On any given morning, you’ll find Keith Williams, founder and president of nonprofit Community Cat Coalition of Clark County (C5) in Las Vegas, awake at the crack of dawn to drive dozens of newly spayed and neutered cats back to their outdoor homes.
It’s a typical day for Williams. He hasn’t let retirement, working solely out of his garage, or even his cat allergy, curb his enthusiasm for saving cats’ lives with Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR). Since it began in 2009, C5 has helped more than 35,000 cats! Alley Cat Allies President and Founder Becky Robinson recognized C5’s amazing work when she was the keynote speaker at its annual event in Las Vegas in 2018.
Williams works closely with caregivers and advocates who together manage more than 2,800 community cat colonies around the Las Vegas area. Residents are seeing the difference as far fewer kittens are born in their neighborhoods. C5 is run entirely by donations, fueled by fundraising events, and driven by dedicated volunteers.
“We work hard to build and maintain a good relationship with the community,” Williams says. “It’s vital that resources like TNR are put directly out into the community, where the animals also live. It’s the core of our efforts.”