Alley Cat Rescue

An Alliance for Cat Protection

Windsor, wounded orphan Tatito, car strike Bobo, broken arm

Annual
Mr. Cheeks, friendly feral find
Report-2018
Phoenix, engine
burns

Puss’n’Boots, euthanasia list Eve, broken ankle, MPS

Mission Statement
Alley Cat Rescue is leading the way in promoting humane and compassionate care for all cats.
Our Work
• Promote compassion and nonlethal care for ALL cats
• Help individuals locate free and low-cost spay/neuter programs
• Assist with cat behavioral problems to keep cats in their homes
• Educate the public about feline diseases and overpopulation
• Connect individuals with local TNR groups through our national Cat Action Teams list
• Protect the genetic integrity of the African Wildcat through TNR

Our Impact Follow Along & Stay in Touch

• Neuter-before-adoption instagram.com/alleycatrescue
• Early-age spay/neuter facebook.com/alleycatrescueinc
• TNR (trap-neuter-return)
twitter.com/alleycatrescue
• In-home Foster Care
• Annual Spring Spay Challenge for veterinarians www.SaveACat.org
• Educational workshops and training acr@saveacat.org 301-277-5595
www.SaveACat.org Annual Report Alley Cat Rescue • 1
From the Desk of Louise Holton
I call the plans put forth by the American Bird Conservancy
and other environmental groups to remove outdoor cats from
the U.S. landscape a “Dangerous Game.” Such action would
not only be cruel, but could unleash unintended environmental
consequences. Populations of prey animals could go
unchecked, leading to a dramatic increase in their numbers.

We’ve seen this before; when feral cats were eradicated from
Macquarie Island, the rabbit population exploded. Rabbits
then destroyed vegetation, which led to erosion and damage
to seabird breeding sites. The cat problem thus became the
rabbit problem. When poison was used to kill the rabbits, TNR ends the breeding cycle and brings outdoor
seabirds ate their carcasses and died by the thousands. It was cat populations under control. Returning feral cats
to their colonies keeps other cats from migrating
the seabirds who scientists were trying to protect in the first
in while maintaining their preventive effect on
place. rodents.

These groups also say that once outdoor cats are gone, all
remaining cats must be kept indoors at all times in homes, sanctuaries, or shelters. Of course, this ignores
the true nature of feral colony cats, who do not thrive indoors among people and prefer to live outside.

Over the past three decades, we’ve seen the traditional catch-and-kill approach fail to make any impact
overall on the outdoor cat population. Instead, humane methods that do not involve killing, like trap-neuter-
return (TNR), are growing in popularity. As lethal methods have fallen out of favor and communities have
taken up life-affirming alternatives, we’ve also seen the rate of intake and euthanasia of healthy cats at
shelters fall significantly. Thankfully, more and more municipalities are making TNR the standard of care
when it comes to community cats.

And yet, the ABC and others are still calling for the eradication of outdoor cats by lethal means. Here’s why
their plans won’t work:

1. Government-run shelters don’t have the resources to trap millions of cats

and citizens will not accept tax dollars being used for mass euthanasia.
2. Building “sanctuaries” for millions of feral cats is an enormous task, even
if possible. Who would pay to build and maintain them?
3. Removing all outdoor cats—a mesopredator and highly specialized rodent
hunter—would lead to an explosion of the rodent population. Rats and
mice are typically poisoned; do we truly want more lethal chemicals in the
environment?

The progress we’ve made in reducing shelter intake and euthanasia while
also reducing the number of cats living outside is due to our hard work
together promoting spay & neuter and trap-neuter-return for feral cats. We’ve
come a long way, but know that we need to continue to grow our community
in order to maintain the gains we’ve made for cats.

Please join us in reaching out to the American Bird Conservancy and other
environmental groups by signing and returning the petition on the last page of
this report asking them to support humane, non-lethal management for feral
cats. Cats, birds, and the environment as a whole benefit when we come Louise Holton
together around effective TNR programs for cats. President and Founder
2 • Alley Cat Rescue www.SaveACat.org
 Action for Cats!
This year you made it possible for ACR to help
so many cats in need. Hardy and Olive were
both abuse victims, and kitten Lucha had terrible,
life-threatening injuries. Beyond major medical
treatment, we brought kittens and former strays
back to full health and found them homes. We
sponsored spay/neuter clinics to serve cats on
a budget, and we grew the community of people
working for cats by promoting TNR, holding local
workshops, and providing information and education
to empower colony caregivers and cat owners alike.
Hardy was abused and needed weeks of treatment. He
recovered and was adopted into a loving, forever home!

Cats awaiting sterilization at Angels of Assissi in Roanoke, Olive was found by our Los Angeles team with cropped ears
VA. ACR sponsored two free spay/neuter and rabies and a severly broken leg. Her leg was amputated and after
vaccination clinics there that served 200 cats over two days. a brief recovery period, she was adopted.

When Lucha arrived, his tail was mostly gone and his rear ACR’s low-cost spay/neuter clinic in Maryland serves feral &
was being destroyed by parasites. After tail amputation and pet cats. Thousands of cats are sterilized each year through
weeks in a “diaper” bandage, Lucha found a loving home! ACR’s programs in Maryland, Virgina, and Los Angeles.
Alley Cat Rescue • 3
 Financial Report EXPENSES
Programs:
Fiscal Year 2018 Newsletters and Publications...... $188,822
Promoting Spay/Neuter............... $487,101
Education and Public Relations.. $269,231
SUPPORT & REVENUE Adoption and TNR....................... $319,816
Public Support: National Cat Action Teams.......... $137,215
Contributions and Donations....... $1,326,060 Prevention................................... $281,096
Legacies and Bequests............... $1,050,802 Total Program Expenses........ $1,683,281
Grants.............................................. $40,539 Supporting Services:
Total Public Support................. $2,417,401 Management and General........... $135,713
Other Revenue............................. $182,622 Development............................... $251,355
Total Support and Revenue..... $2,600,023 Total Supporting Services........ $387,068
Total Expenses........................ $2,070,349
*Alley Cat Rescue, Inc. is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Tax ID # 52-227-9100.

The ACR Team THE DEDICATED STAFF OF ALLEY CAT RESCUE

Louise Holton, President & Founder
Desirée Stapley, Director of Planning & Administration
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS Denise Hilton, Director of Operations
Louise Holton, President
Elizabeth Marshall Thomas Nikolette Cochran, Program Manager
Marsha Dabolt, Outlaw Kitties
Verne Smith, Esq. Cheryl Noll, Volunteer Colony Caretaker
Peggy Hilden, Treasurer
Roger Tabor, CBiol, FSB, MPhil, Tom Ragusa, Finance Associate
Virginia Messina, MPH, RD
FCFBA, FBNAhc Adam Jablonski, Communications Associate
Susanna Delman, MPH

Help Support Our Work!

Wills and Bequests:
Ensure that your love and compassion for cats lives on by
including Alley Cat Rescue in your estate plans. Suggested
bequest language: “I give (specific amount or property) to Alley
Cat Rescue, Inc., having its principle office at 3906 Rhode Island
Avenue, Brentwood, MD 20722 or PO Box 585, Mt. Rainier, MD
20712 for its general purpose to help stray, abandoned, and feral
cats. Tax ID: 52-2279100.”
TNR workshops empower citizens to
save and help cats.
CFC: Support ACR through the Combined Federal Campaign.
CFC #10472.
Planned Giving - Charitable Gift Annuities:
Annuities can help you achieve your personal financial goals while providing a foundation for our work
helping cats. Enjoy tax savings and turn appreciated assets into income for yourself. Charitable gift
annuities allow you to make a gift of $5,000 or more and receive fixed interest payments for life, as well as
tax deductions. For more information call 301-277-5595, email acr@saveacat.org, or write P.O. Box 585,
Mt. Rainier, MD 20712.
4 • Alley Cat Rescue www.SaveACat.org/donate
L.A. Cat-fidential
For the past six years, Alley Cat Rescue has been on the ground working
to combat the cat overpopulation issue in Los Angeles, California. There
are an estimated 2 to 3 million feral cats in L.A. alone. Unfortunately, the
city of Los Angeles is stuck in a long legal battle that completely bars it from
being involved in trap-neuter-return, as it once was. Not only are officials
blocked from implementing TNR programs themselves, they’re not allowed
to mention or suggest the process to residents, or even refer them to outside
TNR groups. This current stalemate leaves the fate of these animals in the
hands of groups like ACR. A trapped feral cat from among a
colony of 200 at an L.A. mall.

ACR’s West Coast team TNRs around 1,000 cats per year in L.A., and
also saves feral cats from euthanasia at local shelters by relocating them
to farms and barns in the area. These “working cats” then protect barns
and homes from rodents. Our team fosters orphaned and injured kittens
throughout the year, and last fall helped the community in Malibu search
for, trap, and care for cats affected by the devastating Woolsey fire. We
provided temporary foster care for lost cats and also made donations of
food, litter, toys and supplies to local emergency evacuation shelters.

Earlier this year, our team found a colony of more than 200 cats at an
L.A. shopping mall. ACR knew this was a colony that needed our help;
none of the cats had an ear-tip indicating that they were TNR’d and their
population numbers were likely growing exponentially. Our team is working
methodically through this whole colony and has TNR’d more than half of
the cats so far.

The situation in L.A. is deeply concerning and unlikely to improve without a Two feral mothers & their kittens
TNR program supported by the city. Cats in need are everywhere; our staff who were rescued from a rooftop.
even rescued two nursing mothers with kittens from a rooftop!

In April of 2017, city commissioners approved a framework proposal for implementing TNR in Los Angeles
once again. Major project elements include funding for spay/neuter services for feral cats, education and
training programs at city-run facilities, and municipal code changes to make the process more efficient.
The household pet limit would also be raised from three to five. The city’s Bureau of Engineering is now
preparing an environmental impact report, which will be available for public comment this spring.

ACR has advocated for the feral cats of L.A since the first court injunction was handed down in 2008.
Our members responded to our Action Alerts with public comments to city officials every step of the way.
Unfortunately, countless kittens have been born on the streets since TNR was blocked by the 2010 lawsuit.
The environmental groups are so wrong on this issue. Banning TNR, banning the feeding of feral cats,
and trying to kill all cats in a city, let alone on an entire continent, will not work. The only solution is TNR.

If you’re a Los Angeles resident, please take action for all the cats in need in your area
by contacting your local council member and asking them to support a city-run trap-
TAKE
neuter-return (TNR) program. ACTION!
Also, sign our petition to bird and conservation groups on the last page of this report. They’re lawsuit is the
reason that so many cats are suffering in L.A. right now. We must let them know that until they support TNR,
we will NOT support them!
Alley Cat Rescue • 5
Protecting the African Wildcat
Much Progress has been made on our African Wildcat program in
South Africa. Through donations sent to us by kind ACR members,
we were able to send our Program Director in South Africa, Rita
Brock, to the area surrounding the Kruger National Park to conduct
a feasibility study. We want to report on the work Rita did for us,
and tell you of our future plans.

Rita met with lodge owners, SPCA’s, veterinarians, feral cat

caretakers and groups implementing TNR in the area. We are
pleased to report that not only are all the groups up that way
supportive of our AWC project, some are already working on
sterilizing the outdoor cats in the area, thereby making the work a
lot less difficult for us.

The help they need from Alley Cat Rescue is:

• Funding (many of the areas are economically depressed)
• Traps and equipment
• Training for staff and volunteers

Our plan for 2019 through 2020 is:

• Organize a workshop and training conference near Kruger The backs of the African Wildcat’s ears
National Park in the fall of 2019 are always tinged a rusty red color, which
• Train volunteers and SPCA’s helps determine whether they’re a pure
AWC or domestic cat hybrid.
• Train veterinarians in the area
• Purchase trapping equipment
• Work with medical companies to identify cost-effective spay/neuter supplies

With your support, we will continue this vital and important program to protect the ancestor of our domestic
cats. Sadly, recent news reports have revealed that another wildcat, the Scottish Wildcat, may already have
“disappeared” from its habitat for good due to hybridization from mating with domestic feral cats. There may
only be about 35 true Scottish Wildcats left.

We are determined to protect the African Wildcat from experiencing the same fate. Fortunately, the African
Wildcat can still be protected and its heritage preserved. We can do it with trap-neuter-return and the many
partners in the area willing to help.

We also want to invite you to attend our workshops in South Africa, and see the work and the cats for
yourselves. There are some Wildcats in South Africa living in sanctuaries so you can meet the African
Wildcat in person. A truly wonderful experience, we can assure you. And, if you visit Kruger National Park
and go out late at night, you may see one living in the wild!

PHOTO: EMDONENI LODGE

6 • Alley Cat Rescue www.SaveACat.org/african-wildcat

 1 2 3
NEW!

NEW! 5
All Sales Help ACR Spay/Neuter Cats!
9 8 7
6

ORDER FORM
Name _____________________________________________________ Order Total $_____________________________

Address ______________________________________________________________________________________________

Phone _________________________________ Email _______________________________________________________

SIZE
# ITEM PRICE QUANTITY TOTAL
(Please Circle)
1 African Wildcat T-shirt $16 M, L, XL $
2 African Wildcat shoulder bag $10 N/A $
3 “Cat Face” T-shirt (white) $16 S, M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL $
4 “Cat Face” T-shirt (grey) $16 S, M, 3XL $
5 Alley Cat Rescue v-neck black T-shirt $14 S, M, L $
6 “TNR is the cat’s meow” blue hooded sweatshirt $20 S, M $
7 ACR’s Guide to Managing Community Cats handbook $10 N/A $
8 Tote Bag (grey, black, and hunter green) $12 (Please circle color!) $
9 Grocery Tote (white, green handles) $5 N/A $
Sub Total $
Maryland residents, please add 6% sales tax. Sales Tax (6%)* +$
Make checks payable to:
**There is a flat shipping rate of $7.00 for ALL purchases. Shipping** +$7.00
Alley Cat Rescue, Inc.
All donations are tax-deductible. Donation +$

TOTAL $
□ Visa □ MasterCard □ Discover □ American Express
Card Number _____________________________________________________________ CCV#_________________

Expiration Date ___________________________ Signature _____________________________________________

RETURN COMPLETED ORDER FORM TO ALLEY CAT RESCUE, PO BOX 585, MT RAINIER, MD 20712.
www.SaveACat.org/Store Alley Cat Rescue • 7
 It’s almost here, time to get involved!
The Spring Spay Challenge is a season-long initiative to save lives and promote the spaying and neutering
of community cats. Alley Cat Rescue is calling on the veterinary community to provide two or more free or
low-cost sterilizations per week for community cats during March, April, and May.

March into Spring Kitten Free! Complete and return the form below and we’ll invite your vet to participate.
*Please invite my local veterinary clinic/veterinarian to participate in the Spring Spay Challenge.

CLINIC NAME:

Veterinarian name:

Street Address:

City: State: Zip:

Phone:

Email:

Website:
**Does this clinic already provide services for community
cats?  Yes  No www.SaveACat.org/Spring-Spay-Challenge

Sign and return

Speak out for Cats this petition!
Wild bird and conservation groups are standing in the way of implementing the one humane and effective
solution we have for managing community cats; trap-neuter-return (TNR). Please sign this petition to tell
the American Bird Conservancy, Wildlife Society, National Audubon Society and Cornell Ornithology Lab, to
change course and publicly support TNR programs.

The gains we’ve made for cats also help birds, but for these four groups, it’s not enough. They wish to see
every cat removed from our landscape and say that each and every cat must be kept indoors or confined.
They suggest gathering up all free-roaming cats and placing them into adoption programs or sanctuaries
and when those options aren’t available, euthanasia becomes the answer.

The policies put forth by the ABC, Wildlife Society, National Audubon Society and Cornell Ornithology Lab
are cruel and outdated. There are no “sanctuaries” where millions of free-roaming cats could be relocated
to and adoption and foster programs are generally at capacity; we wouldn’t still be killing 2500 cats each
day in U.S. shelters if they weren’t. Their ideas are also woefully behind public opinion; more than 80% of
Americans say they prefer returning free-roaming cats to their outdoor homes rather than euthanizing them.

Wild bird and conservation groups harm both birds and cats by attacking TNR and blocking its
implementation. Please sign this petition and tell the ABC, Wildlife Society, National Audubon Society, and
Cornell Ornithology Lab that you will not support them in any way until they embrace trap-neuter-return and
pledge to work in cooperation with groups like Alley Cat Rescue.
Tell Wild Bird
Signed: ____________________________________________
and Conservation Groups
Print: _______________________ City: __________ State: ___ to Support Trap-Neuter-Return!