Pam's TNR Blog - May 2012

May 2012

It is already July and I found out I had never finished this blog I started in May! Here goes:

We have been very busy this year with the free Humane Society clinics for 100 feral cats once month. To get 100 cats to these clinics, about 130 cats need to be scheduled. Of course every spot must be filled so Suzie and I usually swing into action. The photo below is of us checking in a colony of 28 cats Suzie trapped at a mobile home park in the W. Valley for the AHS clinic on 30 April. These were the result of a second night trapping from Saturday's clinic where we had in 23 cats for a total of 51 cats at this park. I also trapped 23 cats for the 30 April clinic and eight cats for the following day for a total of 31 cats in this colony! A total of 82 cats TNR'd in five days. Most importantly, there will be no more kittens born in these colonies.

Suzie and I checking in cats @ the AHS on 30 April 2012

You may be wondering how we keep going with all this trapping, transporting, lifting etc. Consider that between us we lifted about 10,000 lbs in TNR'ing 82 cats. This includes about six lifting steps with from 13-20 lbs of either traps or traps with cats in them (say an average of 15 lbs). This is five tons of weight being lifted to TNR 82 cats! Multiply this my the number of cats I TNR per year (2,200 cats) and this excludes the extra two to four lifting steps for aftercare and storage in the warm summer and cool winter months and this comes up to about (15 X 6 X 2,200 = 180,000 lbs or 90 tons of cats and traps. None of this includes the trap washing lifting steps that require even more tonnage of equipment

Let's also consider the $400.00 I spent in gas along in April and all the tuna, bleach, detergent, tarps, aftercare food and now in May the swamp cooler running the the garage and its maintenance (thank you Grant). How about the phone calls that start at 5:00 AM and end at about 9:00 PM... 

Well, why do I do this? I do it because there are too many cats and not enough homes for them. Most who love cats already have too many cats (like myself). We are trying to solve a problem that is epidemic in Maricopa County. How much easier it would be if people fixed their cats...I realize many cannot afford to and cats just "find them". Those that know me know I am a champion of personal responsibility yet I work daily with those abdicating their Ms (that's a philisophical argument for another blog). Most want "someone else" to fix their problem like taking the cats away or finding homes for them. Still it is like putting acid on a wound but I continue to punish myself in hopes that someday free-roaming cats being fed will ALL be fixed. Some ask...what are you trying to prove? My answer is nothing. I just someday want to be able to justify purchasing my beloved prurebred Singapura cat - without feeling guilty!

I wanted to write about last month's AHS clinic because it required dealing with many more caregivers and driving all over town trying to fill the clinic. However, even though I wrote it all down, when I looked at the list it all was a blur months later. I often feel like "if it is Tuesday it's Belgium". Where have I been? Where were these cats? I can hardly remember. I do know I was @ 24th St. and Indian School in Phoenx than @ 48th Ave and Glendale - all in the same night. I also remember having about 60+ cats in the garage that night. I do remember taking this photo of Suzie with her neice Kristin at last month's (April's) AHS clinic - loading cats into her truck. There were kittens from two litters too and Suzie fostered them...



Enough of rambling from my soapbox. The photo below is a one I took while while recently trapping with Carla at an apartment complex and trailer park. We trapped about 40 cats. This is the quintesential photo of where we spend at lot of time trapping. Not sure if you can see the sign in this photo but it says "please do not throw trash on the ground". Cats love trash and this was the perfect place for them - a magnet for feral cats. I can picture them living in this couch - perhaps even having kittens inside! When I am looking for free-roaming cats, I often look in such places. I remember the last day of 2008 trying to break the yearly goal, I went to the trusty coach down on Indian School Rd. to get more cats - always a sure thing.

I

I've been doing this since 2004. As I drive by areas of town I now see LOTs of places I've been over the last eight years and I see ear-tipped cats. I also get calls from or stop by previous caregivers I've helped and the number of cats has diminished substantially. Many have died which saddens me. Yesterday, I stopped by to visit one elderly gentleman and he was down to about six cats - and we had fixed over 20 cats there. This tells me TNR works!

So what can you do to help me make my job easier? Encourage people to fix their cats. Recommend trap-neuter-return (TNR) for cats they might be feeding outside. If they need help, offer to help them or donate for them if they do not have any money. Spread the word in your "sphere of influence" about the importance of spay and neuter. Facebook is a good place to start.

To help with the Hotline's TNR program in Maricopa County, AZ...please call us @: 602-265-7729 (SPAY)

Thanks for your continued support.



Ask Gov. Brewer to Veto Bad Wildlife Bill!

ADLA ALERT: Ask Governor Brewer to Veto Bad Wildlife Bill!

The organization that opposes everything we support in the world of wildlife, is about to take control of the Arizona Game & Fish Commission appointment process. We need your help to stop them!

“With the passing of Senate Bill 1200, the Arizona Legislature turned wildlife management back to the 1950s, where the attitude was, ‘If you cannot shoot it, it is not worth having.’“

- Arizona Wildlife Biologist

Despite widespread opposition, SB 1200 (NOW: game and fish commission; recommendation board) passed out of the House on Thursday 36-19-5 and is on its way to the Governor.

What You Can Do:

Please contact Governor Brewer IMMEDIATELY and politely ask her to veto SB 1200! You can contact Governor Brewer by calling her at (602) 542-4331 or toll free at 1-(800) 253-0883. You can email her by clicking on Governor Brewer and then filling in the online form. You can also paste this website into your browser http://azgovernor.gov/Contact.asp. Please send a copy of your email to smyers@az.gov  , psenseman@az.gov,  and ssmith@az.gov

How will SB 1200 harm animals?

SB 1200 would enable an elite group of trophy hunters and ranchers to take control of Arizona’s wildlife by hijacking the Arizona Game and Fish Commission appointment process:

It is based on misrepresentations of the Game and Fish budget, and how much hunters actually contribute.

It is based on misrepresentation of participation of these trophy hunters in the appointment process in the past. They have participated, and have had their choices selected the majority of the time.

It excludes almost all Arizonans from the Game and Fish Commission appointment process.

The Game and Fish Commission and Department have many programs that greatly benefit wildlife and habitat such as the reintroduction of black-tailed prairie dogs that were once completely wiped out in Arizona; and habitat protection and mapping projects through the State Wildlife Action Plan. In the last five years they have adopted policies to better understand and protect mountain lions. If SB 1200 is signed into law by Governor Brewer all that could change.

SB 1200 is opposed by consumptive and non-consumptive members of the wildlife community including the Arizona Game & Fish Commission, Animal Defense League of Arizona, Sierra Club, Arizona Audubon Society, Arizona Wildlife Federation, Arizona Republic Editorial Board, and many other groups and individuals.

For detailed bill information and background including the groups that are behind SB 1200 click here

Please email the link below to your contacts in Arizona.

http://www.adlaz.org/Legislative%20Alert%20SB%201200.htm

Thanks for your help!

Animal Defense League of Arizona

http://www.adlaz.org/

Become a Fan of ADLA on Facebook

Please Support Spay Neuter Hotline Veterinarians

The Spay Neuter Hotline is lucky to work with a number of veterinary clinics in the state. We recognize those private clinics in the greater Phoenix area that have gone the extra mile for the animals, and ask you to support them when you need a veterinarian, or make a recommendation to family and friends.

This list includes the vets who do surgeries for our Trap Neuter Return program, and the vets who have been with the Hotline doing low cost spay neuter surgeries for companion animals for years! When you visit their clinics, please thank them for their service to the community. Let them know you are a member/supporter of ADLA and the Spay Neuter Hotline, too!

Please support:

Dr. Melanie Peters
Spay Neuter Clinic
1425 W. Southern, Tempe  (480) 829-1002

Dr. Katie Andre
Bethany Animal Hospital
2524 W. Bethany Home Rd, Phoenix  (602) 242-1657

Dr. Arden Anderson
North Phoenix Spay Neuter Clinic
1610 E. Bell Rd., Phoenix   (602) 787-4240

Dr. Suzanne Johnsen
Van Aken Pet Hospital
3869 W. Indian School, Phoenix   (602) 278-6632

Dr. Aleck Burgess
Indian School Pet Clinic
7342 W. Indian School, Phoenix  (623) 846-3979

Dr. Liz Archuleta
Spay Neuter Clinic
925 S. Gilbert Rd., Mesa   (480) 633-1734

Dr. Lisa Levin
Spay Neuter Clinic
12416 N. 28th Dr., Phoenix  (602) 863-0116

Dr. Mel Pence
Arizona Spay Neuter Clinic
6835 E. Thomas Rd., Scottsdale  (480) 874-3647

Dr. Kathryn Allen
Indian Bend Animal Hospital
3923 E. Thunderbird Rd., # 123, Phoenix (602) 867-2992

Congratulations to ADLA's Veterinarian of the Year

Dr. Melanie Peters of the Tempe Spay Neuter Clinic has been named ADLA's Veterinarian of the Year.

Dr. Peters has been a huge supporter of ADLA's Trap Neuter Return program for feral cats in Maricopa County. She performs spays & neuters at clinics throughout the year. She has provided pro bono care for injured feral cats, and has performed thousands of surgeries.

Of all the veterinarians who support the Spay Neuter Hotline, Dr. Peters stands out because of the number of surgeries she performs and the compassion she shows for ferals.


Dr. Peters is pictured above at the clinic on 12-20-09. She is a very good sport as she is wearing the hand-made tiara crafted by Spay Neuter Hotline Coordinator Sonia Hernandez.


Thanks Dr. Peters!


If you need Spay Neuter or TNR assistance, please call the Hotline
866-952-SPAY (7729), email feralcats@adlaz.org, or visit the Spay Neuter Hotline,

Pam's TNR Blog - Week of 11/29/09

"It is every man's obligation to put back into the world at least the equivalent of what he takes out of it."— Albert Einstein

Thank you to all of those dedicated individuals out there who work tirelessly to improve the lives of homeless cats...

11/29

It felt strange not having a clinic on 1129 as it was Thanksgiving weekend. I would not be trapping that night but would be picking up one cat in the AM along with some tame kittens...

11/30

I picked up the last cat for a caregiver I had helped a while back. It had been too young to fix at the time and was now ready. I also picked up four tame kittens that were being fixed through the MCACC voucher program (from a feral mom from a colony I'd trapped previously). I often transport cats and kittens to the vet for those who do not have transportation. This is an important part of what I do as many cats and kittens go unsterilized, not only because people do not know about low-cost and even free S/N, but because caregivers have no way of getting the cats to and from the vet. The four kittens went back to the caregiver that night and the other kitten would go back the next morning. It was very satisfying to know ALL the cats in both colonies were now fixed! Seeing a sea of eartips is one of the most rewarding experiences I know of.

12/1

Tuesday night I had a trapping job for nine cats for a caregiver in Buckeye. It is a long way out there but Suzie and Barbara were headed to Tonopah, even further out, to trap 10-15 cats. Grant Erling went with me and we left early to beat the traffic westbound on the I-10 freeway. The cats were being fed by a lady in a senior living center and she had the support of management which made it nice as there would be no confrontation with angry mobs wanting the cats removed.

There were supposed to be about nine cats. However, shortly after we started trapping we found out someone else was feeding them at the other end of the complex. We set traps over there and right away caught three cats! There was also a straggler tomcat not counted in the mix making it a total of 13 cats to be trapped. As we were so far out I did not want to make another trip back there the next morning to retrieve trapped cats. We had to stay to get them all. It was 47 miles each way or nearly 100 miles round trip out there from my place.

We caught the last cat with the trusty old drop-trap. It was a perfect setup. However, the dropper was on a sidewalk that dropped off about six inches. Seconds after I pulled the string the cat hit the side of the trap and moved the dropper a cat's width off the sidewalk. This had happened once before and the cat got out from under the trap. I immediately ran up to it, diving at the ground just in time to move it back on the sidewalk. This resulted in a sore hip but no mind - just another battle scar! Drop-trappers be advised... be careful when trapping on uneven ground and narrow sidewalks - it can ruin your evening!

Suzie and Barbara caught all 13 Tonopah cats as well. We had planned to meet them for dinner but it got too late. This was a situation where the couple had lost their home and a neighbor nearby had agreed to feed the cats after they left. A stranger the caregiver met in Wal-Mart raised the donation by having a yard sale. What a great example of altruism. We see examples of this all the time showing just how much people care about homeless cats.

Barbara and Suzie did end up eating dinner at the truck stop in Tonopah and had an enjoyable meal. We never did get dinner but it was worth it - we trapped ALL the cats!

12/2

We had 16 cats at one vet and 10 at another in the AM. They were all aftercared at my place that night.

12/3

Suzie and I each loaded up 13 cats later in the morning after the traffic cleared for the long drive back to Buckeye and Tonopah. I'd be making several stops on the way back to pick up traps making the most of the drive. It had been over 200 miles of driving for each of us to fix these 26 cats. Funny, my neighbor was just bragging about the great mileage she gets on her new hybrid vehicle. I remarked, "...but one has to consider passenger miles/gallon and I win hands down!". I did feel like a freight hauler on the I-10 along with all those big trucks. I've hauled thousands of cats in the back of my Honda Element since purchasing it 2005 - over 1,500 cats this year alone.

12/4

I had an early morning trapping job on Friday AM. I'd trapped here twice before and now will only go in the early AM. I'll explain. These cats live in an alley near 20th St. and Roosevelt. It is a rather impovrished and somewhat scary area as in the evening there are all kinds of strange people milling around. Many are inebriated or otherwise "out-of-it" and they can be harassing. Once a guy called the police on me saying I was trying to trap his cat (that was not fixed and it was clear he wanted it intact).  From then on I decided mornings were better as all the usual suspects were "sleeping it off" from imbibing the night before.

I picked up the former caregiver who lives nearby and we got to the alley at 5:00 AM. It was very cold and dark but we saw a few cats milling around. The new feeder who lived adjacent to the alley did come out and shook the food. We stayed until 8:00 AM and trapped six cats. This made a total of 24 cats trapped there so far. As it got colder, I had to sit in the car with the heat on. As I sat waiting I noticed someone coming out of her place with a load of beer cans. She threw them over the chain link fence into the alley, right near a dumpster. I thought to myself; "how could someone be so lazy so as not to put the empty beer cans in the dumpster?". Then, not but a minute later, I saw not one but two dumpster divers come through the alley and within ten minutes ALL the cans were gone! They even have special devices for picking up cans - really high-tech! This person had made their job easier by simply dumping the cans in the alley.

I made it to the vet by 8:30 AM - just in time to drop off the cats. I picked them up in the PM for aftercare. These were very lucky alley cats!

12/5

I checked out traps to four different caregivers in the morning after releasing the alley cats in the early AM. It was quiet in the alley that morning...

If you are interesting in volunteering for our TNR program, please let us know. We really need volunteers to be trap depots. Traps are stored at volunteer's homes or businesses' and checked out to caregivers who are trapping. Suzie and I both have trap depots and I never tire of checking out traps, showing people how to trap. It's always neat to see how many cats they catch with your guidance.

If you are interesting in becoming a trap depot or volunteering for the SNH please contact our volunteer coordinator Sonia Hernandez at shernandez@adlaz.org .

Pam's TNR Blog - Week of 11/22/09

11/22

I had another successful drop-trapping on 11/21. The caregiver had been trying for a long time to catch an elusive mother cat. She had trapped all the offspring over a course of several months. I told her I'd catch that breeder, don't despair. I got to her place late afternoon on Saturday hoping to trap her for the Tempe clinic on 11/22. I set up in the backyard and positioned myself inside the sliding glass door with the drop-trap located about 10 feet away in the backyard. The caregiver had a myriad of reasons why the cat would not cooperate. I always say, "If you keep saying the cat cannot be caught it won't". Bad Juju, I guess. The fixed kittens all came to eat several times and mom circled the fence finally ending up in the front yard. I waited, and waited. Patience is the virtue one needs most to successfully catch even the most difficult to trap cats. Finally she approached and I waited and then she could not resist - she went for the bait! I'd switched to that gross, smelly, tuna and egg cat food. This is the bait of last resort when they do not respond to tuna in oil, Fancy Feast Salmon or Original Recipe Kentucky Fried Chicken (with the skin off and really warm). I had her and she'd be going with me on Sunday to Tempe. No more kittens for her!

We were able to do all the cats on Sunday despite several of us, including me, showing up with extra cats. I had Sunday night off...

11/23

That night Suzie and I set off for El Mirage to trap at yet another trailer park. We'd been to this one before and trapped close to 20 cats but it had been a while. The caregiver had been waiting since early this year for help and now it was finally time to make the trek out there. It was a pretty easy trapping at two locations in the park. We managed to have dinner at a local Mexican restaurant. We trapped 14 cats that night and Suzie made the trek back out there the next morning to pick up four stragglers for a total of 18 cats.

All 18 cats would go to one vet in the morning and returned to my garage for aftercare. One caregiver set four traps out that night hoping to get one last kitten.

11/24

We set out early to release the 18 cats and pick up any second night stragglers. Well, we caught just one, big black male. The last kitten was sitting there looking at the traps. After releasing all the cats I dropped off Suzie and took the one male cat to the vet. All told, we had trapped 16 males, two females, and one previous female (not tipped) over two nights. The vet said he had never seen this many males in one colony. They even weighed the males and the biggest came in at 18 pounds! At least those two female cats will be able to relax and enjoy life this Spring.

11/25

I made the long trip back to El Mirage at 6:00 AM on Thanksgiving morning to release the one male cat. It was cold and no one was up yet so I just released him in the yard and he took off for places unknown. There would be no Sunday clinic and no more trapping until next week. I love my Honda Element, spending many hours in it driving and listening to the XM satellite radio broadcasts. I often think of it as my home away from home. I've never had the back seats in since they day I purchased it and had cats in the back that night. I figure the passenger mileage well exceeds the Toyota Prius as rarely do I have fewer than ten cats in the back!

Right now is the time to TNR feral cats. It will not be long and kitten season will be upon us. Not only do we want to prevent kittens being born in the Spring, but the cost of surgery for female cats is less expensive this time of year. So we can save lives and save $$$ by fixing the cats now, before kitten season. To sign up for our TNR program please call our hotline at: 602-265-7729 (SPAY) or email us at feralcats@adlaz.org.

Next week - More trapping in "the hood".

Pam's TNR Blog - Week of 11/15

11/15

Sunday was our one Sunday a month clinic in N. Phoenix. I had planned a 15-20 cat job not for from me as it is always busy in the AM getting ready for the clinic. Suzie, Beth and John also were trapping that night. I trapped 19 cats that night and four overnight for a total of 23 cats. The day was hectic as always but the adrenalin kicks in as if running a 10K and one just marvels at the number of cats being trapped and sterilized. We ended up doing over 60 cats that day. There would have been more except one trapping job came in with a bunch of already fixed cats. Turned out the adjacent business had trapped cats and had them fixed on 11/9, just one week before! We do try to correlate locations in our database but this one unfortunately slipped through. Tempe also had a successful day so over 130 cats were fixed that day. The caregiver managed to trap one more cat overnight for a total of 24 cats from that location.

11/16

I only had the one cat to take to the vet today. It was a slow day due to the weekend clinic. I did not trap on 11/16 as I'd be trapping with Suzie. Barbara could not trap this week and so Suzie and I had planned a couple Tuesday night jobs in Glendale.

11/17

We set out for Glendale about 5:00 PM for one trapping job for about 12 cats. The car was full of traps as we also planned another job in the same zip code for four to five cats - a trailer park. At this particular park we had already trapped a LOT of cats and at the end of this adventure there will have been 90 cats trapped in this trailer park since 2005! The park manager is good at contacting us when new cats appear, usually from new residents who have not spayed and neutered their cats - many leaving them behind when they move. Unsterilized tame cats are often the source of feral cats in these parks, especially in low-income areas. These are the caregivers and cats needing financial assistance. Please consider a tax-deductible donation to the ADLA Spay Neuter Hotline TNR program this holiday season. Click here to donate.




11/18

We trapped 14 cats at the first location and six at the other location. Six cats went to one vet and 14 to the other vet. One cat would need an eye removal and would have to wait until the next day for surgery. There would be drop-off and pick-up of all 20 cats and then we'd be back at both locations for a second night's trapping (with the drop-trap in our arsenal of course).

We trapped six more at the one location and another six at the other for a total of 12 cats. We could not leave traps out overnight at the first location so we drop-trapped one kitten living in a vacant apartment gaining access through an empty air conditioning vent. We were sitting on the ground waiting and plotting our strategy for next week when I looked up and to my surprise, the kitten was eating under the dropper! I said to Suzie, "pull now. She was not even looking at the drop-trap! This kitten is still in foster with one of the vet techs at the clinic and hopefully will get a home. The one cat needing the eye removal ended up staying at the vet until the following Tuesday thanks to one very kind veterinarian. Neither of the caregivers had vehicles or places for aftercare so we needed to do all the work...

This drop-trappng story reminds me of my most memorable and classy drop-trapping experience several years ago while having lunch at a rather posh restaurant in Casa Grande. The cats were outside on a stunningly beautiful patio while we were eating a delicious lunch inside. As the cats we were after appeared, Suzie left the table and sat inside the back door with the string. Problem was she could not see the drop-trap from behind the door. I watched and told her when to pull the string. We then went back to eating lunch while waiting for the next "victim" to appear, repeating this process several times until all the cats were caught.

11/19

Upon releasing cats at the two locations and picking up six at one of these locations we set out again to two vets as it was Thursday and the relief vet was at the one clinic.

11/20

We released all 12 cats back at the two locations in the morning. All that was left was a LOT of trap washing to get ready for the next week and, of course, caregivers needing to pick up traps as well. We both spend a lot of time checking out traps and showing caregivers how to trap. After six years one would think I'd be tired it it but I'm not. I love it when caregivers call me and say, "I caught ALL the cats and I am so excited!"

Most of our caregivers do their own trapping and transport. Trappers like me, Wayne and Suzie go out on larger jobs and help those needing assistance. These include caregivers who have no vehicle or are elderly or disabled. That list is growing. If you are interested in trapping please let us know. We need people who can problem solve, deal with difficult situations, have patience and, of course, lift. It is very rewarding work and a good way to get exercise!

There was good news in that the caregiver I'd trapped ten cats for last week called me the night before and had finally caught the last cat, the mother. She took it to the vet on Friday. Her seriously wounded cat was fully recovered and getting used to being a house cat. I'd be picking up my rabbit cage and trap. Another job was now finished and there would be no more kittens in 2010. What a good way to end the week...

Next week - More successful drop-trapping and Thanksgiving. All the vets are closed - darn it!

Pam's TNR Blog - Week of 11/9/09

This photo was taken at a prehistoric rock art site in Arizona. It could represent a bobcat or mountain lion (or a coyote). Any guesses?

11/09

I had trapped for a caregiver on Saturday night for Sunday's clinic. A total of 22 cats were trapped and fixed at the clinic in Tempe. For once there were no "leftovers" for Monday. I dropped off the cats on my way home from the clinic and the caregiver did the aftercare. The garage was empty that night. It seemed odd. Funny, but I had only 18 cats when I left on Saturday night and the caregiver thought there might only be one or two more cats. Luckily I left six traps and quess what? She filled them all! One always has to be prepared for more cats...

11/10

After a day off from trapping I was set to help a lady in the W. Valley to trap 10-12 cats. It seemed like an easy job but unfortunately most of the cats did not cooperate while I was there. This meant a trip back in the morning for the stragglers and then another trip back the next day for one more straggler. This job turned into a four day adventure as they most always do..

11/11

I ended up at two vets on Wednesday forgetting again that the vet at one clinic was gone all week and the relief vet was there. When I showed up with nine cats and saw eight cats being unloaded at the first clinic, I know I was in trouble. Fortunately the other vet agreed to take six more cats. I thought all was well but it never seems to be in the feral cat volunteer world. At 4:30 PM I picked up the three cats at the first vet. They were ready but one cat had a bad wound that needed to be cleaned and stitched and the cat would have to stay confined for a week or so and be seen by a vet in a couple of days. I called the second vet to tell them I was on my way and was told they could not get to my six other cats that day. Bummer! So now I had three fixed cats and six cats still waiting to be fixed. The caregiver was trapping again that night herself so all I had to do is feed and water the nine cats in my garage.

11/12

I left for the far W. Valley before 6:00 AM. I had with me the three cats to be released, the six cats waiting for surgery, and the rabbit cage and supplies for holding the injured cat for a week. Fortunately, the caregiver was able to care for the cat. She had caught one more cat overnight (but not the mother cat of course). I released three cats and headed to the vet with seven cats. This job had yielded a total of ten cats so far.

In the afternoon I had an interesting trapping job. I'd planned to take my drop-trap to one of our volunteers so he could catch a cat in his car parts warehouse. This bully was terrorizing another cat they were feeding. The bullied cat recently had to be taken to the vet for a costly surgery. When I arrived, I of course, could not resist trying to round up not only this cat but several other unsterilized male cats living in the warehouse. The cats have free roam of the place and it was quite a sight to see. The cats run up and down the mobile staircases and across the shelves admidst all the spare parts. The tom I was after was amazing! He was long-haired with a lion's mane making his "chuckle head" look even bigger. I scooted around on the floor moving the dropper around the warehouse to no avail. I did manage to ruin a perfectly good pair of shorts in the process (the backside is now are covered with grease and has been religated to the "trapping only" category). Still, it does not get any better than this.

I loaded up three cats from the warehouse minus the tom (darn it - he is still on the loose but is not staying outside of the warehouse and is no longer a threat). Then I picked up the seven cats at the vet about 4:00 PM and put them in the garage. From there I set off for two jobs. One was to pick up a mother cat whose kittens were now weaned and the other was for two kittens left over from a previous job. The latter was a bust so I had only one cat for the vet on 11/13. At least they are too small to reproduce yet...

11/13

I set out early for the W. Valley to released the seven cats and headed to the vet with the one cat. I left the trap at the place where I released the seven cats and the caregiver did manage to catch the mother cat a week or so later and they are now done trapping. So three more colonies are now completely fixed. It is so important that we take the time to finish colonies and that caregivers follow up and fix ALL the cats including ones that show up in the future. The SNH does keep a database of those who are trapping and the number of cats fixed and when, but caregivers need to be vigilant, especially looking for new cats showing up to eat. One unsterilized queen will defeat all efforts ... Oh, I forgot to mention I had to release the three cats back to the warehouse on my way to the vet. Fortunately it was on the way.

11/14

I released the last mother cat back in the AM. I'd be trapping that night for the monthly clinic in N. Phoenix on 11/15...more on that next week.

The Spay Neuter Hotline TNR program has clinics available every day of the week and most Sundays. We fix cats almost every Sunday in Tempe and one Sunday a month in N. Phoenix. We do provide trapping assistance for those needing assistance. This is mostly for large colonies, the elderly and disabled, and those without a vehicle. We also provide financial assistance for those in need. Please spread the word that help is available. These are tough times for many individuals but help is available. The wait may be longer but we do try to help everyone.

Spay Neuter Hotline Update

This October was a fantastic month for Spay/ Neuter Hotline’s TNR Program:

Total cats sterilized in October: 943 (Our highest monthly total to date)

Cats sterilized during week of Oct. 12th -18th : 313 (our highest week since our TNR Program began on March 9, 2009)

Cats sterilized for National Feral Cat Day we celebrated on Oct. 18th: 190 at two high volume s/n clinics

Garage Sale

SNH Volunteers & Litter League combined efforts to have a 3-day (Nov. 6th, 7th & 8th) rummage sale to benefit both organizations.
With the great work of all involved Spay Neuter Hotline received $1,500.
The monies raised will benefit Spay Neuter Hotlines’s TNR Program.

Thank you to all who volunteered their time to transport items, assist with sorting & who gave time to help during the days of garage sale.
*A special thank you to Suzie Jones, who coordinated much of this event! Thank You- Suzie J

TO-DATE NUMBERS:

Over 6,700 feral cats have been trapped, neutered, and returned between March 9th thru Nov. 15, 2009!!

November 15th:

On Sunday, November 15th , Spay Neuter Hotline celebrated the life of our dear friend Harry Bartel by TNRing 143 feral cats at two high volume clinics. This day was “The Harry Bartel (Feral Cat) Memorial Spay Day”. We will continue to honor Harry every November for his contribution & dedication he gave to the life of feral cats.

Results have been made possible due to the hard work, time and dedication of our supporters, veterinarians, clinic staff and most of all, our volunteers…
Thank you everyone!

You can find ADLA online here
Become a Fan of ADLA through Facebook

Have a wonderful weekend & Happy Holidays,

Sonia Hernandez
ADLA Outreach/Volunteer Coordinator
shernandez@adlaz.org
http://www.spayneuterhotline.org/ (Low-Cost & No-Cost S/N Services)
To Donate: Click here to support Arizona's animals!

Thank You Harry!

The Animal Defense League of Arizona's Spay Neuter Hotline lost a good friend today-Harry Bartel. Harry found the Hotline through extraordinary volunteer Pam Kalish. Harry lived in Chicago, but had business in the Valley.

Harry loved cats. We are extremely grateful for Harry's generous donations, but more importantly, he inspired everyone with his passion for our Trap Neuter Return Program for feral cats.

He believed in our program, staff and volunteers and what they could do. He encouraged all of us to do more. He also worked side by side with volunteers. While visiting the Valley, he jumped in to help at a clinic. Harry helped volunteers raise funds for the Hotline, by organizing garage sales.

Thank You Harry! We will miss you so much; but don't worry, you inspired us. We will keep it going!

Police to cat trapper: "Hands up and drop that fork!"

What a scare I had feeding the kitties on Sunday! As I was crouched behind the bush up against the building filling the dishes, I had no idea there was a silent alarm going off inside.

The next thing I knew, a police officer had two lanes blocked on Van Buren and was yelling at me from the curb to put my hands up! Of course I did – with a can of cat food in one hand and a fork in the other. They checked me for weapons and made me drop my fork on the ground … .

After 20 minutes or so when they decided I wasn’t a felon, the officers started giving me the lecture about how unwise it was to feed ferals, so I explained TNR. They ended up telling me how civic-minded I was to be performing such a community service!! I was wishing I had some of those S/N hotline flyers with me.

What an adventure this project is turning out to be!

Cathy

Pam's TNR Blog Week of 9/20/09

The photo above was taken by Wayne Begun. I guess he did not like being neutered. Thank you Wayne for sharing this with us!

9/20

I did not trap on Saturday night for Sunday's clinic in Tempe. I volunteered at the clinic and was prepared, as always, to take any "overflow" to another clinic the next day. And we did indeed have too many cats thanks to master trapper Wayne Begun. Nine cats had to be held in my garage until the next day. I released one cat Suzie had trapped for the clinic the next morning after dropping off the nine cats at the vet. Suzie retrieved them in the afternoon and Wayne picked them up in the evening to go back to the caregiver. This was just another example of how labor intensive TNR can be.

On Tuesday I headed up North for another volunteer archaeological survey and documentation project for the BLM. No trapping until next week...Stay tuned.

ADLA 'Fun Raiser' Event at Tom's Tavern

ADLA 'Fun Raiser' was a great event!

Thanks to all that attended the ADLA Fun Raiser at Tom's Tavern on Friday! The event included a performance by singer/songwriter Amy Sellner, a Silent Auction, Maker's Mark Bourbon tasting, and interesting presentations.

ADLA volunteer Pam Kalish shared her feral cat trapping adventures and discussed the importance of TNR (trap, neuter, return) in addressing cat overpopulation. ADLA's Feral Cat Program has sterilized almost 5000 feral/stray cats since March 2009.

Officers Linda Thornton and Amir Ashrafzadeh from Sheriff Joe Arpaio's MASH unit provided information about the no-kill shelter created to house and care for abused animals. Inmates spend 12 to 24 hours a day socializing mistreated animals until they are ready for adoption.

ADLA greatly appreciates the efforts of Terry Ratner, who donated her time in organizing and publicizing the event. Also thanks go to:

Mike Ratner, owner of Tom's Tavern

Pam Kalish and Suzie Jones, ADLA TNR Volunteers

MASH Officers Ashrafzadeh and Thornton, and Sgt. Sherry Beckley

Amy Sellner

Silent Auction Donors:

Embellish Home Furnishings
Mackie's Parlour
Diva Design Jewelry
North Central News
Jewelry by Rebecca Rosete
7th Street Consignment Gallery
Socio Salon & Day Spa
Phoenix Flower Shop
Esprit Decor Gallery
Rochelle's Salon & Spa

Also thanks to North Central Phoenix News and ABC 15 for featuring the event.

Swine flu, CAFOs, and Antibiotics

There's been a lot of media attention on factory farming, which no doubt has significantly raised public awareness regarding the plight of farm animals. I just ordered "A River of Waste", a DVD on factory farms that includes Paul Shapiro and others. I've also been reading "The Real Cost of Cheap Food", an excellent article in Time Magazine. The article starts out with:

"Somewhere in Iowa, a pig is being raised in a confined pen, packed in so tightly with other swine that their curly tails have been chopped off so they won't bite one another. To prevent him from getting sick in such close quarters, he is dosed with antibiotics."

At the same time I ran across an article "Coalition Defends Animal Antibiotic Use" in Pork Magazine. An industry-based coalition, including the National Pork Producers Council, is defending its use of antibiotics in factory farms, stating:

"The coalition... holds that arguments against the use of antibiotics in livestock and poultry, including that such use contributes to human resistance, are not supported by any conclusive scientific evidence."

Really? No scientific evidence? Guess those factory farmers haven't read the gazillions of peer-reviewed scientific reports including the latest one in Johns Hopkins Magazine:

"Kellogg Schwab, director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Water and Health, refers to a typical pig farm manure lagoon that he sampled. "There were 10 million E. coli per liter [of sampled waste]. Ten million. And you have a hundred million liters in some of those pits. So you can have trillions of bacteria present, of which 89 percent are resistant to drugs. That's a massive amount that in a rain event can contaminate the environment...This development of drug resistance scares the hell out of me."



Photo courtesy of Farm Sanctuary


Coincidentally newspapers across the country today are reporting that a White House panel has issued a report warning that Swine flu could hospitalize 1.8 million Americans and kill up to 90,000 this fall, mostly children. Since the start of the Swine flu pandemic, it seems that owners of industrial hog operations have spent most of their time denying any association and trying to get media to refer to the virus as H1N1. Unfortunately for CAFOs, the CDC has confirmed that the Swine flu was first discovered in US industrial hog operations, according to Michael McGregor, MD of HSUS.

So we have a perfect storm - a Swine flu pandemic, antibiotic resistance, and factory farmers with their heads in the sand denying all responsibility, despite the fact that 70% of all antibiotics in the US. are used in factory farms. Worse yet, the CAFO industry is campaigning to kill a federal bill to phase out the routine non-therapeutic use of antibiotics in farm animals. Although antibiotics are not effective against viruses, they are a crucial weapon against virus-related secondary infections. This is alarming to me as a registered nurse and parent. My spouse, Cecil Michael, who has practiced pediatrics for over 30 years, has frequently expressed concern over the increasing number of antibiotic-resistant infections in patients, as he stated in the 2006 AZ publicity pamphlet argument supporting Prop 204 which banned confinement of farm animals (ADLA was a sponsoring organization of Prop 204):


"To sustain animals in the crowded and unnatural conditions of industrial farming, antibiotics and related drugs are used in massive quantities. This produces antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which can render drugs ineffective in protecting and saving human lives. Children especially are at high risk of infections with drug-resistant organisms linked directly to the agricultural use of antimicrobials...Hundreds of organizations, including the American Medical Association, oppose the routine use of antibiotics as feed additives."


While factory farm lobbyists continue to deny the validity of the vast mountain of peer-reviewed scientific studies, we don't have to let them have the last word. Please contact your Congressional representatives and ask them to cosponsor the Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act (PATMA), which has been introduced in both House and Senate. So far Rep. Raul Grijalva is the only Arizona lawmaker who has signed on to this measure. You can take action at this Pew Charitable Trusts website .

Karen Michael

Pam's TNR Blog - Week of 8/2 (Part 1)

8/1 - Trapping

I trapped Saturday night for our Sunday clinic on 8/2. I'd trapped at this location but like many places we go - there is "more to the story". I'll digress with some history...


After having trapped at this location several years ago, I later found the source of the cats... an older apartment complex across the street. Setting out to trap 25+ cats at the apartment where they were being fed I encountered the husband of the caregiver. He refused to let me TNR the cats because he wanted them removed. What a disappointment after I had seen at least four mothers nursing newborn kittens on the small patio. I sat in the parking lot and cried that night.


Forward one year...The complex was being torn down for development into "high-end" condos and residents were being evicted. This was the height of the real estate boom and the owners were hoping to make a killing on the property. Feral cats just did not "fit in" with lofts. A trapping friend who lived nearby alerted me to this situation and she and I decided to try again. The caregiver was still coming to the apartment to feed despite being banned from the property. The apartment windows were shattered and the place was abandoned. Of course now all the newborn kittens I'd seen earlier were breeding adults. We trapped quite a few in the oleanders behind the complex. Then about 9:00 PM we decided to go on the small enclosed patio and discovered numerous covered cat beds. These were cat condos! At least fifteen cats scattered as we approached. Looking under one covered bed we found a dilute tortie nursing 23 kittens! Ages ranged from 1 week to 2 weeks. What a nightmare. Well, to make a long story short, we rounded up a set of industrial two foot-long tongs from the property owner and carefully one by one plucked the kittens from the mother and into a box. Just as the last one was taken out, the mother bolted (Suzie and I trapped her eventually with the drop-trap). All the kittens went to bottle feeders that night and most survived and found homes through a local rescue group. Susie and I later trapped most of the remaining cats. However, those we did not catch ended up at the place I trapped on 8/1. This was the person I had trapped for earlier and we now provide her food to feed the additional cats from the apartments.





By the way the condos never materialized due to the economic downturn. The apartments now have new tenants and there are cats still hanging out in the oleanders...but most of the ones I saw were ear tipped.


Feeding feral cats and not fixing them is, in my opinion, animal cruelty. Unless fixed, fed cats will breed more often and have larger litters. Truly "feral cats" have fewer litters and fewer kittens per litter resulting in smaller colonies. Not fixing ALL the cats , especially the females, causes the remaining females to go into heat sooner so as to maintain the colony size. "Culling" kittens from a colony has the same affect on the mothers. This phenomena is supported by scientific evidence.


So if you are feeding feral cats, please spay and neuter them. Do not feed them if you are not going to fix them. Contact the Spay Neuter Hotline TNR program at 602-265-7729 (SPAY) for assistance.

Pam's TNR Blog - week of 7/26/09

TNR Blog No. 2

Week of 7/26/09

Sunday 7/26

I did not trap on Saturday night as the ADLA quarterly meeting was on Sunday, 7/26. However, we hold a weekly clinic in Tempe on Sunday and I had to pick up the overflow of 15 cats to be stashed in my air-conditioned garage until we could get them to the vet on Monday. Cats had to be fed and watered as they had gone without food for nearly 3 days. It was 115 degrees on Sunday making it even more important that the cats have a cool place to go. But trapping goes on year round - we just have to adapt and we do. In the afternoon we had the ADLA quarterly meeting at the Glendale Public Library and Suzie and I talked about the benefits of TNR and trapping. Please consider joining ADLA whose mission is the protect and defend Arizona's animals. More information is available on the ADLA website.

Monday 7/27

I met a caregiver in south central Phoenix in an alley at 4:45 AM to trap 10 cats. Some areas are safer for trapping in daylight rather than at night. The alley has lots of cats and I trapped 10 cats there previously. Last time I trapped there a man called 911 claiming I was trapping his cat. We stayed until 8:30 AM and caught 8 cats - mostly kittens. A man came out of an apartment asking for help with fixing his tame female cat that has had several litters. I promised to help him knowing that some people have few resources for S/N and do not know about low-cost options. Most I come across do not have transportation to the vet or even know about spay and neuter or even cat reproduction. I think some of the "feral" kittens in the alley were from his cat. These cats went to the vet at 9:00 AM. Meanwhile Suzie picked up the 15 cats in my garage and took them to a different vet for S/N.

After picking up cats at the vet in the afternoon, I helped a lady drop trap some cats she had been trying to catch for months with her own trap. Turned out she had no clue how to trap and did not know about the Spay Neuter Hotline (SNH). We caught both of them - one under the dropper and the other overnight. Of course there were 23 cats in the garage waiting to be fed when I got home at 8:30 PM - 15 left over from Sunday and the 8 from the alley (in case you've lost track!).


Tuesday 7/28

Released the cats down on Van Buren and 20th St. before 6:00 AM. Suzie picked up the cats from the Sunday clinic and returned them to Mesa. After washing traps and covers in the AM, I began preparing for the trip to Aguila and Wickenburg. We had planned on taking a mobile clinic to Aguila but decided it would be easier and less expensive to trap and bring the cats to Phoenix for S/N- I say easier but definitely not easy! Nothing about TNR is easy, believe me.

Suzie and I left Phoenix at 2:30 PM with a total of 42 traps in two vehicles. First stop (after the gas station) was Wickenburg to deliver 12 traps to a couple living in a condemmed apartment. Not sure how they manage in such marginal conditions. The Humane Society in Wickenburg could not help them. Somehow they got our phone #. Most of the cats were trapped inside and a couple were in an abandoned trailer on the property. We then visited a 94 year old lady we trapped for earlier in the year in Wickenburg and guess what - she has more cats to trap in the alley behind her apartment!

On to Aguila...Aguila is a small rural, agricultural town 25 miles west of Wickenburg. We'd been through there before while trapping in Salome which is further west. We were headed to help a 92 year old man who claimed to be feeding 29 cats. This man would never have found help otherwise and these are the caregivers we like to assist. He lived in what was an old lumberyard that serviced the railroad when it was built in the 1920's. There was a large house and several outbuildings. Upon arriving I commented; "this will be like shooting fish in a barrel". The porch was amass with about 12 cats, half of them Calicos! Within an hour or so we knew there were more than 29 cats and we started doubling up cats in traps. Later we dined at the Coyote Flats restaurant - the only place to eat in town. Dinner was exciting as I swatted 18 flies while trying to eat. The locals say they imported flies to eat the insects killing crops in Aguila...definitely a mistake. That evening we trapped a total of 32 cats. We left 2 traps out overnight.

We left at about 9:00 PM stopping in Wickenburg to pick up cats - they had filled all 12 traps. Turned out all 12 were female! After arriving back in Phoenix we had to unload the now 44 cats in my garage as it was still over 100 deg. and we could not leave cats in our vehicles.


Wednesday 7/29

Suzie left at 4:15 AM the next morning to go back to Aguila to collect 4 more cats. Two were trapped overnight and there were 2 were kittens in a shed the caregiver could get in traps. She delivered 5 traps to each caregiver to trap again that night. We now had 38 cats to go to the vet. I took one load of 26 cats to one vet and 22 cats to another vet. LOTS of lifting but it helps one keep in shape...Suzie met me at the second vet with the additional 4 cats caught overnight. We now had a total of 50 cats at the vet. We each picked up cats later in the day and now had 50 cats to aftercare in my garage (not a record but close).

Thursday 7/30

We loaded up early and after hitting Starbucks shortly after they opened at 4:30 AM and getting gas (again) it was on to Wickenburg to release 12 cats and pick up 4 more trapped overnight. Ants had attacked the traps set overnight and I ended up with ants in my socks as I jumped around trying to get my shoes off - fully awake now. Next stop Aguila where 2 more cats were trapped overnight for a total of 6 more cats to go to the vet on 7/30. We were now up to 56 cats over 3 days. The Aguila release (pictured) was classic. There had been an abundance of Calicos in this mix and seeing their eartips was like heaven on earth. Tortie kittens that would never give birth were a sight to behold. This is why we do this week after week...

Flies - If there nasty ants in Wickenburg, the flies in Aguila made the ants look tame. After unloading the 24 cats in my vehicle I could not see the tarp on the floor for the flies. They were thick as, well, flies! We loaded up the traps and 2 cats (total of 6) caught overnight and headed for Phoenix and the vet. A fly swatter is not part of the trapping kit but should be. We swatted flies with trap covers and tried to let them out the windows but bought back several hundred from Aguila to Phoenix.

Suzie picked up the 6 cats at the vet that day and kept them inside her place that night.

Friday 7/31

Suzie returned the cats to Wickenburg and Aguila in the AM. I spent most of the day washing traps and covers. In all, Suzie made 4 trips and I made 2 trips to Aguila and Wickenburg to TNR 56 cats. Thank you XM radio! These 56 cats would never have been fixed without the help of the Spay Neuter Hotline TNR Program and supporters like you.

The Spay Neuter Hotline TNR Program needs your help. We need donations to help caregivers in need with TNR. Caregivers with the most numbers of cats have the least amount of resources to fix the cats. Please consider a tax-deductible donation to help the cats. You can find information on how to donate at http://www.spayneuterhotline.org/

The good news is that 100% of donations go to pay the vets for surgeries. Please help us help the cats.


Next week - Stay tuned for more exciting TNR adventures.

West Valley View: Pet Dumping on Rise at County Parks

West Valley View - July 17, 2009

Forgotten victims
Pet dumping on the rise at county parks

by Beth Kristin Ott
assistant editor

At a time when budgets are tightening, some of the first victims are often the family pets.
Cats, dogs and even reptiles are being left to fend for their lives in record numbers, in record heat.
“An animal being dumped in the elements of our weather, without food or water, is a cruel and horrible way to leave your pet,” said Sonia Hernandez, Animal Defense League of Arizona’s outreach coordinator. “Give them a chance. If keeping your animal is no longer an option, then we urge people to take their pets to a shelter, which may mean ‘the pound.’”
Hernandez, a Goodyear resident, is saddened by the effect the economy is having on pets, she said. Leaving domesticated animals to run wild is not the answer.
“First, it is a crime in Arizona to abandon an animal. Second, your animal will suffer, it is 115 degrees outside. Third, we already have too many homeless animals in our communities,” she said.
If families cannot afford necessary services such as vaccinations and spaying/neutering, assistance is available. The local spay/neuter hot line is 602-265-SPAY.
“We cannot stress enough the effectiveness and importance of spaying/neutering your pet,” Hernandez said. “If your pet is spayed/neutered, you are guaranteed that there will be no surprises and additional animals to worry about feeding.”
From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Maricopa County Animal Care & Control will hold a free rabies vaccine clinic at Ace Hardware at 610 N. Estrella Parkway, Goodyear. Applications will be available for no-cost spay/neuter vouchers, as well.

Fido and Fluffy can’t make it in the mountains

Ranger Doc Talboys is seeing an increase in domestic animals at White Tank Mountain Regional Park. Stray dogs can be seen in record numbers in the park and on the roadside in Waddell, he said.
"It’s more than I’ve ever seen before,” he said. “We are seeing dogs and some snakes being left around here. Forgotten victims Pet dumping on the rise at county parks I am seeing dogs running loose in packs, which can be dangerous.”
A dog left in or around the mountain parks isn’t likely to survive, and some can be dangerous to the wildlife and people in the park.
“They won’t survive the heat,” Talboys said. “They get hit by cars, or wild animals get them. These animals are not used to hunting and having to find water.”
Stray packs of dogs can also be a threat to the natural wildlife, killing the park’s deer and rabbits.
“It’s sad that we live in a disposable society,” Talboys said.
A few people have also decided they can no longer care for their pet snakes and are turning them out into the desert.
“A domesticated snake is not going to survive out there,” he said. One king snake was rescued and approved by the county and Arizona Game & Fish to be adopted by White Tank Park. It now lives in the Visitors Center.
Estrella Mountain Regional Park in Goodyear has also seen an increase in abandoned pets, Ranger Patricia Armstrong said.
“People need to not drop things off,” she said. “We’ve always seen dogs, but now it’s more than ever.”
The park recently opened a tortoise habitat with two desert dwellers, and soon after found two additional, very sick, tortoises that had been dropped off in the habitat.
“These animals can have diseases that then affect the wildlife. The wild animals can be killed off by viruses not normally carried by them,” she said.
Anyone who needs information can call the Arizona Game & Fish Department at 602-942-3000.
The department runs an official desert tortoise adoption program. Domestic cats and even a pair of horses have also been abandoned in the area of Estrella Mountain Park.
“There were two horses left near the river, and thankfully they got saved,” Armstrong said.
“All the foreclosures are leaving lots of homeless pets.”

Beth Kristin Ott can be reached by e-mail
at bott@westvalleyview.com.