2014 ANNUAL REPORT ebrua ry 20

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1 2014 ANNUAL REPORT February 2015

2 LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE In 2014, Toronto Cat Rescue (TCR) celebrated its 20th anniversary. The TCR executive was excited to make 2014 our best year yet by rescuing and adopting out more cats than ever before. In addition, we chose 2014 to be the year that we made big changes to our rescue philosophy and, as a result, the way we operate. TCR made the commitment to rescue through Toronto Animal Services (TAS) to reduce the number of cats euthanized in City of Toronto shelters and to help make Toronto a no-kill city. Prior to this decision, TCR rescued cats from all over the city - colonies, owners, backyards, shelters, and independent rescuers. We chose to streamline our rescuing in 2014 focusing on Toronto shelters to reduce duplication of efforts and to make a real impact in our city. By helping to strengthen our city shelter system, more cats can be rescued into forever homes. We hope to do the same in the Kitchener-Waterloo area. Because we had so much support from our foster homes and other volunteers (both new and existing), we also had the capacity for two major rescues. In late 2013, we rescued 120 cats from a 700 square foot apartment. Our foster homes stepped up, took these scared, attention-starved cats and rehabilitated them into wonderful, trusting pets that were adopted into loving homes. In late 2014, we were approached by Humane Society International (HSI) to take 60 cats from another overcrowding situation into our program. Again, our volunteers accepted the challenge of helping these timid cats find their second chance. In 2014, TCR rescued 2,317 cats needing help across the GTA and Kitchener-Waterloo. We adopted out 2,163 cats - just 37 adoptions shy of our ambitious 2,200 adoption goal. A quarter of our cats were adopted through adoptathon events last year! Not to mention, we now have over 800 volunteers. It is because we have many dedicated foster homes who care for the cats in our program, a passionate team of adoption counsellors who diligently screen potential adopters for our foster cats, and a core group of volunteers who work tirelessly in our partner stores, field post-adoption issues, and manage vet appointments that we have this kind of success. Our intake and adoption numbers and volunteer base are huge compared to other grassroots organizations and shelters across Canada. The TCR executive is tremendously proud to work with such caring and engaged volunteers. We hope for just as much success in 2015! CONTENTS Letter From The Executive 1 Our Mission 2 Annual Statistics 3 Foster Homes 4 Volunteers 5 Rescue Stories 7 TAS Partnership 9 Kitchener-Waterloo 10 Major Fundraisers 11 Adopt-a-thons 12 Testimonials 13 Social Media 15 Sponsors 16 -Kyra Augustyn, on behalf of the TCR Executive

3 Toronto Cat Rescue is a registered, no-kill charity run by volunteers. Our mission is to rescue and find homes for abandoned, sick or injured cats from situations of abuse, neglect or imminent euthanasia.

4 ANNUAL STATISTICS 2500 Annual Adoptions Intake In the GTA we rescue primarily from Toronto Animal Services (TAS). In the KW area, we rescue strays from Hillside Kennels, and the KW Humane Society. TCR also has the Owner/ Surrender program where owners can put their pets up for adoption. All of these cats are part of the TCR adoption program. We accept any TCR cat returned to the program. 12% 6% 3% 2% 2% 1% 5% 30% *Strays were primarily rescued in Kitchener-Waterloo and the surrounding area. 39% Toronto Animal Services Stray* Hillside Kennels Owner/Surrenders Born in Care TAS Feral Cat Recovery Center Returns Humane Society International K/W Humane Society

5 TCR does not have a shelter. We have a network of loving foster homes. Our cats are placed in our volunteer foster homes to await their adoption, which is why foster homes are such an important part of TCR s program. Each foster home space that we have available represents one more cat that we can rescue. Our foster homes are always full because there is an endless need for them! Thank you to each and every one of our wonderful foster homes. Without your commitment we could not save so many lives each year! FOSTER HOMES

6 VOLUNTEERS TCR is 100% volunteer-run. Here s a snapshot of what our volunteers do: advertising, adopt-a-thons, bottle feeding, communicating, coordinating, driving, designing, ing, events, fostering, feeding in colonies, fundraising, grooming, giving medicine to helping the public, jumping for joy with each adoption, laundry, liaising, listening, answering and asking medical questions, naming kittens, organizing events, PR, pamphlets, paying bills, paperwork, phoning, questioning potential adopters, rescuing, recovery, spay/neuter booking, sub-q, screening adopters and new foster homes, taking pictures, tax receipts, trapping, updating lists, vet appointments, x-rays, yawning at midnight, & zipping around the GTA! The time, effort, resources, and support provided by our network of volunteers is phenomenal THANK YOU! Cynthia Ashkar, Pet Valu Kingsway Store Coordinator

7 TORONTO CAT RESCUE VOLUNTEERS ADOPTION COUNSELLORS: When a member of the public is interested in adopting a TCR cat, they first speak with an Adoption Counsellor to be screened and approved for adoption. These volunteers make sure that all cats are adopted into safe and loving homes that will fit their needs and personalities. Post-Adoption Counsellors make sure that cats are settling in well to the new homes once they have been adopted. DRIVERS: Our Driver Volunteers are instrumental in helping cats get from point A to point B often making trips to Toronto Animal Services, foster homes throughout the city, pet stores, veterinarian offices, or adoptathons. We are always looking for more volunteers to assist with drives. FOSTER COORDINATORS: Jenn, Kyra, & Sarah are the three amazing Foster Coordinators who liaise with all our foster homes. Their knowledge, dedication, and on-going commitment ensures all foster parents feel supported in their roles. FOSTER HOMES: With over 300 foster homes, the cats we rescue are able to receive the necessary medical attention, socialization, and care they need to make sure they are ready to be adopted into their forever homes. Foster homes are essential to the success of TCR! FOSTER SCREENERS: These patient, dedicated volunteers help screen potential foster homes to ensure all cats will be placed in a loving & safe foster home while they await adoption. STORE COORDINATORS: Store Coordinators help manage the team of volunteers who care for the cats placed temporarily in our partner pet stores. STORE VOLUNTEERS: Occasionally, cats will be placed in one of our twelve partner pet stores to give them extra exposure, increasing their chances of adoption. Store Volunteers make sure the cats are taken care of each day they spend in the stores. ADDITIONAL VOLUNTEER ROLES Community Outreach Coordinator Database Administrator Donations Coordinator Driver Coordinator Feral Colony Coordinator Finance Coordinator Fundraising Coordinator Intake Coordinator Kitchener Chapter Coordinator Newsletter Coordinator Social Media Coordinator Stray Rescue Coordinator Storage Coordinator Third Party Fundraising Coordinator Vet Clinic Coordinator Website Coordinator

8 OVERCROWDING SITUATION: 120 CATS RESCUE In late November 2013, Toronto Cat Rescue volunteers came together to rescue a record number of cats from an incredibly overcrowded Toronto home. When TCR volunteers first visited the home, they counted 90 cats and kittens. Many of the kittens were underweight and malnourished, and most of the adult cats were terrified of people. They needed loving foster and adoptive families who could help them adjust to the trauma of being uprooted from the only isolated existence they had ever known. Despite the daunting number of cats that needed care, we decided to commit to rescuing all of these cats to give them a chance at finding a forever home where they could each be the centre of attention and love, where they no longer had to fight to survive in a stressful, overcrowded living environment. We couldn t have been more humbled by the outpouring of support. Over the holidays we placed the majority of the cats, and continued to rescue those that remained in January. By the time we had rescued them all, we realized our original count was wrong. A startling 120 cats and kittens had been squeezed into a living space of just 700 square feet. The owners had been doing their best to keep the cats fed but there just wasn t enough to go around, and many kittens were severely malnourished. Many of these cats came into foster care terrified of people, but they soon started to blossom in foster care. Many of their foster homes fell in love and adopted their foster cats, and the rest of the cats were gradually adopted by loving adoptive families. A year after we first discovered these cats, all but two have been adopted. Thank you to all of our volunteers, foster parents, and adopters for making such an incredible difference in lives of these cats. They needed help when no one else could provide it, and thanks to you, they are now living like every cat should.

9 HUMANE SOCIETY INTERNATIONAL: 60 CATS RESCUE On December 13, 2014, Torontonians stepped up and joined the Toronto Cat Rescue team, offering temporary homes for fifty cats rescued in Quebec by the Humane Society International (HSI). An additional ten cats were placed by HSI, so all sixty cats are now settling into homes while they await their forever families to adopt them. No cat was left behind. Cats with FIV, dental problems, allergies and ongoing medical needs were placed in Toronto Cat Rescue foster homes, and we will do whatever it takes to ensure they have a promising future. To everyone who has helped with this amazing rescue so far, thank you! These cats were denied the most basic care and many were visibly sick when HSI seized them from deplorable conditions and brought them to their temporary, emergency shelter. After many months of care and recovery in the emergency shelter, the cats were ready for their journey to Toronto to be placed in foster homes. These cats will be cared for in foster homes until they are ready to be adopted in The first 60 Lives Adoptathon took place in early January 2015 at Pet Valu Kingsway, where 8 of these cats were adopted, two of whom were FIV+! CBC: 60 rescue cats from Quebec arrive safely in Toronto City News: Torontonians open their homes to 60 rescue cats Now Toronto: A truckload of Quebecois cats need a forever home

10 PARTNERSHIP WITH TORONTO ANIMAL SERVICES On January 1, 2014, Toronto Cat Rescue and Toronto Animal Services officially partnered to reduce the number of cats facing possible euthanasia in our city shelters. Through this partnership, cats that were ill, injured, orphaned, geriatric, FIV+, scared, shy and undersocialized were transferred from TAS shelters to Toronto Cat Rescue foster homes. Our incredible foster homes opened their hearts and homes to physically and emotionally rehabilitate these cats and prepare them for adoption. We were astounded and humbled with the incredible response to this partnership, both from our volunteers and from the public. We would like to express our gratitude to the tireless and dedicated staff at TAS and to our amazing foster parents for coming together and being a hero to over 900 of the city s most vulnerable cats. We hope to reach our goal of 1500 transfers in 2015.

11 KITCHENER-WATERLOO Kitchener Waterloo Community Cats (KWCC) This year a group of caring volunteers in the Kitchener area formed a coalition called Kitchener Waterloo Community Cats. This group s mission is to reduce and manage homeless cats in the community through a Trap, Neuter, Return, Manage (TNRM) program. KWCC operates as a TNR project of Toronto Cat Rescue. KW Spay/Neuter Clinic for Homeless Cats This year marked the beginning of a new and exciting partnership between Kitchener Waterloo Humane Society (KWHS) and TCR. Work has been done in partnership with KWHS, KWCC, and with a generous public donation a free spay/neuter clinic has been opened for homeless cats for one year. The clinic operates out of the KWHS one day a week with the ability to spay/neuter 20 cats per clinic day. The first clinic day was November 5, KWCC reaches out to the public to educate about the merits of TNRM and organizes the spay/neuter appointments for feral or homeless cats. We are very hopeful that this initiative will make a difference in the number of cats living on the streets and in barns. KWCC has also been accepting cats that have been deemed "unadoptable" by KWHS. These cats are transferred to KWCC and are either socialized if potential is seen or sent to barn homes that KWCC locates and sets up. This program is saving the lives of many cats who otherwise would have been euthanized.

12 10 TH ANNUAL BOWL-A-THON FUNDRAISER On Saturday, May 31, 2014, TCR supporters gathered for a fun day of bowling, pizza, and prizes. The 10 th Annual Bowl-a-thon was great fun, and together we raised $10,500 for the cats! Congratulations to our top bowler, Michelle M., who individually raised over $2,000! A huge thank you also goes out to our sponsors, especially to our presenting sponsor Minuk Construction & Engineering Co., and our silver kitten sponsors Annex Animal Hospital, Durham Fasteners, & Pet Valu Maple. This event would not have been possible without the hard work of our organizers: Heather D., Sarah M., and Wendy S., as well as everyone who participated, volunteered, and donated prizes and pledges. Thank you everyone! We look forward to seeing you next year at our next Bowl-a-thon! TORONTO WATERFRONT MARATHON On Sunday, October 19, 2014, an amazing team of supporters participated in the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon in support of TCR cats. In 2014, we had an incredible team of 57 runners and walkers who together raised $27,400 for the cats! We couldn't be more thankful for the dedication and hard work of this year's team. Many months were spent not only fundraising, but in many cases, training to run the 5k, half-marathon and even the full marathon. Get ready to run/walk again in 2015!

13 ADOPT-A-THONS 26% 74% Adopt-a-thons are often held in some of our partner pet stores, such as Pet Valu & PetSmart. This helps connect potential adopters with a variety of cats to choose from, and often helps find homes for many cats in a short period of time. In 2014 we held 19 adopt-a-thons. At the beginning of July 2014, the first-ever Mega Pet Adoptathon was held in the city of Toronto. Hosted by PetSmart & PetSmart Charities, this event helped find homes for over 585 cats and dogs. Toronto Cat Rescue was one of several groups in attendance, and we had an astounding 112 TCR cats adopted over the 3-day weekend!

14 ADOPTER TESTIMONIALS -Mike G. -Sabrina L. -Paula S. -Amanda G.

15 ADOPTION SUCCESS STORY Letter to a TCR Adoption Counsellor: I am very happy to say that Jack is flourishing and has grown SO much, despite his unknown illness. He is almost 9 months and we couldn't picture life without him! Rambo loves his new brother very much and is very protective over him. They like to wrestle, chase each other, cuddle and LOVE to clean/sleep with each other! Jack is a different type of cat - he plays with the vacuum, loves when we renovate and make lots of noise, and LOVES to join me in the shower (he loves running water because he chases the droplets). He also follows me around when I am cleaning the house...it s hilarious and GREAT company! He enjoys lots of cuddles and LOTS of rubs. As soon as I walk in the door from work, he s there waiting for me purring and rolling over with his belly fully exposed... He makes me laugh. He is so friendly and so loving to absolutely everyone who comes over to our house. He has been nothing less than amazing and I wouldn't trade him for anything in the world. He has brought so much love and happiness to my boyfriend, Rambo and I, and he truly is part of the family. Thank you again for helping me find this little guy. It s incredible how loved he is! As you can probably tell, I am a proud mom! Marisa T. Adopted Jack (previously named Kwame) in 2014

16 SOCIAL MEDIA Toronto Cat Rescue has 4 active social media channels: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. The support from the public is amazing, and allows us to find forever homes for countless cats, raise much needed donations, fill volunteer roles, and help us educate others on cat-related issues. Our highest reaching Facebook post was about a kitten named Minou who has a grade 5 heart murmur and was seeking a home. Our August post was seen by over 23,000 people from our supporters "liking" or "sharing" his story before he was adopted. On Twitter we average 56 re-tweets per day. In June one of our Instagram photos (C.C) received 429 likes after the highly renowned "Cats Of Instagram" liked the photo, and started following our account. Our customized YouTube channel was launched in June, with our most successful video having over 1,000 views. Facebook.com/TorontoCatRescue Twitter.com/TorontoCatRescu Instagram.com/TorontoCatRescu YouTube.com/TorontoCatRescue

17 SPONSORS TCR does not receive any government funding. We rely solely on adoption fees, fundraising, grants, and generous donors to keep our program running. In addition to every individual who donates to TCR, we thank the following corporate sponsors for their contribution to our cause Ontario Ltd. AAA Air Conditioning Inc. Annex Veterinary Hospital B+N Lifestyle Boston Pizza Conway Photography Deutsche Bank Flat Roof Manor Intact insurance Jane Animal Hospital Minuk Construction Ontario Power PetSmart Pet Valu Random House RBC Telus TD Bank The Little Grape That Could Sun Life Financial

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