ALLEY CAT ACTION® Alley Cat Allies Newsletter | alleycat.org | Winter 2025 For Alley Cat Allies’ More Than 1.5 Million Supporters and Activists Across the Nation and Around the World Follow us on social media! /AlleyCatAllies The lives of cats like Llorin, Don Ramon, and Gizmo are depending on us right now. Alley Cat Allies will not back down in our fight to stop the U.S. National Park Service (NPS) from removing and killing the community cats who live outdoors on the Paseo del Morro, a famous trail in Puerto Rico. We’re rallying people in Puerto Rico and around the world to join us in a Worldwide Protest against the NPS’s cruel and lethal plan. You are the reason we could take fearless action from the moment NPS first announced its horrific intentions in late 2023. Since then, Alley Cat Allies has been on the ground and in court on behalf of the threatened cats, including filing a federal lawsuit against the NPS in March 2024. on Saving Puerto Rico’s Cats Join our Worldwide Protest to stop lethal government action WE WON’T BACK DOWN LLORIN San Juan, Puerto Rico San Juan, Puerto Rico (See We Won’t Back Down on page 2) WATCH: Puerto Ricans Tell the U.S. Government: Don’t Kill Community Cat
www.alleycat.org 2 | ALLEY CAT ACTION, WINTER 2025 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 QUESTIONS? Looking for assistance with cats? Get the help you need! alleycat.org/GetHelp LEARN Advocate for cats in your community. alleycat.org/CommunityChange This winter, we were back in Old San Juan to mobilize Puerto Ricans in defense of the cats they love as community members. Marching in step with local advocates, our voices rang out in a multilingual message of support for cats and outrage at the NPS’s callous disregard for their lives. That was only the beginning. In launching our Worldwide Protest, we are bringing people from around the globe together to speak out in defense of the Paseo del Morro cats in their own ways and in their own words. This is the time to act, speak out, and demand that the NPS back down now. Here’s what you can do: SHARE Alley Cat Allies’ social media posts and spread the word. We have to raise our voices immediately for the cats, and it can be as simple as a click. WE WON’T BACK DOWN POST with your own words on social media about what protecting these cats means to you and include #SaveSanJuanCats. Tell the NPS: Don’t Kill Puerto Rico Cats. RALLY your community in a protest where you live. Create signs, bring friends and family, and post about your protest online. Every action, big and small, sends a critical message. You can learn how to act, and what is at stake, at alleycat.org/ PuertoRico. The people of Puerto Rico want to protect their cats, and so do compassionate advocates like you around the world. We are proud to have you with us in this fight. (continued from page 1) GIZMO San Juan, Puerto Rico DON RAMON San Juan, Puerto Rico WATCH: Fighting the Deadly U.S. National Park Service Plan to Remove Puerto Rico Cats
ALLEY CAT ACTION, WINTER 2025 | 3 www.alleycat.org When the Palisades fire, Eaton fire, and other wildfires erupted in Los Angeles in January, bolstered by whipping winds, our Rapid Response Team rushed out to save cats’ lives. In the chaos of a disaster’s beginnings, finding your footing and delivering effective, lifesaving support takes skill, fluidity, creativity, and determination. Our more than 30 years of disaster response experience served our team well: we swiftly connected with advocates and veterinarians on the ground and were bringing cats to emergency veterinary care within hours of arriving. Additionally, we brought in cat food, microchip scanners, and animal oxygen masks, among other supplies to help with rescue efforts. Because of our supporters like you, we could provide critical treatment for cats and kittens (plus a dog, and even a turtle) when it mattered most. Even through the horrors of this disaster, we were overwhelmed and inspired by your generosity and dedication, the tenacity of the advocates with us on the ground, and the survivor’s spirit of the cats and kittens who had had their lives uprooted in an instant. We’d like to tell some of those cats’ stories. Socks Upon landing in Los Angeles, our Rapid Response Team almost immediately headed over to the Palms & Paws Veterinary Center in Santa Monica to meet cats and kittens who had been evacuated from the Palisades and Eaton fires. Socks’s family, who had lost their home in the devastation, entrusted Socks to rescuers who could ensure her long-term care. When asked if we could cover the costs of Socks’s veterinary examination and any needed care, our answer was a resounding yes. It was what we were there to do. Despite all Socks had been through, she was in good spirits and “making biscuits” at the clinic shortly after her examination. We’re proud to say that she is still safe and sound in foster care, and will be cared for as long as she needs. Toulouse Our Rapid Response Team responded to a 2 a.m. emergency call to evacuate Siamese cat Toulouse, and ten other cats and kittens, from a building threatened by the expanding Palisades fire. The moment we met Toulouse, it was clear she needed far more than a comfortable carrier, a fast ride out of danger, and a checkup: she needed urgent treatment for a preexisting and significant spinal injury. Alley Cat Allies funded all of her examinations and treatment— and our late nights and refusal to compromise on her care paid off. Toulouse was rolling around happily on her new bed in a foster home within hours of her rescue and continues to recover in comfort today. She will be monitored and safe from here on out. Saving Cats’ Lives Through the Los Angeles Fires The Alley Cat Allies Rapid Response Team was on the ground within a day SOCKS Then SOCKS Now WATCH: Socks: California Wildfires Rescue
www.alleycat.org 4 | ALLEY CAT ACTION, WINTER 2025 Every one of our donors makes our fearless and impactful work for cats possible. There are so many ways to give: Monthly Giving: Join the Cat-aylst Society The Cat-alyst Society is an exclusive group of compassionate individuals who have pledged to make monthly donations to Alley Cat Allies, which serve as the foundation of our lifesaving work. Planned Giving: Join the Alley Cat Allies’ Legacy Society A planned gift to Alley Cat Allies creates a lasting, compassionate legacy that will transform the lives of countless cats for years to come. You can have peace of mind in knowing that your gift will have a powerful, ongoing impact. Take the first step now: You can reach our donate line at 1-866-309-6207 or by email at [email protected]. You can also visit alleycat. org/WaysToGive to learn more. YOUR GENEROSITY SAVES CATS’ LIVES Candy and Gizmo Candy and Gizmo, a community cat and an indoor cat, were found huddled together under the remains of a home in the Palisades. It had been burned to the ground by the fast-moving flames. Thankfully, and incredibly, both cats were unharmed— a testament to cats’ keen survival instinct. Our Rapid Response Team, with help from San Diego organization Femme Felines, transported Candy and Gizmo to veterinary care and covered the costs of their examination and treatment. They are safe and together in a foster home, to the relief of their caregiver. Thank You for Making Our Disaster Response Possible As we continue to monitor the situation in Los Angeles and check in on the cats we saved, we are gearing up to respond to disasters we greatly hope are not ahead in 2025. Your support makes all the difference. Read more stories of the cats’ lives we saved during the Los Angeles fires: alleycat.org/LAFires. TOULOUSE COMMUNITY CAT San Juan, Puerto Rico CANDY Then CANDY Now
ALLEY CAT ACTION, WINTER 2025 | 5 www.alleycat.org 7920 Norfolk Ave., Suite 600 • Bethesda, MD 20814-2525 Tel: 240-482-1980 • Fax: 240-482-1990 www.alleycat.org OUR MISSION: To transform and develop communities to protect and improve the lives of cats. ALLEY CAT ACTION, Volume 35, Issue 2, WINTER 2025 © 2025 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. Just as affected communities began to get their bearings after Hurricane Helene struck in September 2024, Hurricane Milton swirled ashore less than two weeks later. In the aftermath, communities in Florida, South Carolina, and beyond were left flooded, devastated, and cut off from the most critical resources for both people and animals. Alley Cat Allies’ Rapid Response Team hit the ground to keep lifesaving care for cats and kittens running any way we could. In Jasper County, South Carolina, we brought in the generators necessary to keep Jasper Animal Rescue Mission, which was without power with over 100 cats and other animals in its care, up and running. We also rushed in flea and tick treatment, immune support, cat and kitten food, and vaccines for hundreds of cats, among other critical supplies. “With the power being out for the last three days, it was very difficult for us to keep the place rolling,” said Keith Hughes, board president for Jasper Animal Rescue Mission, as we were on the ground post disaster. “We couldn’t do this without the generosity of other organizations like Alley Cat Allies. It’s huge, this help is exactly what we need.” And before we could catch our breath, our team was rushing to Florida to respond to Hurricane Milton. Working with advocates, organizations, and veterinarians protecting cats in the impacted communities of Polk and Hillsborough counties, we helped indoor and community cats alike with food, medical supplies, and coverage for a variety of needed veterinary treatments. Alley Cat Allies supplied generators that kept power pumping at Paws Plus Veterinary through widespread outages. Community cat Jack was one of many to receive Alley Cat Allies-funded treatment, and he was able to return to his outdoor home within days, along with plenty of food for his caregiver to provide him. Dusty, who was found with a wounded eye and weathered the hurricane with a local organization, received treatment he needed for an ulcer. He has since recovered and returned to his outdoor home. Additionally, Alley Cat Allies supported post-disaster Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) in South Carolina and Florida communities. While community cats have incredible survival instincts, as they begin to emerge in the aftermath of storms, they can find themselves displaced from their original outdoor homes and make their way into new colonies. That is a perfect opportunity to expand the reach of TNR and ensure these new cats are spayed or neutered, vaccinated, microchipped, and eartipped. Thank you to our dedicated donors and supporters for helping us hit the ground running to protect cats and kittens after disasters. We can save lives when it matters most because of you. In addition to our relief work, we are always expanding the reach of our disaster preparedness education to save lives before disaster strikes. You can learn how to protect your family in the event of disaster at alleycat.org/Disaster. Responding to BACK-to-BACK Hurricanes When Hurricanes Helene and Milton struck, our action saved lives FALAFEL Hurricane Helene TOFFEE Hurricane Milton HURRICANE HELENE Rapid Response
6 | ALLEY CAT ACTION, WINTER 2025 www.alleycat.org Find local resources for cats with a few clicks To connect people caring for cats with local resources, Alley Cat Allies officially launched our new Community Resource Tool! With a few clicks, people across the United States can locate and access veterinary services, food banks providing cat food, and other critical assistance for cats in their area. Cats Are Community™ and deserve a community that supports them. With our Community Resource Tool, advocates have an easy way to discover local cat advocates and access services that benefit cats and kittens whether they live outdoors or indoors. Access the tool today at GetHelp.alleycat.org. This is an incredible and lifesaving tool, and we thank our supporters deeply for helping create it. Major Victory for Cats Throughout Ohio An amicus brief filed by Alley Cat Allies helped inform a critical Ohio Supreme Court decision for cats and kittens this quarter. The court ruled that Ohio’s companion animal cruelty law protects all cats, including community cats who are unowned and live outdoors. This incredible victory ensures that whether cats live indoors or outdoors, they are defined as “companion animals” and thus equally protected under state animal cruelty laws. included shoving her into a bag and slamming her on the ground. Alley Cat Allies provided support to the prosecution that was instrumental in achieving a conviction and jail time in Juliet’s case. If not for our action, Juliet’s case may have been dismissed. Bai faces deportation after serving his sentence. We Filed a Lawsuit to Protect Cats in Summit County, Ohio Alley Cat Allies filed a lawsuit against Summit County and its countyoperated animal shelter to stop the needless, cruel, and illegal killing of cats. The Summit County Animal Control Department is an entity meant to uphold the laws. Instead, it is improperly and inhumanely ‘euthanizing’ animals and killing cats for simply being deemed ‘feral’. Stopping the senseless and inhumane killing of cats is our top priority. Justice for Mr. Meow: Killer Sentenced to 14 Years In late 2024, Colton Fontes was sentenced to 14 years in prison for felony animal cruelty related to killing tabby cat Mr. Meow in 2022 and several other highly disturbing charges including rape and sexual battery. Alley Cat Allies was involved in Mr. Meow’s case since March 2022, when he was violently shot to death in his neighborhood. According to the Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office, the investigation into the shooting and killing of Mr. Meow helped make Fontes’s arrest for the other charges possible. ™ Introducing Community Resource Tool OUR NEW © 2024 Alley Cat Allies. All rights reserved. for Cats Our Impact for Cats in Legislation and Beyond Justice for Juliet Prevails Earlier this year, Zhean Bai was convicted for animal cruelty for the deadly torture of Juliet the cat, which COMMUNITY CAT Ohio COMMUNITY CAT Summit County, Ohio Butler County, Ohio Click Here To visit!
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