Summer
2005
A Quarterly Newsletter Produced by
IndyFeral Inc.
IndyFeral Inc. is a resource for caretakers and friends of strays & ferals in central
Proposed Changes to City Ordinance
May Promote TNR
for Controlling Free-roaming Cats
IndyFeral
is pleased to announce a proposed change to the current Indianapolis/Marion
County ordinance to promote TNR as an officially sanctioned method for
controlling the immense population of free-roaming cats.
The new
ordinance proposal is the culmination of months of work between IndyFeral, Jeff Bennett, administrator of
The
proposed ordinance change
is now posted on the IndyFeral home page
(www.indyferal.org), and will be posted on the ACC site soon
(http://accd.indygov.org) for public review.
Public
commentary on the proposed changes will be heard at the next ACC board meeting,
Wednesday, August 3rd,
The
proposed ordinance will also be reviewed by the Public Safety Committee and
ultimately, to become incorporated into the
As we
reach crucial points in the process, your support can ensure that the proposed
changes have the best possible chance of becoming law.
If you
would like more information on how you can participate, please visit IndyFeral’s website (www.indyferal.org).
IndyFeral’s Cat Captain Program Receives National Recognition
by the ASPCA and Petsmart Charities
Indyferal’s Cat Captain program was recognized by the
American
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) as a proven program
that has made a significant impact on the lives of free-roaming cats and the number of lives which have been
saved.
The Cat
Captain program has been added to the Imagine Humane Innovation Bank. More
information is available at: www.imaginehumane.org
In
addition, Petsmart Charities identified the IndyFeral Cat Captain program as a best practice model for
TNR. The program was added as a curious cat grant project.
Other TNR
groups can now apply for funding from Petsmart to repli-cate the Cat Captain program in their community
through a curious cat grant.
The goal
of the curious cat funding is to spread best practice models and innovative
programs surrounding adoption and spay/ neuter across the country.
Together,
we ARE making a difference for the animals in our community! Thank you to all
Cat Captains!
Inaugural Spayday
at New IndyFeral
Clinic/Warehouse is Successful
June 29
was IndyFeral’s first Spayday
at the new clinic. Twenty-two cats were snipped.
The
clinic has been a lot of hard work but our vision of a one-stop shop designed
for the special needs of ferals has come to fruition.
The new
clinic will provide Wednesday Spaydays twice a month.
This will increase surgery slots by 50 per month. The warehouse also has the
capability to dock a mobile surgical unit.
Kitten
clinics are also hosted at the warehouse. Kittens born to feral mother cats
have a 60% mortality rate and often a host of health issues. Early
intervention, through a general exam, worming, treatment for fleas and earmites, makes a huge difference in their quality of life.
The
warehouse also serves as the location for our trap, shelter and food bank.
Special
Thanks to Jan Baker for donating a
clinic refrigerator and to Mary Kay
Beattie for purchasing remaining surgical needs.
CAPTION: Dr.
Jason Herrmann, who runs the North Indy Mobile Vet clinic, recently joined the IndyFeral Spay Day team of vets. Photo by Ana Radovanovic. Copyright IndyFeral Inc.
Good News from Osgood
IF Mentors Humane Society in Their
Efforts to Launch TNR Program
Volunteers
from RCHS and People Assisting Animals In Need (PAAIN), a fund-raising
organization for the humane society, estimated there were probably 60 cats on
the farm. They had heard of Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) and decided they could
probably do it. How hard could it be?
They had
one trap, and suddenly felt they were way in over their heads. They took to the
internet and found IndyFeral.
In June,
IF board member Maureen Owen and Vice President Greg Brush traveled to Osgood
in Ripley County to assess the site, in southeastern Indiana, about an hour and
a half from Indy.
Over the
next two weeks, things fell into place.
Fortunately,
IndyFeral was in the midst of an organization-wide
trap inventory, so there was a large stock of traps at the warehouse.
PAAIN had
raised enough money to get surgeries for at least 60 cats, and through their
ongoing relationship with the Pets Alive clinic in
In one
day, volunteers trapped 53 cats. They were transported to
The
caretakers of these
However,
there remain many more cats to be trapped just at this one site.
IF will
continue working with PAAIN and RCHS to make TNR a regular part of their
efforts to help reduce cat overpopulation. IF plans to work with the groups to
build their own inventory of traps.
IF hopes
to use this and similar experiences as a template to create a program to plant
the seed of TNR in smaller communities and lighten the demand on IndyFeral’s services.
DeVoe to Perform Concert for Feral Cats
Singer
Jennie DeVoe will perform a benefit concert for IndyFeral Sunday, October 9th,
IndyFeral
thanks all our generous sponsors. Tickets are on sale now. Seats are limited, so order early!
Ticket
price is $20. The price covers the sterilization cost of one cat. Order through
PayPal at www.indyferal.org or mail check to:
IndyFeral
Inc.
PHOTO:
Jennie DeVoe. Photo Copyright by John Freeland.
SPONSORS:
NUVO Newsweekly, Pet Supplies “Plus,”
Nutro,
IndyFeral’s Animal Advocates
IndyFeral
congratulates friend, animal advocate and IndyFeral
volunteer Mary Lee Pappas and NUVO Newsweekly.
Pappas’s
NUVO article on dog fighting, “Blood Sport,” (published
Congratulations also goes to IndyFeral volunteer Cat
Captain Alex Reynolds for completing the Noah’s Wish Disaster Training. The
program prepared Reynolds for deployment in the event of a disaster in the
Midwest Region or where help is needed.
The
program instructs trainees how to organize and set up headquarters to rescue
and shelter animals during a disaster; how to handle animals (from cats to
horses) during times of high stress; setting up triage for injured animals,
intake and outtake of animals.
Noah’s
Wish has a 100% placement of disaster animals. If the original owners do not
retrieve their pets, they are adopted out elsewhere.
Reynolds
continues his disaster training through the Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA). Reynolds serves as cat captain for the southeast side of
CAPTION: Mary
Lee Pappas is a writer for NUVO Newsweekly
and began volunteering for IndyFeral in 2002. Photo by Ana Radovanovic. Copyright IndyFeral Inc.
FeralPhoto Contest Grand Prize Winners
IndyFeral
congratulates the first two grand prize Feral Photo Contest winners: Cindy Budd and Phebe Blackburn. Both winners will receive an IndyFeral
t-shirt of their choice.
To help
spread the word about TNR and to help people understand the life of a cat in a
managed feral colony, IndyFeral is promoting an ongoing
Feral Photo Contest, calling for photographs showing ear-tipped cats in any
setting.
Each
month, we will select two grand prize photos. The judging will take place at
the IndyFeral monthly board meeting.
The grand
prize winners will receive an IndyFeral t-shirt
(choice of available colors and sizes).
Submitted
photos will be used in internet, electronic and print publications to promote
TNR, IndyFeral and the welfare of free-roaming cats.
All photos will be credited.
How To
Enter
You must
be at least 18 years old to enter. You may submit entries as often as you wish,
and there is no limit to the number of times you can win. However, due to
limited stock, winners may receive only one t-shirt every six months.
All
submissions must include your name, address, phone number, email address and
the exact text of the photo credit.
Please
visit our website at: www.indyferal.org for complete rules and instructions for
submission, or write to IndyFeral.
You may
send photos through the website or mail to:
IndyFeral
Inc.
Feral
Photo Contest
CAPTION
1: Buddy. Photo
©2005 Cindy Budd.
CAPTION
2: This is
Back By Popular Demand!
It’s ALL About the Cats
New
yellow & pink T-shirts are available to purchase for $15.
All
proceeds go toward supporting IndyFeral operations.
Order yours today!
IndyFeral Announces “Good Neighbor” Program
with Contech Electronics
Contech
Electronics (www.scatmat.com), based in
Contech’s
humane mission make them a perfect partner for IndyFeral. In an effort to create a safer more humane
community for free-roaming cats, IndyFeral and Contech have joined forces to create the “Good Neighbor”
Program.
Feral
Cats have become part of our urban landscape. Like wildlife, feral cats can’t
be socialized and are most content to live outside.
The “Good
Neighbor” Program will focus on situations in which cats have become a source
of contention among businesses or neighbors. IndyFeral
will act as a mediator and resource by conducting on-site assessments, colony
restructuring and utilizing Contech’s humane animal
deterrents – the CatStop© and ScareCrow©.
We seek
to teach our community how to live in harmony with animals.
Indyferal
will receive a 20% donation from Contech for any
product sale referred through IndyFeral.
How to order
To order online:
www.scatmat.com. Click on “contech on-line store.” Make your shopping selections. At
the end of the transaction you will be asked for a “coupon/gift certificate
code if applicable.” Type in: indyferal (all lowercase).
To order
by phone: Call 1-800-767-8658. Tell them you were referred by IndyFeral.
Got Food?
Pet
Supplies Plus provides convenient food donation drop off locations for the
feral cat colonies that IndyFeral maintains.
Shoppers
can purchase an extra bag on their next trip to any Pet Supplies Plus pet
store. Financial donations can also be made earmarked for “food bank” and
mailed to IF.
The food
will be used exclusively for feral/free-roaming cats. These cats are generally
not socialized and are unable to live in a typical home.
Feral and
abandoned cats are the result of irresponsible pet owners who fail to spay or
neuter their cats and allow them to roam freely.
Many
colonies throughout
If you
would like to learn more about IndyFeral’s efforts or
how you can help, visit their web site at www.indyferal.org or call the “feral
line” at (317) 596-2300.
CAPTION: IF
volunteer Paula Jones organizes food donations during a recent Spayday. Photo by Ana Radovanovic.
Copyright IndyFeral Inc.
Annual Yard Sale Funds Surgeries
IndyFeral
thanks all those who participated in the Annual Yard Sale Memorial Day weekend,
either by donating items to sell, or advertising for us, or helping to setup
tents and tables.
A big
thanks to the folks who helped to price and organize literally thousands of
items.
Total
sales for this year’s event: $4300. This will
spay-neuter 215 cats. What a difference you have made in the lives of
free-roaming cats!
2005 Calendar
JULY
18 Board Meeting
AUG
National Homeless Animals Day
(ISAR Sponsor)
13 “IF Day” at Pet Supplies+ (Noblesville)
15 Board Meeting
21 Spay Day
SEPT
8 Volunteer Orientation,
18 Spay Day
19 Board Meeting
24 “IF Day” at Pet Supplies+ (
OCT
4 Cat Captain/Intake Meeting,
8 Petfest at
9 Jennie DeVoe
Concert @ Rathskeller Ballroom
(See Page 2 for details)
IndyFeral Inc.
A resource for caretakers and
friends of stray & feral cats in central
As part
of our belief in respect and compassion for all living creatures, IndyFeral Inc. seeks to reduce stray and feral (wild) cat
overpopulation through the non-lethal method of Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR), not
trap and kill.
What is TNR?
TNR is a
process by which stray and feral (wild) cats are humanely trapped, evaluated,
vaccinated and sterilized by a veterinarian and then returned to their familiar
habitat.
We encourage
people to make efforts to use the resources of adoption organizations to
attempt to place tame cats and kittens into homes.
Who is IndyFeral?
IndyFeral
is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization staffed entirely
by volunteers. We are dedicated to helping stray and feral cats in the
IndyFeral
was established as a means of changing the way stray and feral cats have been
traditionally viewed and dealt with in our community. Acting as their advocate
or voice, IndyFeral will strive to improve their
lives and promote ideas that are more reflective of a caring and humane
community.
Board of Directors
Corporate Officers
President Lisa Tudor
Vice
President Greg Brush
Secretary Verna Boggs
Treasurer Debbie Marlett
Board
Amelda
Butler
Maureen
Owen
Rebecca
Seifert
Get Involved
If you
would like more information on how you can help feral cats in your community or
know of a feral cat colony, please contact IndyFeral.
We also encourage you to visit our web site to learn more about TNR and feral
colony management.
IndyFeral
Inc.
(317)
596-2300
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Newsletter
designed by Ana Radovanovic. ©2005 IndyFeral Inc.