Hi from Molly and Kayla!
I
t has been another exciting week here at Alley Cat Allies! We just got back from visiting the Mesquite Animal Shelter and Adoption Center in Texas, where we spoke with shelter staff to advise them on humane policies for cats. Since it’s kitten seasonthe time of year when most kittens are bornit was no surprise that the shelter had many kittens available for adoption. We got to see one kitten adopted to his forever home while we were there. We had a hard time not flying back with an arm full of kittens!
Getting a little “kitten time.” This cutie is ready for a forever home.
In communities across the nation, the number one calls Animal Control Officers and shelters receive are about kittens. They’re too cute not to care about right? However, many don’t realize that the best way to help is by caring for the cats who could give birth to kittens, and preventing more from being born outdoors. That’s why Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) is so important and humane: no new kittens are born, cats are freed from the stresses of mating behavior, and community cat populations stabilize and reduce over time.
During our Mesquite visit, Alley Cat Allies hosted two workshops. The first one was for shelter staff. When a shelter is ready to adopt humane policies like supporting TNR, the change can sometimes be difficult. One of our jobs is to help shelters make this transition as smoothly as possible. For example, we give shelter staff talking points on many common cat-related issues their community will raise to their front desk and Animal Control Officers. We discussed these issues in the workshop, and gave staff the tools to answer questions and educate their community about cats.
Alley Cat Allies’ staff attorney Molly Armus, Mesquite Animal Services Superintendent Anne Simmons, and Alley Cat Allies’ Campaigns Manager Kayla Christiano on a tour of the shelter.
One of the workshop attendees was an Animal Control Officer who also cares for bottle baby kittens from the shelter, so we know she was personally feeling the effects of kitten season in more ways than one. Alley Cat Allies hosts workshops like these throughout the country to help people like her continue their lifesaving work.
Molly talks about the City of Mesquite’s Code during our workshop.
The second workshop was for community residents who wanted to learn about TNR, needed a refresher on how to do it, or wanted information on how to advocate for cats. Through presentations like these, we get to meet community cat advocates and help the people who are on the ground making a difference for cats every day. That’s what inspires us all at Alley Cat Allies to continue our work!
We’re so excited that the Mesquite Animal Shelter and Adoption Center is looking into making positive changes to help community cats! We look forward to seeing the community’s progress.
Sincerely,
 Molly Armus Staff Attorney, Alley Cat Allies |
and Kayla Christiano Campaigns Manager, Alley Cat Allies |