Media Contact:
Lauren Tate
513-639-7461
BETHESDA, Md. As Alley Cat Allies prepares to celebrate National Feral Cat Day on Sunday, Oct. 16, 2016, it encourages veterinarians to join the movement to save cats’ lives.
“The veterinary community plays an essential role in the humane treatment of community cats both by serving as a resource for the public, and also by providing direct veterinary care and spay/neuter services through Trap-Neuter-Return programs,” said Becky Robinson, president and founder of Alley Cat Allies. “This National Feral Cat Day, we encourage veterinarians to mobilize their communities with the knowledge and resources to help save cats’ lives.”
Alley Cat Allies established National Feral Cat Day in 2001 as a call to action to raise awareness about community cats, promote Trap-Neuter-Return as the only effective method of stabilizing cat populations, and empower the millions of compassionate Americans who care about cats everywhere.
What began as individuals taking action has grown into a movement and is now mainstream. Today, more than 590 local governments have enacted ordinances or policies supporting Trap-Neuter-Return, as well as hundreds of communities and shelters across the U.S. that are successfully carrying out Trap-Neuter-Return and Shelter-Neuter-Return programs.
“These major programs would not be possible without the veterinarians and veterinary technicians who work or volunteer in spay/neuter clinics or accept community cats into their practices,” Robinson said. “But we can still do more to enlist the support of vets nationwide, and that is why Alley Cat Allies is calling on the veterinary community to get involved this National Feral Cat Day and help increase awareness and education about community cats.”
The theme for this year’s National Feral Cat Day is “All Cats. All Communities,” encouraging cat advocates from across the globe to educate their communities about humane policies that help save cats’ lives and work to protect all cats in all communities. Thousands of events have taken place on previous celebrations of National Feral Cat Day, including volunteer-led spay/neuter clinics, educational workshops, official governmental proclamations, and fundraising to support local Trap-Neuter-Return and Shelter-Neuter-Return programs. For more information on National Feral Cat Day and how to get involved, visit www.nationalferalcatday.org.
Are you a veterinarian, and want to get involved? Consider hosting a low-cost spay/neuter or vaccination clinic for your community, or services for your clients. If you have some time available, perhaps you can donate your services and experience to a group or organization providing Trap-Neuter-Return services in your area. There are lots of way to help. For more ideas and to get inspired, please visit www.nationalferalcatday.org/ideas.
For more information about community cats and the critical role that veterinarians play in improving the lives of community cats, visit the Alley Cat Allies’ Veterinarian Resource Center at www.alleycat.org/veterinarian.
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About Alley Cat Allies
Alley Cat Allies, headquartered in Bethesda, Md., is the only national advocacy organization dedicated to the protection and humane treatment of cats. Founded in 1990, today Alley Cat Allies has more than half a million supporters and helps tens of thousands of individuals, communities and organizations save and improve the lives of millions of cats and kittens nationwide. Its website is www.alleycat.org, and Alley Cat Allies is active on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.