(See Victory for Puerto Rico’s Community Cats on page 2) ALLEY CAT ACTION® Alley Cat Allies Newsletter | alleycat.org | Fall 2026 For Alley Cat Allies’ More Than 1.8 Million Supporters and Activists Across the Nation and Around the World Follow us on social media! /AlleyCatAllies Today, we celebrate this major victory for the cats of Puerto Rico with you! In late 2023, the U.S. National Park Service (NPS) announced a plan that put a target on the backs of the community cats living on the iconic Paseo del Morro walkway leading to the El Morro fort. The plan included allowance for lethal removal, meaning the cats faced deadly eradication. Alley Cat Allies took a stand immediately, and compassionate people from around the world joined our fight. When Alley Cat Allies filed a federal lawsuit against the NPS plan in early 2024, local organization Save A Gato joined us. Officials, advocates, and cat caregivers in San Juan took to the streets in protest and spoke proudly about the cats they consider their community members. “NPS’s plan ignores the cultural and historic importance of the community cats of the Paseo,” wrote Congressman Pablo José Hernández, who represents Puerto Rico in Washington, D.C. “My constituents have expressed their support for the community cats of the Paseo.” “Those cats belong here. They are part of the culture, part of our hearts, and we don’t want them to San Juan, Puerto Rico VICTORY After years of advocacy and legal action, the cats of the Paseo del Morro are finally safe. for Puerto Rico’s Community Cats WATCH: VICTORY: Alley Cat Allies Saved the Paseo del Morro Cats in Puerto Rico
www.alleycat.org 2 | ALLEY CAT ACTION, FALL 2026 leave,” expressed Linda Rodriguez, a resident and caregiver in San Juan. When NPS opened public comments on its proposal, hundreds of Puerto Ricans made their opinions clear. “This is our island, and our cats mean the world to us,” wrote one Puerto Rico resident. This sentiment was echoed throughout the comments. Puerto Rico’s Cats are Part of Its Culture and Heart From the comments opposing the NPS plan to the words shared with Alley Cat Allies team members to the outcry on social media, one message stood out: Puerto Ricans love their cats, and their cats in turn are Puerto Ricans. They are intertwined in the island’s rich heritage and culture by centuries of history and also by the countless hours, days, and years residents have dedicated to their care. The Paseo cats became the center of a fight that received international attention and conveyed a greater message: lethal action against community cats will not be tolerated in today’s society. Once, Paseo cats like Bella, Llorin, and Naranja faced removal—more than likely lethally—as early as October 2024. Today, they are no longer at risk of being killed, and live safely on the island they have always called home. Negotiating a Humane Resolution This summer, after careful negotiation, Alley Cat Allies finalized an agreement with the NPS to protect the Paseo cats from lethal control. This marked the conclusion of a long legal battle, and reflected the commitment of Alley Cat Allies and advocates in Puerto Rico and around the world. We didn’t back down. Alley Cat Allies worked closely on the ground with local advocates to provide TAKE ACTION Receive our action alerts and other emails. alleycat.org/SignUp With just a few clicks, you can make a difference in cats’ lives and help transform communities. Here are online resources to help: SAVE A CAT WITH A MOUSE DONATE Support our work with cats and kittens. alleycat.org/Donate FIND LOCAL RESOURCES FOR CATS Alley Cat Allies’ Community Resource Tool™ is here to help you find support in your community. GetHelp.alleycat.org LEARN Advocate for cats in your community. alleycat.org/CommunityChange (continued from page 1) for Puerto Rico’s Community Cats VICTORY food, water, and veterinary care. Feeding stations were strategically moved to migrate cats to more ideal areas in Old San Juan. Most of the cats continue to live comfortably on the island with collaborative care provided by Alley Cat Allies with San Juan veterinarians and advocates. You can usually find cats like DF lounging in tall grass, enjoying lazy days far removed from the threat they once faced. Looking Ahead to Lifesaving Change for Puerto Rico Cats Our fight (and victory) to protect the Paseo cats inspired a new push for humane, effective programs in San Juan. Working with local advocates and San Juan Animal Services, and with the support of city officials, Alley Cat Allies is helping lay the groundwork for expanded Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) and access to veterinary care and essentials like cat food. “Alley Cat Allies’ years of support have made a difference not only for the Paseo cats, but for cats across San Juan,” said Miriam Pabon, president of Save A Gato. “Puerto Rico is facing many challenges, but we take strength in our love for our island and for our cats. And I believe when we improve our policies for them, we improve our home for us all.” Thank you for standing with us. Your support helped secure this victory—for the Paseo cats and all cats. Learn more at alleycat.org/PuertoRico. Today, they are no longer at risk of being killed, and live safely on the island they have always called home. “ ” DF
ALLEY CAT ACTION, FALL 2026 | 3 www.alleycat.org A Fiery Fourth of July In many states, Independence Day celebrations were disrupted by record-breaking heat indexes. And though community cats are well adapted to living outdoors and know where to find cool and shaded spots, severe weather is the time for extra support. Our Rapid Response Team hit the ground in Richmond, Virginia, and Jackson, Florida—among other communities—to stock food banks with thousands of meals of wet cat food for cats like Baby. Wet food is among the best tools to help cats stay hydrated! Delivering Water and Food During Puerto Rico’s Water Crisis Puerto Rico’s high temperatures this summer exacerbated a longstanding issue: water shortages caused by a historic drought and years of infrastructure neglect. That meant at the hottest point of the year, water rationing limited Puerto Ricans’ access to water for their daily needs, including caring for their cats. Responseto Protect Cats Through historic summer temperatures, we rushed critical relief to cats Since Alley Cat Allies was on the ground, we knew we had to act. Our team immediately headed out to deliver emergency cases of bottled water and wet cat food to San Juan cat caregivers in need. To them, leaving their cats without water was never an option. “It means a lot, because the colonies are big. There are about 120 cats that we feed every night,” said Estrella Zerpa, a San Juan caregiver, after loading up a case of water our team provided. “I have to fill up about 10 gallons of water daily just for the cats.” There was no need on that night, though, and she and many other caregivers could provide their regular care again without strain with help of Alley Cat Allies supplies. BABY Jacksonville, Florida Your Gift Supports Our Disaster Response Thanks to the generosity of our donors, Alley Cat Allies can act quickly to provide our expertise and support when disasters strike. Learn how to stay prepared to protect your family at alleycat.org/Disaster. WINK WATCH: Top Tips to Help Cats Through a Heat Wave A Community Cat in San Juan Delivering water in San Juan, Puerto Rico
www.alleycat.org 4 | ALLEY CAT ACTION, FALL 2026 Saving a Feline Family of Five It was as if Hemingway understood he was finally safe; he charmed our team in no time with his big, soulful eyes and cheerful personality. Today, he’s been adopted and is living his best life the way he deserves (and we’re not convinced that tail of his will ever stop growing)! Atlantic City Police Rally Around Sheba the Cat Caring for cats is a community effort, and it’s especially heartening when law enforcement has a personal stake in it! Sometimes, that begins with a single cat. For a group of police officers in Atlantic City, New Jersey, that cat was Sheba. The officers had been caring for her for some time when we met them, providing her with regular food and water or just stopping by to visit her. And thanks to Alley Cat Allies’ collaboration with the Humane Society of Atlantic County, they had access to no-cost TNR. Officers posed proudly with Sheba in her humane trap before she headed off to be spayed, vaccinated, and microchipped. And they were ready and waiting when she returned. Sheba had a nice meal and a brand-new outdoor shelter to look forward to—not to mention many years of love ahead of her! You SAVED Their LIVES When a mother cat and her four kittens (all boys!) needed to move out of a Maryland shelter fast, your support found them a place to land and covered costs of their medical care. And with all suffering from some degree of upper respiratory infection, our aid came just in time! We asked supporters like you to help us name them, and landed on Strawberry for mom and Churro, Creamsicle, Cotton, and Almond for the kittens. They’re on to bigger and better things these days, and we’re so glad we could be part of their journey! Hemingway Lives Life Extra Hemingway is truly “extra” in everything he does! He’s extra sweet, has the most extra fluffy tail, and even has extra toes. That’s right, we named him because he’s a polydactyl cat (also called Hemingway cats!). With how quickly he took to a new location and new people (he wasted no time becoming a purr machine), it was hard to believe Hemingway once lived in fear. The young cat was rescued from an abusive home, landing in Alley Cat Allies’ care for veterinary treatment and a chance to unwind and heal. HEMINGWAY Officers pose with Sheba, on her way to TNR. Almond Churro Cotton WATCH: Community Cat Sheba and the Police Officers Who Love Her WATCH: Kitten Name Reveal! SHEBA
ALLEY CAT ACTION, FALL 2026 | 5 www.alleycat.org Taking a Stand for TNR in Hawai‘i For years, Alley Cat Allies has been actively engaged in Hawai‘i to champion TNR and promote humane treatment of cats. That’s why this August, we testified in strong opposition to amendments to the Hawai‘i Administrative Rule that would exceed existing state law and agency authority, prioritize lethal control of community cats, and undermine TNR on the islands. The amendments ban the feeding of “domestic animals,” which would include cats, on Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) lands in Hawai‘i— among other harmful measures. The goal, purportedly, is to protect threatened native wildlife. However, all evidence points to the well-known major causes of species decline: human-led activities and development. That is where Hawai‘i’s focus belongs. Alley Cat Allies supports efforts to protect Hawai‘i’s indigenous, threatened, and endangered wildlife while [In Legislation and Beyond] IMPACT Your 7920 Norfolk Ave., Suite 600 • Bethesda, MD 20814-2525 Tel: 240-482-1980 www.alleycat.org OUR MISSION: To transform and develop communities to protect and improve the lives of cats. ALLEY CAT ACTION, Volume 37, Issue 1, FALL 2026 © 2026 Alley Cat Allies. All rights reserved. We may make this material available for use by other groups, but none of it may be reproduced in any format without specific written permission from Alley Cat Allies. Alley Cat Allies is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and tax-exempt organization. Alley Cat Allies’ federal employer ID number is 52-1742079, and our CFC number is 10964. All contributions, donations, and gifts are tax deductible, as allowed by law. ensuring that cats living on the islands are treated humanely. We will fight to protect the community cats of Hawai‘i. Milestone: Nearly 7,000 Helped in Atlantic County Collaboration Maui, Hawai'i COCONUT WAVE We’ve almost reached a stellar milestone: 7,000 cats and kittens helped through our TNR initiative in conjunction with the Humane Society of Atlantic County (HSAC). “The colony caregivers are very appreciative and the general public is thrilled that Alley Cat Allies has been so supportive of HSAC and the community cats in our area,” said Steve Dash, executive director of HSAC. “The biggest impact is the elimination of euthanasia in the shelter. We see fewer litters coming in so we can concentrate on placing more adults. These programs are saving cats’ lives every day.” Coconut and Wave are just two of the kittens to benefit from the program. Their story shows the true success of Leave Them Be—meaning allowing mother cats to raise their kittens in their outdoor home. The brothers Coconut and Wave stayed with their mother until they were old enough to be adopted. Their mother was spayed, vaccinated, eartipped, and returned outdoors. Here’s to the next 1,000 cats!
6 | ALLEY CAT ACTION, FALL 2026 www.alleycat.org Alley Cat Allies’ Global Cat Day and National Feral Cat Day—celebrated October 16—are all about the love for cats that crosses all borders. Under the rallying call that Cats Are Community™, we celebrate and support community commitment to cats the world over. And community cats really do live everywhere in the world we do! On a scorching day in Tempe, Arizona, tabby cat Guy ducked out of view behind a cactus. Though temperatures reach well over 100 degrees Fahrenheit for much of the year, Guy and community cats like him are John leaves behind their indoor-outdoor cat, Gray, and four community cats named Miss Kitty, Slyvestra, Mini, and Loper. And leaving Alley Cat Allies in his will means his legacy will protect so many more cats and kittens worldwide. “I am grateful that organizations like Alley Cat Allies exist,” Deb agreed, voicing her support for TNR and its lifesaving impact. Learn how you can give to Alley Cat Allies today at alleycat.org/Donate. To make the greatest lifesaving impact for cats, consider a bequest or other planned gift at alleycat.org/ PlannedGiving or scan the QR code. (CFC #10964) (EIN #52-1742079) For more information, call 866-309-6207. John chose Alley Cat Allies in his estate plans for one simple but profound reason: he truly loved animals. Inspired by a neighbor, he fed and protected several community cats in their neighborhood for decades. In John’s memory, his wife Deb, wrote to us about their 42 years together, John’s compassion and dedication, and the cats who touched their hearts. “Interestingly enough, John thought for years that he was allergic to cats! Then 30 years ago, we had a stray show up and get attached to John,” said Deb. “25 years ago, another stray showed up. John, with his love of Warner Brothers cartoons, named her Puddy Cat…Pud lived with us for 16½ years.” Besides being a dedicated cat advocate, Deb says John was a social studies teacher whose students loved him dearly (even for his never-ending dad jokes), a “consummate extrovert,” and a very “permissive cat daddy.” PROFILE IN GENEROSITY: JOHN P. LOPER very much at home. They snooze beneath bushes in peak daylight hours, and venture out to explore as the sun sets. Best of all, their city has their backs. Tempe’s government-funded Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) is the heart of its animal programming, serving thousands of community cats like Guy in conjunction with dedicated advocates and caregivers. GUY CELEBRATE Global Cat Day 2026 Watch our Global Cat Day videos and celebrate the most important day of the year for community cats. Visit GlobalCatDay.org Tempe, Arizona, Has Community Cats’ Backs | Global Cat Day 2026 WATCH:
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