April 27th is the second annual Free Feral Cat Spay Day (FFCSD), launched last year by Alley Cat Rescue. Over 150 vets across the US participated and you can get your vet involved this year!
Last year, ACR President and Alley Cat Allies co-founder, Louise Holton, asked veterinarians to participate in the first FFCSD, requesting they offer at least two free spay/neuters of homeless cats. In addition to the 150 American vets that participated, South Africa became attached to the now international campaign.
ACR is determined to do their part in putting an end to feral cat overpopulation and needless euthanasia and they know they cannot do it on their own. According to the ACR site, “Our intention is not to place a burden of caring for the country’s stray and feral cats on veterinarians, but rather we are hoping that the public will respond to this as well, and a network will be created to help solve this national epidemic. Individuals will build relationships with participating vets, and over time, this will bring more business to the veterinary community. By establishing long-term relationships between vets and rescuers, together they can help their town’s stray cat population.”
This year ACR partnered once again with Brentwood Animal Hospital, who, together with a team of veterinary professionals and trappers, sterilized 40 cats. This year ACR is hoping to generously exceed 150 participating veterinarians and you can help. At the ACR site, vets can sign up to join the campaign and individuals can make monetary donations or request information about local TNR and participating veterinarians.
In addition to the ACR’s Free Feral Cat Spay Day, some organizations tackle the issue of cat homelessness year-round. FixNation is a Los Angeles non-profit corporation that provides a free, full-time spay/neuter clinic for homeless stray and feral cats and low-cost, affordable sterilization services for pet cats. They lend humane traps and equipment to the public free of charge, provide training on how to humanely trap feral cats and kittens, and offer guidance and information on caring for and managing feral colonies.
With campaigns like ALR’s Free Feral Cat Spay Day, the ongoing services of FixNation, and the participation of compassionate citizens, cat overpopulation may finally come to an end.
How do we find out if this is happen in our area ?