR) by providing low-cost or free spay/neuter and rabies vaccination for free-roaming cats. Now in its eleventh year, the year-long Challenge has resulted in the spay or neuter of over 130,000 cats by more than 1,500 veterinary participants. Vets in all of the following countries have participated in the campaign: USA, Canada, South Africa, Namibia, Greece, Israel, Japan, Croatia, Antigua, Nicaragua, India, the U.A.E.
It is estimated that 860,000 cats are euthanized in U.S. shelters every year, many of whom are newborn kittens or unsocialized free-roaming cats. The two go hand in hand, as 80% of kittens entering shelters each year are born to free-roaming cats. Both groups often require a significant investment of time and resources beyond a shelter’s ability before they are adoptable. The influx of kittens during the spring and summer months, also known as Kitten Season, stretches shelters to the breaking point, leading to euthanasia of healthy cats and kittens simply to make room for each day’s new arrivals.
“It is a tragedy that 2,500 cats and kittens are killed every day in our shelters, places that are supposed to serve as a temporary sanctuary and refuge for cats in need,” said Louise Holton, Alley Cat Rescue president and founder. “The best way to reduce the number of kittens flooding into shelters is by spaying and neutering outdoor, free-roaming cats. When the breeding cycle is stopped, unwanted kittens are never born, and the adult cat receives health benefits too.” Targeted TNR programs have been shown to significantly reduce shelter intake and euthanasia rates.
Vets can sign up to participate at www.saveacat.org/the-feral-fix.html and pledge to provide free or low-cost spay/neuter services to as many free-roaming cats as is feasible for their individual practices.
Individuals are also encouraged to visit this page to request Alley Cat Rescue send their vet an invitation to participate, or for a sample invitation if they prefer to invite their vet personally.
Alley Cat Rescue is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to the welfare of all cats: domestic, stray, abandoned, and feral. ACR advocates for humane nonlethal control of feral cats. For more information, visit their website http://www.saveacat.org.
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August 10, 2021
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Debbie Holzer
Phone: 818-927-4130
Email: [email protected]
Mt. Rainier, MD (August 10,2021) – Alley Cat Rescue, Inc.’s Feral Fix Challenge continues through to the end of 2021 and veterinarians/clinics can still register to participate. The Feral Fix Challenge is an annual global event that brings veterinarians and communities together to save cats’ lives. The Challenge invites veterinarians to get involved with trap-neuter-return (TNR) by providing low-cost or free spay/neuter and rabies vaccination for free-roaming cats. Now in its eleventh year, the year-long Challenge has resulted in the spay or neuter of over 130,000 cats by more than 1,500 veterinary participants. Vets in all of the following countries have participated in the campaign: USA, Canada, South Africa, Namibia, Greece, Israel, Japan, Croatia, Antigua, Nicaragua, India, the U.A.E.
It is estimated that 860,000 cats are euthanized in U.S. shelters every year, many of whom are newborn kittens or unsocialized free-roaming cats. The two go hand in hand, as 80% of kittens entering shelters each year are born to free-roaming cats. Both groups often require a significant investment of time and resources beyond a shelter’s ability before they are adoptable. The influx of kittens during the spring and summer months, also known as Kitten Season, stretches shelters to the breaking point, leading to euthanasia of healthy cats and kittens simply to make room for each day’s new arrivals.
“It is a tragedy that 2,500 cats and kittens are killed every day in our shelters, places that are supposed to serve as a temporary sanctuary and refuge for cats in need,” said Louise Holton, Alley Cat Rescue president and founder. “The best way to reduce the number of kittens flooding into shelters is by spaying and neutering outdoor, free-roaming cats. When the breeding cycle is stopped, unwanted kittens are never born, and the adult cat receives health benefits too.” Targeted TNR programs have been shown to significantly reduce shelter intake and euthanasia rates.
Vets can sign up to participate at www.saveacat.org/the-feral-fix.html and pledge to provide free or low-cost spay/neuter services to as many free-roaming cats as is feasible for their individual practices.
Individuals are also encouraged to visit this page to request Alley Cat Rescue send their vet an invitation to participate, or for a sample invitation if they prefer to invite their vet personally.
Alley Cat Rescue is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to the welfare of all cats: domestic, stray, abandoned, and feral. ACR advocates for humane nonlethal control of feral cats. For more information, visit their website http://www.saveacat.org.
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Alley Cat Rescue Global Feral Fix Challenge 2021
March 3, 2021
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Phone: 301-277-5595
Mt. Rainier, MD (March 3,2021) – Alley Cat Rescue, Inc. announced today the start of the Feral Fix Challenge, an annual global event that brings veterinarians and communities together to save cats’ lives. The Challenge invites veterinarians to get involved with trap-neuter-return (TNR) by providing low-cost or free spay/neuter and rabies vaccination for free-roaming cats. Now in its eleventh year, the year-long Challenge has resulted in the spay or neuter of over 130,000 cats by more than 1,500 veterinary participants. Vets in all of the following countries have participated in the campaign: USA, Canada, South Africa, Greece, Israel, Japan, Croatia, Antigua, Nicaragua, India.
It is estimated that 860,000 cats are euthanized in U.S. shelters every year, many of whom are newborn kittens or unsocialized free-roaming cats. The two go hand in hand, as 80% of kittens entering shelters each year are born to free-roaming cats. Both groups often require a significant investment of time and resources beyond a shelter’s ability before they are adoptable. The influx of kittens during the spring and summer months, also known as Kitten Season, stretches shelters to the breaking point, leading to euthanasia of healthy cats and kittens simply to make room for each day’s new arrivals.
“It is a tragedy that 2,500 cats and kittens are killed every day in our shelters, places that are supposed to serve as a temporary sanctuary and refuge for cats in need,” said Louise Holton, Alley Cat Rescue president and founder. “The best way to reduce the number of kittens flooding into shelters is by spaying and neutering outdoor, free-roaming cats. When the breeding cycle is stopped, unwanted kittens are never born, and the adult cat receives health benefits too.” Targeted TNR programs have been shown to significantly reduce shelter intake and euthanasia rates.
Vets can sign up to participate at www.saveacat.org/the-feral-fix.html and pledge to provide free or low-cost spay/neuter services to as many free-roaming cats as is feasible for their individual practices. Individuals are also encouraged to visit this page to request Alley Cat Rescue send their vet an invitation to participate, or for a sample invitation if they prefer to invite their vet personally.
Alley Cat Rescue is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to the welfare of all cats: domestic, stray, abandoned, and feral. ACR advocates for humane nonlethal control of feral cats. For more information, visit their website http://www.saveacat.org.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 14, 2020
Louise Holton, President, ACR
Phone: 301-277-5595
Email: [email protected], [email protected]
Alley Cat Rescue Receives Grant from the Petco Foundation
Grant will provide financial support for community cat care
Mount Rainier, MD – The Petco Foundation has provided a grant that will allow ACR to continue caring for local community cats in Maryland. The grant will help provide spay/neuter services, rabies vaccinations, and ear tipping for approximately 100 cats throughout the Brentwood, Mt. Rainier, Hyattsville, Colmar Manor, West Hyattsville, and Landover areas.
ACR maintains partnerships with local clinics to offer high-quality and low-cost services for cats. Community cats from the cities listed above are eligible to receive free spay/neuter surgery and the rabies vaccine. ACR uses the Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) method to capture, treat, and return the cats to their territory. TNR is widely practiced in the U.S. and abroad and is known as the safest and most humane way to manage populations of outdoor cats. This grant is vital to ACR’s mission of humanely reducing the population of feral cats, in Maryland and across the United States.
Spay/neuter is the best way to address feline overpopulation, and this grant will allow ACR to continue to provide free and low-cost spay/neuter services. Each year nearly one million healthy and adoptable cats and kittens are euthanized in U.S. shelters simply because there are not enough homes for them. That’s 2500 lives lost every day. Through this grant ACR can help put an end to this tragedy through a robust and affordable spay/neuter program. This grant will stop over 6,500 unwanted kittens from being born on the streets.
About Alley Cat Rescue
ACR is an international nonprofit dedicated to the welfare of all cats: ACR advocates for humane, nonlethal control of feral cats. ACR has been awarded the Independent Charities of America’s “Best in America” Seal of Approval, and its newsletter has won several awards from the Cat Writers’ Association. ACR’s Guide to Managing Community Cats was also awarded a Certificate of Excellence by the CWA.
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Alley Cat Rescue Receives Grant from Maryland Department of Agriculture
10/15/2019
Mount Rainier, MD – For the third year in a row, the Maryland Department of Agriculture has provided a generous grant that will allow ACR to continue caring for local community cats through August 2020. The grant will help provide spay/neuter services, rabies vaccinations, and ear tipping for approximately 900 cats throughout the Brentwood, Mt. Rainier, Hyattsville, Colmar Manor, West Hyattsville, Landover, Landover Park, Landover Hills, Cheverly, Bladensburg, Riverdale, East Riverdale, and Adelphi areas.
ACR maintains partnerships with local clinics to offer high-quality and low-cost services for feral/community cats, owned cats, and all cats in between. Community cats from the cities listed above are eligible to receive free spay/neuter surgery and the rabies vaccine, and the cost for these services are just $50 for cats from other areas. Additionally, any pet cat can be spay/neutered and vaccinated for $50.
ACR uses the Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) method to capture, treat, then return the cats to their territory. TNR is widely practiced in the U.S. and abroad and is known as the safest and most humane way to manage populations of outdoor cats. This grant is vital to ACR’s mission of humanely reducing the population of feral cats, in Maryland and across the United States.
Spay/neuter is the best way to address feline overpopulation, and this grant will allow ACR to continue to provide free and low-cost spay/neuter services throughout Maryland to hundreds of cats and kittens. Each year nearly one million healthy and adoptable cats and kittens are euthanized in U.S. shelters simply because there are not enough homes for them. That’s 2500 lives lost every day. Through this grant ACR can help put an end to this tragedy through a robust and affordable spay/neuter program.
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New Spay/Neuter Project will Protect African Wildcats in South Africa
5/7/2019
Mt. Rainier, MD - Alley Cat Rescue (ACR) announced a new campaign in South Africa to protect the African Wildcat, the ancestor of the domestic cat, through a targeted education and trap-neuter-return (TNR) program in South Africa. Genetically pure African Wildcats could someday disappear, the group says, if hybridization with domestic cats is allowed to continue unchecked.
The African Wildcat lives throughout the continent of Africa and parts of Asia and the Middle East. Today’s familiar house cat is believed to have been domesticated from AWCs about 10,000 years ago in the Fertile Crescent. This beautiful and iconic species is currently facing population declines from hybridization with domestic cats, as well as habitat loss, hunting and the killing of cats by farmers.
One of the largest threats to pure populations of African Wildcats is inter-breeding with feral and stray cats. Studies have found that Wildcats and domestic cats can mate and create fertile, hybrid offspring.
The African Wildcat, Felis lybica cafra, is currently listed on Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, an international agreement among countries to protect threatened and endangered species. As with other Appendix II species, Wildcats are not immediately threatened with extinction, but do need protection in order to ensure their survival.
Alley Cat Rescue President & Founder Louise Holton says, “It’s important to save the African Wildcat. This cat gave the world our wonderful companion cats, who today play an integral role in the lives of millions of people around the world.”
Alley Cat Rescue is addressing the issue of hybridization by implementing their project where domestic cats and African Wildcats are most likely to interact; the places where their territories overlap. The campaign will focus on the area around Kruger National Park, where hybridization can occur and where it is possible to create a “barrier” of sterilized domestic cats. The park is home to a significant number of African Wildcats, who could come into contact with domestic cats from nearby urban areas.
Alley Cat Rescue is partnering with local scientists, veterinarians and other animal advocacy groups in the area for the project, and welcomes additional participation.
About Alley Cat Rescue: ACR is an International nonprofit organization dedicated to the welfare of all cats: domestic, stray, abandoned, and feral. ACR advocates for humane, nonlethal control of feral cats. ACR has been awarded the Independent Charities of America’s “Best in America” Seal of Approval, and their newsletter has won several awards from the Cat Writers’ Association.
ACR’s Guide to Managing Community Cats was also awarded a Certificate of Excellence by the CWA. For more information, please visit http://www.saveacat.org. ###
Alley Cat Rescue Raising Funds to help Feral Cat in Los Angeles During Saving Pets Challenge
4/25/2018
For Immediate Release
(301) 277-5595
Alley Cat Rescue, Inc., An Alliance for Cat Protection, announces their participation in the Saving Pets Challenge to raise money for trap-neuter-return in Los Angeles.
For over 20 years, Alley Cat Rescue (ACR) has been at the forefront of advocating for community cats and promoting their humane management through trap-neuter-return (TNR). ACR has assisted more than 40,000 cats and kittens through their adoption, TNR and spay/neuter programs. Now ACR wants to target the city of Los Angeles where an estimated 2-3 million feral cats live.
The city of Los Angeles is currently not allowed to implement or support TNR after a lawsuit by conservation groups. The city now needs to complete an environmental impact report on the effects of TNR as well as pass a new TNR program through the city council. In the meantime, it is up to groups like ACR to help the feral cats living on the streets.
The Los Angeles Animal Services euthanizes more than 4,000 feral and unweaned kittens every year. TNR will help reduce these numbers by ending the cycle of reproduction and by moving healthy cats and kittens into adoption programs. In 2017, ACR TNR’ed 175 cats in Los Angeles and hopes to help even more cats this year. The money raised from the Saving Pets Challenge will be vital towards providing the resources needed to meet this goal.
ACR is fundraising for the Saving Pets Challenge hosted by Michelson Found Animals, a non-profit organization aimed at keeping pets in their homes. ACR is competing for the $50,000 challenge prize which goes to the top fundraiser. Director of Development Elizabeth Thomas says, “Funds raised during our campaign will be instrumental for saving cats in Los Angeles. We’re thankful for our dedicated supporters who allow us to do the work that we do.”
Help ACR achieve their goal by either donating to their Saving Pets Challenge campaign or becoming a fundraiser yourself here: https://www.crowdrise.com/o/en/campaign/alley-cat-rescue1
About Alley Cat Rescue: ACR is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to the welfare of all cats: domestic, stray, abandoned, and feral. ACR advocates for humane nonlethal control of feral cats. ACR has been awarded the Independent Charities of America’s “Best in America” Seal of Approval, and our newsletter has won several awards from the Cat Writers’ Association. For more information, please visit our website www.saveacat.org. ###
Alley Cat Rescue finds forever home for tortured cat, increases reward for information
3/1/2018
For Immediate Release
(301) 277-5595
Mt. Rainer- Alley Cat Rescue finds adopter for rescued cat who was tortured and mutilated and increases their reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction of person responsible to $3,500.
In January 2018, Alley Cat Rescue saved a tortured and mutilated cat who faced an uncertain fate at a local shelter. The cat had his ears cut and limbs and tail bound by an unknown animal abuser. He was quickly named Hardy after his courageous personality and ability to overcome hardships. After weeks of monitoring and care by Alley Cat Rescue, Hardy got a second chance at a happily ever after when he was adopted at the end of February.
Hardy went home with a loving and compassionate couple. Hardy’s adopter says, “I don’t have enough words to describe the happiness of bringing Hardy home. He had a hard start to life but we are excited to provide him with love.”
Both of the adopters work in the veterinary field and will be able to provide Hardy with the long-term care he needs. Due to the weeks of torture Hardy suffered, he has lost the majority of his toes. Alley Cat Rescue Program Manager Niki Cochran states, “Hardy will likely be afflicted with arthritis, litter box issues and pain in his feet. Despite this, he should live a happy and healthy life with continued veterinary care.”
Alley Cat Rescue will continue to focus on Hardy’s case and is offering a $3,500 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or person(s) responsible. “Animal cruelty can be indicative of a violent personality. A person who commits such violent acts against an innocent cat could progress to hurting more animals or even people,” Alley Cat Rescue Communications Associate Brianna Grant explains.
The Prince George’s Police Department has recently opened up an investigation into Hardy’s case and is offering an award for information on this case. Anyone with any information on Hardy’s case should contact the police department at 301-772-4911. If callers wish to remain anonymous they may call 1-866-411-8477.
About Alley Cat Rescue: ACR is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to the welfare of all cats: domestic, stray, abandoned, and feral. ACR advocates for humane nonlethal control of feral cats. ACR has been awarded the Independent Charities of America’s “Best in America” Seal of Approval, and our newsletter has won several awards from the Cat Writers’ Association. For more information, please visit our website www.saveacat.org. ###
Alley Cat Rescue Saves Cats Through Annual May Spay Challenge, Calls on Veterinary Community to Participate
2/1/2018
For Immediate Release
(301) 277-5595 [email protected]
Mt, Rainer- On May 1, 2018 Alley Cat Rescue, An Alliance for Cat Protection, will be kicking off its annual May Spay Challenge and calls on veterinarians to provide free or low-cost sterilization for feral cats.
Alley Cat Rescue is preparing for its annual May Spay Challenge, a month-long international initiative to save lives and promote the spaying and neutering of feral cats. Alley Cat Rescue calls on veterinarians to help “fix” the kitten invasion by pledging to spay or neuter at least one feral cat each week for the month of May. Veterinarians are encouraged to work in collaboration with local animal rescuers to identify and assist cats in need of sterilization. By performing trap-neuter-return (TNR), veterinarians are proactively addressing the issue of cat overpopulation before kittens are born to face uncertain outcomes at overcrowded shelters.
Spring is notoriously referred to as “kitten season” because spring marks the high influx of kittens brought into shelters. This intake follows the cats’ breeding cycle beginning in March in the Western Hemisphere. Although kitten season may sound like a cute time of year, kittens are one of the most vulnerable groups of cats for euthanasia at shelters, and the high intake of kittens can decrease their chances of survival due to overcrowding. Over 3.2 million cats enter U.S. shelters each year, and sadly 3 in 10 of these animals will be euthanized. The number of cats being euthanized in this country is decreasing, and Alley Cat Rescue hopes this trend can continue with the help of cat sterilization programs, especially for cats living outdoors.
Many of these kittens are born from unsterilized, free-roaming cats. Spay/neuter surgery is vital towards saving kittens’ lives and helping overburdened shelters.
Alley Cat Rescue President and Founder Louise Holton says, “Our success in reducing outdoor cat populations is supported by those veterinarians willing to give back to the community by offering low-cost services for feral cats. Rescuers mostly use their own funds to neuter outdoor cats. They cannot do it alone. TNR stops the breeding cycle more efficiently than catch-and-kill and is used by groups all across the world."
Alley Cat Rescue first launched this initiative in May 2010 and since then over 1,200 veterinary hospitals from 45 U.S. states, Canada, Israel, Croatia, and South Africa have spayed and neutered over 30,000 feral cats.
Alley Cat Rescue hopes even more veterinarians will get involved this year. Any veterinarians interested in registering for the May Spay Challenge can register here.
About Alley Cat Rescue: ACR is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to the welfare of all cats: domestic, stray, abandoned, and feral. ACR advocates for humane nonlethal control of feral cats. ACR has been awarded the Independent Charities of America’s “Best in America” Seal of Approval, and our newsletter has won several awards from the Cat Writers’ Association. For more information, please visit our website www.saveacat.org. ###Alley Cat Rescue (ACR) announced a new campaign in South Africa to protect the African Wildcat, the ancestor of the domestic cat, through a targeted education and trap-neuter-return (TNR) program in South Africa. Genetically pure African Wildcats could someday disappear, the group says, if hybridization with domestic cats is allowed to continue unchecked.
March 3, 2021
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Phone: 301-277-5595
Mt. Rainier, MD (March 3,2021) – Alley Cat Rescue, Inc. announced today the start of the Feral Fix Challenge, an annual global event that brings veterinarians and communities together to save cats’ lives. The Challenge invites veterinarians to get involved with trap-neuter-return (TNR) by providing low-cost or free spay/neuter and rabies vaccination for free-roaming cats. Now in its eleventh year, the year-long Challenge has resulted in the spay or neuter of over 130,000 cats by more than 1,500 veterinary participants. Vets in all of the following countries have participated in the campaign: USA, Canada, South Africa, Greece, Israel, Japan, Croatia, Antigua, Nicaragua, India.
It is estimated that 860,000 cats are euthanized in U.S. shelters every year, many of whom are newborn kittens or unsocialized free-roaming cats. The two go hand in hand, as 80% of kittens entering shelters each year are born to free-roaming cats. Both groups often require a significant investment of time and resources beyond a shelter’s ability before they are adoptable. The influx of kittens during the spring and summer months, also known as Kitten Season, stretches shelters to the breaking point, leading to euthanasia of healthy cats and kittens simply to make room for each day’s new arrivals.
“It is a tragedy that 2,500 cats and kittens are killed every day in our shelters, places that are supposed to serve as a temporary sanctuary and refuge for cats in need,” said Louise Holton, Alley Cat Rescue president and founder. “The best way to reduce the number of kittens flooding into shelters is by spaying and neutering outdoor, free-roaming cats. When the breeding cycle is stopped, unwanted kittens are never born, and the adult cat receives health benefits too.” Targeted TNR programs have been shown to significantly reduce shelter intake and euthanasia rates.
Vets can sign up to participate at www.saveacat.org/the-feral-fix.html and pledge to provide free or low-cost spay/neuter services to as many free-roaming cats as is feasible for their individual practices. Individuals are also encouraged to visit this page to request Alley Cat Rescue send their vet an invitation to participate, or for a sample invitation if they prefer to invite their vet personally.
Alley Cat Rescue is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to the welfare of all cats: domestic, stray, abandoned, and feral. ACR advocates for humane nonlethal control of feral cats. For more information, visit their website http://www.saveacat.org.
###
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 14, 2020
Louise Holton, President, ACR
Phone: 301-277-5595
Email: [email protected], [email protected]
Alley Cat Rescue Receives Grant from the Petco Foundation
Grant will provide financial support for community cat care
Mount Rainier, MD – The Petco Foundation has provided a grant that will allow ACR to continue caring for local community cats in Maryland. The grant will help provide spay/neuter services, rabies vaccinations, and ear tipping for approximately 100 cats throughout the Brentwood, Mt. Rainier, Hyattsville, Colmar Manor, West Hyattsville, and Landover areas.
ACR maintains partnerships with local clinics to offer high-quality and low-cost services for cats. Community cats from the cities listed above are eligible to receive free spay/neuter surgery and the rabies vaccine. ACR uses the Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) method to capture, treat, and return the cats to their territory. TNR is widely practiced in the U.S. and abroad and is known as the safest and most humane way to manage populations of outdoor cats. This grant is vital to ACR’s mission of humanely reducing the population of feral cats, in Maryland and across the United States.
Spay/neuter is the best way to address feline overpopulation, and this grant will allow ACR to continue to provide free and low-cost spay/neuter services. Each year nearly one million healthy and adoptable cats and kittens are euthanized in U.S. shelters simply because there are not enough homes for them. That’s 2500 lives lost every day. Through this grant ACR can help put an end to this tragedy through a robust and affordable spay/neuter program. This grant will stop over 6,500 unwanted kittens from being born on the streets.
About Alley Cat Rescue
ACR is an international nonprofit dedicated to the welfare of all cats: ACR advocates for humane, nonlethal control of feral cats. ACR has been awarded the Independent Charities of America’s “Best in America” Seal of Approval, and its newsletter has won several awards from the Cat Writers’ Association. ACR’s Guide to Managing Community Cats was also awarded a Certificate of Excellence by the CWA.
###
Alley Cat Rescue Receives Grant from Maryland Department of Agriculture
10/15/2019
Mount Rainier, MD – For the third year in a row, the Maryland Department of Agriculture has provided a generous grant that will allow ACR to continue caring for local community cats through August 2020. The grant will help provide spay/neuter services, rabies vaccinations, and ear tipping for approximately 900 cats throughout the Brentwood, Mt. Rainier, Hyattsville, Colmar Manor, West Hyattsville, Landover, Landover Park, Landover Hills, Cheverly, Bladensburg, Riverdale, East Riverdale, and Adelphi areas.
ACR maintains partnerships with local clinics to offer high-quality and low-cost services for feral/community cats, owned cats, and all cats in between. Community cats from the cities listed above are eligible to receive free spay/neuter surgery and the rabies vaccine, and the cost for these services are just $50 for cats from other areas. Additionally, any pet cat can be spay/neutered and vaccinated for $50.
ACR uses the Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) method to capture, treat, then return the cats to their territory. TNR is widely practiced in the U.S. and abroad and is known as the safest and most humane way to manage populations of outdoor cats. This grant is vital to ACR’s mission of humanely reducing the population of feral cats, in Maryland and across the United States.
Spay/neuter is the best way to address feline overpopulation, and this grant will allow ACR to continue to provide free and low-cost spay/neuter services throughout Maryland to hundreds of cats and kittens. Each year nearly one million healthy and adoptable cats and kittens are euthanized in U.S. shelters simply because there are not enough homes for them. That’s 2500 lives lost every day. Through this grant ACR can help put an end to this tragedy through a robust and affordable spay/neuter program.
###
New Spay/Neuter Project will Protect African Wildcats in South Africa
5/7/2019
Mt. Rainier, MD - Alley Cat Rescue (ACR) announced a new campaign in South Africa to protect the African Wildcat, the ancestor of the domestic cat, through a targeted education and trap-neuter-return (TNR) program in South Africa. Genetically pure African Wildcats could someday disappear, the group says, if hybridization with domestic cats is allowed to continue unchecked.
The African Wildcat lives throughout the continent of Africa and parts of Asia and the Middle East. Today’s familiar house cat is believed to have been domesticated from AWCs about 10,000 years ago in the Fertile Crescent. This beautiful and iconic species is currently facing population declines from hybridization with domestic cats, as well as habitat loss, hunting and the killing of cats by farmers.
One of the largest threats to pure populations of African Wildcats is inter-breeding with feral and stray cats. Studies have found that Wildcats and domestic cats can mate and create fertile, hybrid offspring.
The African Wildcat, Felis lybica cafra, is currently listed on Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, an international agreement among countries to protect threatened and endangered species. As with other Appendix II species, Wildcats are not immediately threatened with extinction, but do need protection in order to ensure their survival.
Alley Cat Rescue President & Founder Louise Holton says, “It’s important to save the African Wildcat. This cat gave the world our wonderful companion cats, who today play an integral role in the lives of millions of people around the world.”
Alley Cat Rescue is addressing the issue of hybridization by implementing their project where domestic cats and African Wildcats are most likely to interact; the places where their territories overlap. The campaign will focus on the area around Kruger National Park, where hybridization can occur and where it is possible to create a “barrier” of sterilized domestic cats. The park is home to a significant number of African Wildcats, who could come into contact with domestic cats from nearby urban areas.
Alley Cat Rescue is partnering with local scientists, veterinarians and other animal advocacy groups in the area for the project, and welcomes additional participation.
About Alley Cat Rescue: ACR is an International nonprofit organization dedicated to the welfare of all cats: domestic, stray, abandoned, and feral. ACR advocates for humane, nonlethal control of feral cats. ACR has been awarded the Independent Charities of America’s “Best in America” Seal of Approval, and their newsletter has won several awards from the Cat Writers’ Association.
ACR’s Guide to Managing Community Cats was also awarded a Certificate of Excellence by the CWA. For more information, please visit http://www.saveacat.org. ###
Alley Cat Rescue Raising Funds to help Feral Cat in Los Angeles During Saving Pets Challenge
4/25/2018
For Immediate Release
(301) 277-5595
Alley Cat Rescue, Inc., An Alliance for Cat Protection, announces their participation in the Saving Pets Challenge to raise money for trap-neuter-return in Los Angeles.
For over 20 years, Alley Cat Rescue (ACR) has been at the forefront of advocating for community cats and promoting their humane management through trap-neuter-return (TNR). ACR has assisted more than 40,000 cats and kittens through their adoption, TNR and spay/neuter programs. Now ACR wants to target the city of Los Angeles where an estimated 2-3 million feral cats live.
The city of Los Angeles is currently not allowed to implement or support TNR after a lawsuit by conservation groups. The city now needs to complete an environmental impact report on the effects of TNR as well as pass a new TNR program through the city council. In the meantime, it is up to groups like ACR to help the feral cats living on the streets.
The Los Angeles Animal Services euthanizes more than 4,000 feral and unweaned kittens every year. TNR will help reduce these numbers by ending the cycle of reproduction and by moving healthy cats and kittens into adoption programs. In 2017, ACR TNR’ed 175 cats in Los Angeles and hopes to help even more cats this year. The money raised from the Saving Pets Challenge will be vital towards providing the resources needed to meet this goal.
ACR is fundraising for the Saving Pets Challenge hosted by Michelson Found Animals, a non-profit organization aimed at keeping pets in their homes. ACR is competing for the $50,000 challenge prize which goes to the top fundraiser. Director of Development Elizabeth Thomas says, “Funds raised during our campaign will be instrumental for saving cats in Los Angeles. We’re thankful for our dedicated supporters who allow us to do the work that we do.”
Help ACR achieve their goal by either donating to their Saving Pets Challenge campaign or becoming a fundraiser yourself here: https://www.crowdrise.com/o/en/campaign/alley-cat-rescue1
About Alley Cat Rescue: ACR is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to the welfare of all cats: domestic, stray, abandoned, and feral. ACR advocates for humane nonlethal control of feral cats. ACR has been awarded the Independent Charities of America’s “Best in America” Seal of Approval, and our newsletter has won several awards from the Cat Writers’ Association. For more information, please visit our website www.saveacat.org. ###
Alley Cat Rescue finds forever home for tortured cat, increases reward for information
3/1/2018
For Immediate Release
(301) 277-5595
Mt. Rainer- Alley Cat Rescue finds adopter for rescued cat who was tortured and mutilated and increases their reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction of person responsible to $3,500.
In January 2018, Alley Cat Rescue saved a tortured and mutilated cat who faced an uncertain fate at a local shelter. The cat had his ears cut and limbs and tail bound by an unknown animal abuser. He was quickly named Hardy after his courageous personality and ability to overcome hardships. After weeks of monitoring and care by Alley Cat Rescue, Hardy got a second chance at a happily ever after when he was adopted at the end of February.
Hardy went home with a loving and compassionate couple. Hardy’s adopter says, “I don’t have enough words to describe the happiness of bringing Hardy home. He had a hard start to life but we are excited to provide him with love.”
Both of the adopters work in the veterinary field and will be able to provide Hardy with the long-term care he needs. Due to the weeks of torture Hardy suffered, he has lost the majority of his toes. Alley Cat Rescue Program Manager Niki Cochran states, “Hardy will likely be afflicted with arthritis, litter box issues and pain in his feet. Despite this, he should live a happy and healthy life with continued veterinary care.”
Alley Cat Rescue will continue to focus on Hardy’s case and is offering a $3,500 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or person(s) responsible. “Animal cruelty can be indicative of a violent personality. A person who commits such violent acts against an innocent cat could progress to hurting more animals or even people,” Alley Cat Rescue Communications Associate Brianna Grant explains.
The Prince George’s Police Department has recently opened up an investigation into Hardy’s case and is offering an award for information on this case. Anyone with any information on Hardy’s case should contact the police department at 301-772-4911. If callers wish to remain anonymous they may call 1-866-411-8477.
About Alley Cat Rescue: ACR is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to the welfare of all cats: domestic, stray, abandoned, and feral. ACR advocates for humane nonlethal control of feral cats. ACR has been awarded the Independent Charities of America’s “Best in America” Seal of Approval, and our newsletter has won several awards from the Cat Writers’ Association. For more information, please visit our website www.saveacat.org. ###
Alley Cat Rescue Saves Cats Through Annual May Spay Challenge, Calls on Veterinary Community to Participate
2/1/2018
For Immediate Release
(301) 277-5595 [email protected]
Mt, Rainer- On May 1, 2018 Alley Cat Rescue, An Alliance for Cat Protection, will be kicking off its annual May Spay Challenge and calls on veterinarians to provide free or low-cost sterilization for feral cats.
Alley Cat Rescue is preparing for its annual May Spay Challenge, a month-long international initiative to save lives and promote the spaying and neutering of feral cats. Alley Cat Rescue calls on veterinarians to help “fix” the kitten invasion by pledging to spay or neuter at least one feral cat each week for the month of May. Veterinarians are encouraged to work in collaboration with local animal rescuers to identify and assist cats in need of sterilization. By performing trap-neuter-return (TNR), veterinarians are proactively addressing the issue of cat overpopulation before kittens are born to face uncertain outcomes at overcrowded shelters.
Spring is notoriously referred to as “kitten season” because spring marks the high influx of kittens brought into shelters. This intake follows the cats’ breeding cycle beginning in March in the Western Hemisphere. Although kitten season may sound like a cute time of year, kittens are one of the most vulnerable groups of cats for euthanasia at shelters, and the high intake of kittens can decrease their chances of survival due to overcrowding. Over 3.2 million cats enter U.S. shelters each year, and sadly 3 in 10 of these animals will be euthanized. The number of cats being euthanized in this country is decreasing, and Alley Cat Rescue hopes this trend can continue with the help of cat sterilization programs, especially for cats living outdoors.
Many of these kittens are born from unsterilized, free-roaming cats. Spay/neuter surgery is vital towards saving kittens’ lives and helping overburdened shelters.
Alley Cat Rescue President and Founder Louise Holton says, “Our success in reducing outdoor cat populations is supported by those veterinarians willing to give back to the community by offering low-cost services for feral cats. Rescuers mostly use their own funds to neuter outdoor cats. They cannot do it alone. TNR stops the breeding cycle more efficiently than catch-and-kill and is used by groups all across the world."
Alley Cat Rescue first launched this initiative in May 2010 and since then over 1,200 veterinary hospitals from 45 U.S. states, Canada, Israel, Croatia, and South Africa have spayed and neutered over 30,000 feral cats.
Alley Cat Rescue hopes even more veterinarians will get involved this year. Any veterinarians interested in registering for the May Spay Challenge can register here.
About Alley Cat Rescue: ACR is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to the welfare of all cats: domestic, stray, abandoned, and feral. ACR advocates for humane nonlethal control of feral cats. ACR has been awarded the Independent Charities of America’s “Best in America” Seal of Approval, and our newsletter has won several awards from the Cat Writers’ Association. For more information, please visit our website www.saveacat.org. ###Alley Cat Rescue (ACR) announced a new campaign in South Africa to protect the African Wildcat, the ancestor of the domestic cat, through a targeted education and trap-neuter-return (TNR) program in South Africa. Genetically pure African Wildcats could someday disappear, the group says, if hybridization with domestic cats is allowed to continue unchecked.
1/10/2018
For Immediate Release
(301) 277-5595
Alley Cat Rescue Saves Tortured Cat, Offers $2,500 Reward For Information
Mt. Rainier, MD— A young cat was brought to Prince George’s County Animal Shelter with an array of wounds to his ears, limbs and tail that left him limping and weak. His ears were gashed open and his toes were hanging on by threads. It was clear that this poor cat had been through extreme cruelty. Because of the severity of his injuries and necessary treatment, we came in to rescue this traumatized cat.
It was immediately clear that these injuries were the result of intentional animal cruelty. Our veterinarian assessed him and his prognosis was worse than we could have anticipated. She examined the wounds and estimated the cat had been tortured over a period of three weeks. This 8 month old cat had slowly suffered with no veterinary care or compassion. The abuser had tied his tail and limbs tightly and had cut his ears. His tail and two of his toes required surgical removal. We were humbled by his ability to trust and interact with us after he had gone through so much.
He started out as an unknown victim of animal cruelty but has now become Hardy, ACR’s affectionate and trusting little boy. The name Hardy means courageous and able to overcome difficult circumstances. This only begins to describe Hardy’s resilient personality. Right now Hardy is receiving love and compassion for likely the first time in his life. He is recovering and is undergoing continued veterinary care. People interested in following his story can keep up to date on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/alleycatrescueinc/.
Alley Cat Rescue is offering a $2,500 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the abuse. If you know anything about Hardy’s case please contact Prince George’s County Animal Control at 301-780-7200.
For Immediate Release
(301) 277-5595
Alley Cat Rescue Saves Tortured Cat, Offers $2,500 Reward For Information
Mt. Rainier, MD— A young cat was brought to Prince George’s County Animal Shelter with an array of wounds to his ears, limbs and tail that left him limping and weak. His ears were gashed open and his toes were hanging on by threads. It was clear that this poor cat had been through extreme cruelty. Because of the severity of his injuries and necessary treatment, we came in to rescue this traumatized cat.
It was immediately clear that these injuries were the result of intentional animal cruelty. Our veterinarian assessed him and his prognosis was worse than we could have anticipated. She examined the wounds and estimated the cat had been tortured over a period of three weeks. This 8 month old cat had slowly suffered with no veterinary care or compassion. The abuser had tied his tail and limbs tightly and had cut his ears. His tail and two of his toes required surgical removal. We were humbled by his ability to trust and interact with us after he had gone through so much.
He started out as an unknown victim of animal cruelty but has now become Hardy, ACR’s affectionate and trusting little boy. The name Hardy means courageous and able to overcome difficult circumstances. This only begins to describe Hardy’s resilient personality. Right now Hardy is receiving love and compassion for likely the first time in his life. He is recovering and is undergoing continued veterinary care. People interested in following his story can keep up to date on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/alleycatrescueinc/.
Alley Cat Rescue is offering a $2,500 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the abuse. If you know anything about Hardy’s case please contact Prince George’s County Animal Control at 301-780-7200.
11/29/2017
For Immediate Release
(301) 277-5595
Alley Cat Rescue Looks for Home for Rescued Hurricane Harvey Cat
Mt. Rainier, MD-- Alley Cat Rescue traveled down to Houston, Texas after Hurricane Harvey hit the area to help with rescue efforts. Shelters in the area were in desperate need of help and ACR was there to assist. ACR rescued 40 cats that were in local shelters to free up space for cats displaced by the hurricane, donated supplies to the shelters and sorted through mountains of donated supplies. ACR was also involved in on-the-ground rescues. A team paddle-boarded through the devastation to rescue people and pets left behind. Although this situation was tragic, the team met many inspirational people and animals.
In total, 17 cats were brought back to ACR headquarters in Brentwood, Maryland while others were brought to the Los Angeles office. The cats were named after towns in Texas such as Austin, Amarillo and Idalou. The work didn’t end when the team returned to Maryland though. Some of the cats needed extra care, such as Amarillo, who staff members nursed back to health. He went from a weak kitten to an outgoing and rambunctious personality.
Since then, all but one Harvey cat have been adopted. Autumn is still looking for a home and would love to be adopted in time for the holidays! Autumn is ACR’s feisty and adventurous tortie girl. She loves to play but will come up for pets when she is tired and wants some love. If you are interested in adopting Autumn fill out on online inquiry form.
For Immediate Release
(301) 277-5595
Alley Cat Rescue Looks for Home for Rescued Hurricane Harvey Cat
Mt. Rainier, MD-- Alley Cat Rescue traveled down to Houston, Texas after Hurricane Harvey hit the area to help with rescue efforts. Shelters in the area were in desperate need of help and ACR was there to assist. ACR rescued 40 cats that were in local shelters to free up space for cats displaced by the hurricane, donated supplies to the shelters and sorted through mountains of donated supplies. ACR was also involved in on-the-ground rescues. A team paddle-boarded through the devastation to rescue people and pets left behind. Although this situation was tragic, the team met many inspirational people and animals.
In total, 17 cats were brought back to ACR headquarters in Brentwood, Maryland while others were brought to the Los Angeles office. The cats were named after towns in Texas such as Austin, Amarillo and Idalou. The work didn’t end when the team returned to Maryland though. Some of the cats needed extra care, such as Amarillo, who staff members nursed back to health. He went from a weak kitten to an outgoing and rambunctious personality.
Since then, all but one Harvey cat have been adopted. Autumn is still looking for a home and would love to be adopted in time for the holidays! Autumn is ACR’s feisty and adventurous tortie girl. She loves to play but will come up for pets when she is tired and wants some love. If you are interested in adopting Autumn fill out on online inquiry form.
10/27/2017
For Immediate Release
(301) 277-5595
Alley Cat Rescue calls on Australian municipality to reverse community cat bounty
Mt. Rainier, MD—On October 13, 2017 Alley Cat Rescue, An Alliance for Cat Protection, released a petition demanding an end to community cat bounty hunting in Banana Shire, Queensland. The government of Banana Shire has recently announced a bounty for the scalps of dead community cats. Alley Cat Rescue vehemently opposes encouraging individuals to kill community cats and is working to reverse this inhumane and ineffective bounty.
Our petition has reached over 105,000 signatures and counting. Almost 11,000 of these signatures are from Australians themselves. Many Australians have commented that they support trap-neuter-return and concerned about the safety of their pet cat if the cat gets outside. Property owners need to give hunters permission to hunt on their property but cats do not understand property lines and can wander into a hunter’s territory.
Alley Cat Rescue President, Louise Holton says, “Alley Cat Rescue wants to help Australian groups work on humane solutions to cat overpopulation which are far more effective than killing community cats.”
Cat overpopulation is an important issue in Australia that needs to be addressed but a barbaric bounty for the scalps of dead cats is not the answer. A study released this year in Animals entitled “Trap-Neuter-Return Activities in Urban Stray Cat Colonies in Australia” found that TNR coupled with adoptions of friendly community cats significantly reduced the number of community cats while also increasing the welfare of the animals. Another study in Tasmania found that culling community cats actually led to an increase in their population. They stated that this was probably due to new individuals taking over the area after dominant cats were removed. The Australian Veterinary Association is also critical of culling stating, “Control of cats may be extremely costly and result in only temporary predation relief for native animals and birds. Currently available technologies (trapping, shooting and poisoning) are unlikely to achieve eradication. In fact, this can only be achieved within predator-proof enclosures and on islands.”
For more information on Alley Cat Rescue's work please visit: http://www.saveacat.org/ and to sign our petition please visit: https://www.thepetitionsite.com/938/259/677/demand-an-end-to-community-cat-bounty-hunting-in-australia/
For Immediate Release
(301) 277-5595
Alley Cat Rescue calls on Australian municipality to reverse community cat bounty
Mt. Rainier, MD—On October 13, 2017 Alley Cat Rescue, An Alliance for Cat Protection, released a petition demanding an end to community cat bounty hunting in Banana Shire, Queensland. The government of Banana Shire has recently announced a bounty for the scalps of dead community cats. Alley Cat Rescue vehemently opposes encouraging individuals to kill community cats and is working to reverse this inhumane and ineffective bounty.
Our petition has reached over 105,000 signatures and counting. Almost 11,000 of these signatures are from Australians themselves. Many Australians have commented that they support trap-neuter-return and concerned about the safety of their pet cat if the cat gets outside. Property owners need to give hunters permission to hunt on their property but cats do not understand property lines and can wander into a hunter’s territory.
Alley Cat Rescue President, Louise Holton says, “Alley Cat Rescue wants to help Australian groups work on humane solutions to cat overpopulation which are far more effective than killing community cats.”
Cat overpopulation is an important issue in Australia that needs to be addressed but a barbaric bounty for the scalps of dead cats is not the answer. A study released this year in Animals entitled “Trap-Neuter-Return Activities in Urban Stray Cat Colonies in Australia” found that TNR coupled with adoptions of friendly community cats significantly reduced the number of community cats while also increasing the welfare of the animals. Another study in Tasmania found that culling community cats actually led to an increase in their population. They stated that this was probably due to new individuals taking over the area after dominant cats were removed. The Australian Veterinary Association is also critical of culling stating, “Control of cats may be extremely costly and result in only temporary predation relief for native animals and birds. Currently available technologies (trapping, shooting and poisoning) are unlikely to achieve eradication. In fact, this can only be achieved within predator-proof enclosures and on islands.”
For more information on Alley Cat Rescue's work please visit: http://www.saveacat.org/ and to sign our petition please visit: https://www.thepetitionsite.com/938/259/677/demand-an-end-to-community-cat-bounty-hunting-in-australia/
HOW TO SAVE COMMUNITY CATS─In her new book, Alley Cat Rescue's Guide to Managing Community Cats, Louise Holton shares her extensive experience running Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) programs and explains why it is essential to move away from the current system of catch-and-kill. Holton combines her wealth of practical knowledge with supporting scientific research to illustrate the effectiveness of TNR, while also dispelling the rampant myths surrounding feral cats.
Alley Cat Rescue's Guide to Managing Community Cats |
Louise Holton has been at the forefront of humanely managing outdoor cat populations for more than 40 years. "TNR is a true life-saver for outdoor cats because it stops the breeding cycle and provides cats with vaccines and a support system that improves their health." says Holton. "TNR programs greatly reduce the strain on limited shelter resources and free up valuable space so that more animals can be saved."
Chief Executive of International Cat Care Claire Bessant says, "The benefits to cats and to the human community if cat populations are managed humanely, and stable colonies are formed rather than eradicated, are now well documented. In this new book, Louise reiterates this principle from her own experiences." Holton believes the research and data presented in her book will shed new light on hot button issues regarding TNR, as well as clear up misconceptions that people have about community cats. Holton began helping feral cats during the mid-1970s, when she worked with the Johannesburg SPCA to TNR feral cats at her work place. Upon moving to the U.S years later, Holton dedicated her life's work to advocating for TNR programs and humane management for community cats, after learning that catch-and-kill was the standard method for controlling outdoor cats. New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Marshall Thomas says, "[This is] the best and most informative book ever written on the subject and we badly need the information. The research is thorough, the science is flawless, the information is fascinating and the writing is beautiful." Alley Cat Rescue's Guide to Managing Community Cats is now available on Amazon and directly through ACR's website. About Louise Holton: Louise Holton has founded two international cat advocacy organizations and has helped pioneer Trap-Neuter- Return (TNR) in the U.S. Over the past four decades, she has assisted more than 40,000 cats, presented at numerous conferences and symposiums, and won several awards, including a Muse Medallion from the Cat Writers’ Association for her informational booklet, Feral Cat Colony Management and Control: Facts and Myths about Feral Cats. |