What is a feral cat? What is Trap-Neuter-Return?

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2 What is a feral cat? A feral cat is an unsocialized cat a cat that was born outside and has never lived with a human family, or a house cat that strayed from home and, over time, has thrown off the effects of domestication and reverted to a wild state. What is Trap-Neuter-Return? Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) is the humane, nonlethal method of feline population control that is more effective than trap-and-kill, and more reflective of a caring society. COVER PHOTO BY DENISE STRAVIA. ALL CAT PHOTOS BY GINA MANTERO EXCEPT WHEN NOTED OTHERWISE. PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER.

3 MESSAGE FROM THE NATIONAL DIRECTOR AND THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD A N ANNUAL REPORT is a call to reflect upon a year s activities and on the progress made. This report does that, but we also want to look farther back and to share with you where Alley Cat Allies came from, and why, and how today s challenges differ from those we faced at the start. Thirteen years is not too long a period to recall. In the following pages you will read the story of the Adams Morgan cats the original feral cat colony whose plight motivated ACA s founders to action. In a sentence, Alley Cat Allies exists because in 1990 there were no resources to help outdoor cats: no equipment, no information, no spay/neuter or treatment facilities. We also recall that in those early days, not only were there no resources, there was no room for compassion. Established animal shelters and agencies told people not to bother with feral cats, that the best course was just to trap and dispose of them. The human impulse to care for animals in need was not a part of the equation. We determined then to give that impulse, that compassion, legitimacy. And on so many levels, in so many places, we did just that. But it turns out that compassion has a fight on her hands. We say that in 1990 feral cats had no enemies because they had no friends. That has changed. In this century, those still opposed to treating feral cats ethically, to neutering them and letting them live, are persistent, well-financed, and, to the uninformed, too often persuasive. ACA s primary focus has changed from providing information about Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) and colony management to educating public officials about why campaigns to reduce feral cat numbers through large-scale euthanasia simply do not work, and why TNR does. (The practical information is still available from us current, plentiful, and easily obtained.) In 2004, our job is to convince policy makers that, in fact, Alley Cat Allies and those who oppose TNR share a common goal: fewer feral cats in the environment. Except that our way TNR is effective and humane, while theirs has failed for many reasons and for many decades. We have to change minds in order to save lives. Still, though the nature of the task has changed, one thing holds true. We take pride in what Alley Cat Allies has accomplished. We are acknowledged as the foremost experts in this field, and we look forward to greater accomplishment. Obstacles to our mission have grown, but, with your support, we will prevail, as we consistently have in the past. This is our opportunity to thank all those who have made and will make our success possible: the compassionate, committed feral cat caregivers, both individuals and groups, who do the hard, daily, hands-on work the legions of enlightened veterinary professionals who step up to help solve their communities feral cat overpopulation the thousands of Feral Friends and other volunteers who unselfishly share their knowledge and expertise the growing cadre of forward-thinking animal control professionals who know there is a better answer than killing. And, finally, a warm and special thank-you to the tens of thousands of individual donors and numerous foundations who solidly and generously fund our programs and goals. We are privileged to be in your company. Becky Robinson National Director Donna Wilcox President, Board of Directors BOARD OF DIRECTORS Donna Wilcox President Becky Robinson Secretary/Treasurer Jacqueline Basile Barbara Ernst Sara Hanks BOARD OF ADVISORS Ellen Perry Berkeley Author, Maverick Cats Donna Bishop Alliance for Animals Bonney Brown Best Friends Animal Society Holly E. Hazard Doris Day Animal League Tippi Hedren The Roar Foundation Marvin Mackie, DVM Animal Birth Control Clinics, Southern California Esther Mechler SPAY/USA Michael Mountain Best Friends Animal Society Jenny Remfry, PhD, VetMB United Kingdom James R. Richards, DVM Cornell Feline Health Center Roger Tabor, MBiol, MPhil, FLS Naturalist Broadcaster and Author AnnaBell Washburn PAWS, Martha s Vineyard 1

4 MISSION STATEMENT HISTORY AND HIGHLIGHTS Alley Cat Allies is dedicated to promoting and advocating for nonlethal methods to control and reduce cat populations. VISION STATEMENT Alley Cat Allies is working toward the time when TNR and other nonlethal control measures for managing outdoor cat populations are accepted everywhere. 2 HISTORY O NE SUMMER EVENING IN 1990, Becky Robinson and Louise Holton took a shortcut through an alley in the busy Adams Morgan neighborhood of Washington, DC, and came upon a large group of stray and feral cats. While it was apparent that they were fed regularly by people whose homes backed onto the alley, the cats were too wild to be touched, much less adopted, and they were producing litter after litter of feral kittens. Robinson and Holton decided that night that they must help the cats by putting a stop to their uncontrolled population growth. The founding of Alley Cat Allies, Inc., and all that ACA has since achieved, stems from that chance encounter between two motivated individuals and a colony of feral cats in need of help. A feral (wild) cat is either a domestic cat that was lost or abandoned and, without human contact for a prolonged period, reverted to a wild state, or a cat that was born outside to a stray or feral mother. A stray cat is also a domestic cat that was abandoned or strayed from home and became lost, but because stray cats were recently companion animals, they can usually be resocialized and placed in an adoptive home. Feral cats are rarely adoptable. They live in family groups called colonies that form near a source of food and shelter. Female cats as young as five months can become pregnant and may have three litters a year, so feral cat colonies can rapidly increase in size. Stray cats may join a colony for a short time or for long enough to revert to a feral state. Feral cats can survive almost anywhere and are found worldwide. Their numbers are estimated in the tens of millions in the United States alone. In the ensuing weeks, as the women worked to get the Adams Morgan cats neutered, they discovered a severe lack of equipment, resources, and veterinary expertise to treat feral cats. But there was no lack of other people searching for the same things: information and assistance to sterilize the feral cats they cared for. Based on years of experience in the animal welfare field, Robinson and Holton knew that they could form an organization to find answers and provide help for people working to help feral cats. In 1990, neutering and managing colonies of outdoor cats was not a subject that was widely considered in the United States. Animal control agencies and shelters then were, and to a large degree still are, charged with dog control and did not expend efforts or resources on cats beyond sporadic trap-and-remove efforts in response to complaints. In Europe and the United Kingdom, however, a successful method had been developed and refined over decades to control the health and numbers of outdoor cats through sterilization, vaccination, adoption of strays and kittens, and ongoing care for adult feral cats. Brought to the United States in the mid-1980s, this method became known as Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR). It is the foundation of the nonlethal population control methods promoted by Alley Cat Allies. Because the equipment and professional expertise to trap and sterilize feral cats were so difficult to locate in 1990, it took many months to TNR the 56 cats of the Adams Morgan colony. During these months, Alley Cat Allies formulated its goals: Information: To establish an information clearinghouse and national resource providing feral cat caregivers, animal control and shelter personnel, and public officials with accurate, current research on effective, humane methods to reduce the numbers of outdoor cats, including TNR, early age spay/neuter, and aggressive adoption of kittens and stray cats. Advocacy: To inform public officials about the nature and health of feral cats and their niche in the environment and to assist jurisdictions in developing ethical, nonlethal programs and policies to reduce the population of outdoor cats through large-scale sterilization and management. Education: To herald and protect the feral cat s place in our communities and teach the public how to bring the tragedy of unchecked feline overpopulation to an end. The Adams Morgan colony continued to exist with ever diminishing numbers until 1997, when its last three members were relocated. No kittens were born in the alley after No cats live in the alley today. Alley Cat Allies has grown to be the nation s foremost expert on feral cats and feline population control, with a professional staff of 14 working from offices located half a block from

5 the Adams Morgan alley. We provide information, education, and advocacy support to many thousands of individual caregivers, veterinary professionals, animal control and shelter personnel, and public officials in communities across the nation and around the globe. Here are the highlights of our journey: HIGHLIGHTS : Alley Cat Allies (ACA) is founded to provide information and assistance to feral cat caregivers nationwide who face a dearth of resources to spay or neuter the feral cats they care for. 1992: ACA surveys 1,000 caregivers by mail. A startling 91 percent of tabulated responses indicate that caregivers are using TNR to manage their feral cat colonies. 1993: ACA s growing legion of volunteers is organized into the Feral Friends Network (FFN), a database of veterinary professionals who treat feral cats and experienced caregivers willing to share their expertise with caregivers just starting out. FFN rapidly becomes Alley Cat Allies greatest asset. 1994: ACA hosts the first national conference addressing issues surrounding feral cats. Speakers include Roger Tabor, leading British naturalist, biologist, and outstanding authority on cats including feral cats and Dr. Jenny Remfry, veterinarian and world pioneer of nonlethal feral cat control methods. 1994: The United Animal Nations Summit for the Animals, a national gathering of animal protection group directors, adopts a resolution endorsing nonlethal feral cat control. 1998: ACA co-founder and National Director Becky Robinson addresses the National Animal Control Association conference the first year ACA is invited to present information on nonlethal feral cat reduction methods to this vital segment of the animal protection community. 1998: ACA opens the only no-cost spay/neuter clinic for feral cats in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area. Located in Northern Virginia, the clinic operates one day each month, treating an average of 75 cats each session. 1999: FeralPower! listserve is created to inform concerned individuals, activists, and donors about timely action needed to help threatened outdoor cats and to promote TNR for specific ACA campaigns. 1999: ACA releases Trap- Neuter-Return: A Humane Approach to Feral Cat Control, a comprehensive training video that demonstrates how to implement TNR. 2000: ACA helps the Humane Society of Atlantic County (NJ) impose a moratorium on trapping and killing the Atlantic City Boardwalk cats and works with the public health department to establish a TNR program. The Atlantic City Boardwalk becomes a model feral cat-friendly community. 2001: ACA negotiates the first-ever government contract for humane feral cat management with the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Norfolk, Virginia. 2003: Alley Cat Allies is listed first in Cat Fancy magazine s top 10 organizations helping cats in : Feral Cat Activist newsletter is launched to report issues and critical research to activists, policy makers, and animal control professionals. 2001: National Feral Cat Day (October 16) is established as an annual event to educate communities across the nation about feral cats. 2003: ACA provides expert testimony and organizational assistance to feral cat advocates resisting inhumane policies in Ohio and Florida, and sues the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. 3

6 FISCAL YEAR 2003 IN REVIEW (August 1, 2002, to July 31, 2003) 4 J. NEWTON OUTREACH AND PUBLIC EDUCATION O UTREACH AND EDUCATION programs are critical components of Alley Cat Allies work. We educate the public about what feral cats are, why they exist, and how to effectively reduce their numbers. We teach caregivers how to implement Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR), including safe trapping and handling of feral cats and colony management, as well as what regulatory threats currently endanger their colonies welfare. We educate policy makers and public officials about the effects of policies they propose or enact to deal with feral cats. We reach out to new audiences who care about humane treatment of animals. In FY 2003, we accomplished the following: National Feral Cat Day (NFCD), October 16, 2002 Established in 2001, NFCD is one special day each year when local advocates educate their communities about feral cats. In many communities, grassroots organizations and veterinary professionals collaborate to provide discounted or no-cost spay and neuter services. For 2002 NFCD, ACA created and distributed 3,000 Action Packs that included brochures, factsheets, a listing of additional resources, a sample press release, and an event/ media guide. ACA s Action Packs and 50,000 NFCD posters were distributed nationwide and, together with newspaper and broadcast media stories on local efforts, had the potential of reaching millions of people. Edie Falco, star of HBO s The Sopranos, volunteered an NFCD public service announcement that ran on 360 television and radio stations. Four jurisdictions adopted resolutions endorsing TNR to reduce feral cat populations: Reno, Nevada; Utica, New York; Maricopa County, Arizona; and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Feral Friends Network (FFN) A database of 1,400 caregivers, veterinary professionals, and activists, FFN connects local residents seeking help with feral cats to experienced feral cat advocates in their communities. In FY 2003, the FFN database contained Feral Friends in 47 states and 13 countries. ACA received 150 requests per month for a Feral Friend. Advocacy ACA staff provided expert testimony to lawmakers, public officials, and the media about the effects of proposed cat regulations and legislation on feral cats, including a deposition in a lawsuit fighting Akron, Ohio s municipal policy of exterminating all cats discovered outdoors. In Florida, ACA staff organized local advocates and provided expert testimony during public hearings opposing the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) proposal to ban TNR throughout the state. ACA subsequently sued the FWC. ACA staff were interviewed for stories in the Miami Herald, E-Environment magazine, ASPCA Animal Watch, Best Friends magazine and the Associated Press and United Press International wire services. Conferences ACA staff presented vital feral cat information at major national and international conferences and seminars, including the Best Friends Animal Society s No More Homeless Pets, American Humane Association, SPAY/USA, and the International Companion Animal Welfare Conference. Local Organizing ACA advises residents and organizations at the local level about how to build coalitions, formulate and negotiate positive policies, and counter proposed negative policies affecting stray and feral cats. In FY 2003, ACA provided founding support to coalitions throughout the country, such as the Chicagoland Stray Cat Coalition (CSCC), which encompasses 16 groups in 5 counties in and around Chicago. Within months of its formation, CSCC was able to launch spay/neuter clinics for feral cats.

7 National Resource and Information Clearinghouse In FY 2003, we restructured our website ( to make as much assistance as possible available through the Internet, while continuing to mail 150 information packets to people without access to the Internet and to respond to 350 and telephone inquiries each month. Online Venues for Direct Action ACA s online Action Center, accessed through the ACA website ( enables the public to express support or opposition to proposed policies and regulations directly to the public officials involved. In FY 2003, 5,313 individuals registered with ACA s Action Center. ACA also sent an average of two action alerts per month to 1,000 members of our FeralPower! listserve. We also sponsor a campus listserve that connects feral cat advocates on campuses nationwide to share information and practical advice. Project Vets for Life ACA paired veterinary schools with feral cat groups to provide low-cost spay/neuter services for stray and feral cats. The program at Michigan State University, called Feral Fridays, neutered 8 to 12 cats every week, totaling some 256 cats throughout the year. Through Vets for Life, future veterinary professionals learned about the issues surrounding feral cat overpopulation; ethical, nonlethal population reduction; and proper surgical protocol for treating feral cats. PRINT AND ONLINE PUBLICATIONS A LLEY CAT ALLIES print and online publications include two awardwinning newsletters and dozens of factsheets and white papers that present current scientific research and practical information about nonlethal population reduction and managing outdoor cats. Our publications are geared toward educating all concerned segments of the public and the animal protection community. We provide publications at very little or no cost to individuals and grassroots organizations. Newsletters In FY 2003, we mailed 75,000 Alley Cat Action newsletters quarterly and 6,000 Feral Cat Activist newsletters semi-annually. Alley Cat Action showcases groups and individuals around the country who are making life better for feral and stray cats while reducing their numbers through humane, nonlethal Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR). Articles featured the committed efforts of volunteers at prisons, homeless shelters, industrial sites, apartment complexes, and other places where ordinary people are making a difference every day. Feral Cat Activist is a white paper addressing critical issues affecting professionals working in the field. Information packets, factsheets, and brochures New publications in FY 2003 included: Strategic Campaign for Change, a guide for grassroots activists seeking to change public policies in their communities Protect Florida s Cats Campaign Media Handbook, a guide to working with the media, written for Florida and later adapted to other campaigns Building the Body of Scientific Evidence that TNR Works, a report on feral cat research as reported in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association Rabies Control and Feral Cats in the U.S., a factsheet that explains the nature of the disease and why feral cats are not a rabies threat, based on statistics from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Dos and Don ts of Stress Reduction (for Cats and for Trappers) 2002 National Feral Cat Day Action Pack To increase the speed and ease of public access to ACA publications, all materials factsheets, articles, newsletters, and answers to the most frequently asked questions are posted on the redesigned website. Supporters tell us this 24-hour-a-day resource is an invaluable source of assistance. The website receives more than 10,000 hits each month. 5

8 DIRECT CARE Northern Virginia No-Cost Feral Cat Spay/Neuter Clinic Founded in 1998 as a service to local caregivers, ACA s Northern Virginia No-Cost Feral Cat Spay/Neuter Clinic soon became a regional resource, treating feral cats from five states and the District of Columbia. In all, the clinic has treated more than 3,000 feral cats. In FY 2003, the clinic performed 891 surgeries while logging 2,400 volunteer hours. The clinic also plays an important role in keeping Alley Cat Allies attuned to developments in spay/neuter surgical protocol. Hands-On Assistance ACA remains integrally involved on a daily basis with feral cats in the Washington, DC, community. With decades of cumulative expertise, individual staff members and the organization as a whole provide both hands-on and financial assistance to caregivers, rescue groups, and feral cat colonies throughout the metropolitan area. In FY 2003, ACA and its staff contributed $28,000 and 1,425 volunteer hours to assist the feral cat movement here at home. V. MILLER 6 GINA MANTERO Atlantic City Boardwalk Cats Since 2000, ACA has worked with Atlantic City Boardwalk caregivers to provide ongoing care to 16 colonies of fully TNR-ed feral cats. Working with the endorsement of the Atlantic City Department of Health and the assistance of the Humane Society of Atlantic County (NJ), an ACA field representative administers the program and helps keep the Atlantic City Boardwalk a model feral cat-friendly community. ALL PHOTOS THIS PAGE ALLEY CAT ALLIES, EXCEPT WHERE NOTED.

9 ESTATE GIVING D INING ONE NIGHT at Hoss s restaurant in Dubois, Pennsylvania, Joe Phillips noticed a stray cat hanging around. The staff at the restaurant had named the cat Bob and fed him scraps, but he lived outdoors in the woods behind the restaurant. The staff had been feeding him for a couple years at least. Joe Phillips decided to try to earn the cat s trust. So he began coming around every day and feeding the cat, bringing him treats, and eventually trying to pet and groom him. After a few months, Joe had a new friend, and as winter approached, Bob had a new living arrangement as an indoor, pampered pet. She (Bob turned out to be female) never looked back and neither did Joe. Bob had obviously once been a pet and was not a feral cat. Joe and Bob lived companionably for eight years until Bob passed away peacefully of old age. Wanting to make life easier for other cats that live outdoors and depend on scraps for survival or, if they are lucky, regular caregivers like the staff at Hoss s, Joe met with his lawyer and put Alley Cat Allies in his will. It s Joe s way of leaving a legacy from him to Bob or others just like her who were once someone s pet before being abandoned to an unknown fate. Joe and the other members of the Forget-Me-Not Legacy Society of Alley Cat Allies are ensuring they can continue to support a cause they care about after they have passed on. TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT the Forget-Me-Not Legacy Society, fill out this coupon and mail it to the address below or contact Lynn Cummings, Director of Gift Planning, at , ext. 103, or lcummings@alleycat.org. R. TACCHETTI ALLEY CAT ALLIES could not exist without the generous support of many friends and donors. We especially want to thank the East Tennessee Foundation, the Salzman- Medica Foundation, and PetsMart Charities for their generous support during FY NAME ADDRESS PHONE address: Please send me more information about the Forget-Me-Not Legacy Society. I have already put Alley Cat Allies in my will please sign me up for the Forget-Me-Not Legacy Society. Lynn Cummings, Director of Gift Planning Alley Cat Allies 1801 Belmont Road, NW, Suite 201 Washington, DC YOU CAN INSERT THE FOLLOWING WORDS IN YOUR WILL: I give, devise, and bequeath to Alley Cat Allies, Inc., a nonprofit organization, federal tax identification number , located at 1801 Belmont Road NW, Suite 201, Washington, DC , the sum of $ [or the proceeds from the sale of my residence, coin collection, stock securities/certificates, savings bonds, or other description of the asset] to further the objective and purposes of Alley Cat Allies. 7

10 FINANCIAL REPORT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2003 (August 1, 2002, to July 31, 2003) A S MANY ORGANIZATIONS in the 501(c) 3 community know, the post-september 11 period was an uneasy time of waiting for our nation s charitable priorities to return to numerous needs in every area of society. Alley Cat Allies (ACA) has been fortunate to maintain and even increase its donor base. In FY 2003, ACA s revenues and support totaled more than $2.3 million, an increase of $500K over FY 2002, while our increase in expenditures was held to $157K. ACA continues to devote close to 80 percent of its revenue to program activities (77.89 percent), with 15 percent going for membership development and 7.24 percent to management and general expenses, including salaries. Through careful husbanding of our resources, we expect to continue to have funds available to assist feral cats and their advocates wherever our help is needed. ALLEY CAT ALLIES, INC. STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION For the Years Ended July 31, 2003 and 2002 ASSETS Cash and cash equivalents $ 763,658 $ 478,899 Accounts receivable 340, ,948 Investments 305, ,615 Inventory 11,430 12,793 Prepaid expenses 5,247 4,693 Property and equipment, net 74,629 81,407 Deposits 3,500 4,000 Total Assets $ 1,504,271 $ 1,152,355 LIABILITIES Accounts payable and accrued expenses $ 92,566 $ 131,194 Current portion of annuity payable 1,521 1,521 Annuity payable, net of current portion 10,495 12,016 Total Liabilities 104, ,731 NET ASSETS Unrestricted 1,072, ,805 Temporarily restricted 326, ,819 Total Net Assets 1,399,689 1,007,624 Total Liabilities and Net Assets $ 1,504,271 $ 1,152,355 8 J.RUSS

11 ALLEY CAT ALLIES, INC. STATEMENT OF ACTIVITIES For the Years Ended July 31, 2003 and 2002 CHANGE IN UNRESTRICTED NET ASSETS 2003) 2002) EXPENDITURES Support and Revenue Public Support Contributions and donations $ 1,792,682) $ 1,592,314) Federated and nonfederated campaigns 78,976) 3,236) Grants and foundations 48,650) 65,150) Legacies and bequests 113,483) 83,374) Total Public Support 2,033,791) 1,744,074) Other Revenue Investment income 8,507) 7,639) Miscellaneous and other income 38,260) 16,608) Net assets released from program restrictions 34,229) 32,083) Net assets released from timing restrictions 231,590) 198,961) Realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments 18,976) (152,545) Total Support and Revenue 2,365,352) 1,846,820) EXPENSES Program Services Outreach and public education 790,793) 1,072,637) Direct care 552,018) 168,596) Newsletters and educational publications 241,586) 170,491) Total Program Services 1,584,397) 1,411,724) DEVELOPMENT 15 % MANAGEMENT AND GENERAL ADMINISTRATION 7% SOURCES OF SUPPORT PROGRAM SERVICES 78 % Supporting Services Management and general administration 147,335) 189,732) Development 302,491) 275,457) Total Supporting Services 449,826) 465,189) Total Expenses 2,034,223) 1,876,913) SUPPORT AND REVENUE 55 % CONTRIBUTIONS AND DONATIONS 42 % Change in Unrestricted Net Assets 331,129) (30,093) Change in Temporarily Restricted Net Assets Contributions and donations -) 66,312) Federated and nonfederated campaigns 205,312) 301,195) Legacies and bequests 121,443) -) Net assets released from program restrictions (34,229) (32,083) Net assets released from timing restrictions (231,590) (198,961) Change in Temporarily Restricted Net Assets 60,936) 136,463) Total Change in Net Assets 392,065) 106,370) Net Assets, Beginning of Year 1,007,624) 901,254) Net Assets, End of Year $ 1,399,689) $ 1,007,624) GRANTS AND FOUNDATIONS 1% FEDERATED AND NONFEDERATED CAMPAIGNS 2% 9

12 1801 Belmont Road, NW, Suite 201 Washington, DC