#Alley Cat Allies Amendments

[alleycatallies]

Waconia, Minnesota: Reject Amendments That Place Cats in Danger

Alley Cat Allies sent the following letter to the city council of Waconia, Minnesota, to protect indoor and community cats from dangerous amendments to the local city code. Right now, Waconia is proposing adding cats into laws crafted for dog-related issues, which leaves cats open to dangerous requirements that don’t acknowledge their nature and place in our communities.

We are offering our expertise and support in establishing lifesaving Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) in Waconia and crafting an ordinance that protects community cats, caregivers, and TNR.

Dear Mayor Waldron and Waconia City Council:

On behalf of Alley Cat Allies and our supporters in and around Waconia, I am writing to ask for the immediate rejection of dangerous proposed requirements for cats in amendments to Chapter 560 of the Waconia City Code. These include requiring cats to be leashed or licensed, which is impossible to enforce and fails to acknowledge community cats, or unowned cats who live outdoors. Alley Cat Allies asks that the City of Waconia instead enacts effective, lifesaving policies like Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR).

Alley Cat Allies is the leader of the global movement to protect cats and kittens. Founded in 1990, we work toward a world where every cat is valued, and every community has policies and programs to defend them. Alley Cat Allies regularly educates and acts with lawmakers, animal shelters, and the public to change attitudes and advance laws and policies that best serve the interests of cats.

We want Waconia to know that dogs and cats are very different animals with very different relationships to people and our communities. Cats cannot be slapdash inserted into laws tailored to dog-related concerns.

Laws requiring cats to be leashed are ineffective, impossible to enforce, and incompatible with TNR, the only humane and effective approach to community cats. If Waconia agrees to a leash requirement for cats, it will only result in cats being impounded and killed and/or the penalization of compassionate Waconia residents spending their own time, energy, and money to care for community cats.

Under a leash law, any cat not wearing a leash outdoors is a visible target. There is no reliable way to distinguish between a community cat, an owned cat allowed outdoors, and an indoor-only cat who is unintentionally outdoors. All of these cats will therefore be at risk, along with the people who care for them.

Similarly, community cats do not have owners to provide them with licenses or tags or to clean up after them if they defecate on public or private properties. However, the proposed amendments will include cats in laws regulating these matters for dogs. The penalty could only fall on caregivers of community cats, who are not the cats’ owners but good Samaritans providing a community service.

If Waconia’s goal is to address community complaints or disputes, that is better accomplished through facilitating discussions in pursuit of positive outcomes for the cats and people involved. If the goal is to address populations of cats outside, The City of Waconia needs to know that community cats are at home outdoors, and it is their natural environment. They have no owner to leash them, and they generally cannot be adopted into indoor homes.

Instead, the city is best served by supporting TNR and low- and no-cost spay and neuter.

Through TNR, community cats are humanely trapped, spayed or neutered, vaccinated, eartipped for identification, and returned to their outdoor homes. TNR stops the breeding cycle so no new kittens are born, improves cats’ health, and eliminates mating behaviors such as yowling, spraying, roaming, and fighting. TNR also reduces shelter intake and calls to animal services, providing immediate community benefits and saving taxpayer dollars.

For all the reasons above, Alley Cat Allies again urges the City of Waconia to reject the proposed amendments and offers our support to draft new language that protects community cats, community cat caregivers, and TNR. We also offer our support to help Waconia establish an effective TNR program and further humane policies. Thank you for your consideration.

Content source: https://www.alleycat.org/waconia-minnesota-reject-amendments-that-place-cats-in-danger/

[their-destinys-writer]

Infection

Based on the Infection!AU by @thebirdfromthemoon-art (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

Ladynoir July Day 11 - Habits

Event organized by @lovesquare-squad

First | <Previous | Next>

Ao3

“Out of all the people in the world, you chose the one who owns a blog to uncover our identities.”

Chat Noir had already been rambling for five minutes since they moved into their current alley. Both Ladybug and Alya, the latter now holding the little miraculous box, simply stared at him as he paced from side to side.

“I mean, you’re great Alya, don’t get me wrong,” he continued. “But I know how you’ve been about us, and you can’t fault me for being a little concerned, can you? Although, you are Marinette’s best friend, and Nino’s… something. And I know for a fact they are very good judges of character. Especially Marinette. But I’m not sure if this is such a good idea. I mean, I know you’ve helped several times now, not just as Rena Rouge, but as a civilian, but you still update the Ladyblog.

Although, now that I think about it, I haven’t seen any new clues of Ladybug’s possible secret identity. Wait, did you do that on purpose?” he rubbed his chin. “That would explain why I haven’t been able to update my notes for a while—”

“Your notes?” Ladybug deadpanned.

“Yeah, my Ladybug notes,” he continued obliviously. “With all the information I know so far of…”

He suddenly shut his mouth close, as if realizing who he had just told that to. Meanwhile, Ladybug crossed her arms and scowled at him for the confession.

“Is there something you wanna say, minou?” she dared.

Chat Noir gave them an awkward smile and scratched the back of his neck.

“I’m sorry, Alya,” he said at last. “I’m just really surprised. But I know Ladybug chose you for a reason, and I know you’re a great friend to Marinette and Nino, sooo… I’m sorry.”

“Hey, don’ sweat it, Whiskers,” Alya waved a hand in dismissal. “I know I used to be a bit pushy back in the day—”

“It hasn’t been that long,” Ladybug murmured.

“—but now I’m in the same boat as you guys.”

Alya puffed out her chest proudly, fists on her hips. That last statement reminded Ladybug about how the redhead was not fully aware of their current situation. She took a step closer to her.

“You’ve proven yourself a great ally,” she said carefully. “Which is why we need your help again.”

The redhead frowned. “You know, normally I’m ecstatic when you ask me to wear the miraculous again, but I can’t help but sense there’s something off.”

Alya is way too intuitive for her own good, Ladybug sighed. Being honest with herself, she still wasn’t sure on whether they should tell their foxy companion about what really happened. The last thing she wanted was to create a rift in the team and worry her best friend.

“See,” Chat Noir started, “the thing is that—”

“I’m sick,” Ladybug intervened. “I’m not feeling at a hundred percent, so we need you to pick up the slack, while I get better.”

“Oh,” Alya uttered, looking at her hero up and down. “You do look a little pale. Whatta you have?”

“Uhh.” She hadn’t thought this far. “I-it’s just a very intense flu. Nothing to w-worry about. I-I swear—”

“Stop,” the redhead suddenly said, raising a hand. “I know it’s important to keep secrets and stuff, but you don’t have to downplay whatever it is you’re going through.”

“What?!” Ladybug feigned surprise. “I-I don’t know what you mean.”

“I can tell by Chat Noir’s kicked-cat expression it’s not just the flu.”

The spotted heroine turned to her partner, who’s cat ears were drooping and his eyes were looking anywhere but at her.

“I know keeping secrets is important for you guys,” Alya continued. “Heck, it’s pretty much a habit at this point. But if this is serious enough to need my help, don’t treat me like I’m an idiot who can’t handle it.”

“It’s… not that I think that…” Ladybug feebly argued.

“Then what gives?”

That you already have to worry about me as a civilian, and you shouldn’t have to worry about me as a superhero too, and l can’t put you through more, Ladybug rambled internally.

“It’s complicated,” she said instead.

“I hurt her,” Chat Noir suddenly joined.

“Chat—”

“No,” he insisted. “You don’t need to protect everyone, Ladybug. Much less when we don’t know what’s gonna happen to you if—You know. If we fail.”

“Okay, now I’m freaking out.” Alya raised her brows. “What’s going on?”

Ladybug and Chat Noir glanced at each other, the one in red hesitant. But with a pleading look from her partner, she relented. Together, they told Alya the whole story, from when they were fighting Le Transporteur, to their visit to the Guardian. Ladybug, on her end, deliberately left out the part between that morning and the bus rescue, hoping to protect her identity. Unfortunately…

“What about school?” Alya asked, somewhat cautiously. “Did you go before rescuing the bus?”

“N-no,” Ladybug responded automatically.

“Wait, I thought you said you did,” Chat Noir frowned.

Shhh, Ladybug mentally scolded him.

“I-I did?”

“Yeah, you said that’s when you noticed it spread to your back, remember?”

Alya’s eyes widened slightly. She couldn’t know, could she? Ladybug was sure the redhead hadn’t seen the contents of the trashcan when she threw up in Ms. Bustier’s class. But then again, her vision had been foggy at the time.

“O-oh, right!” she tried to amend. “I-I mean, I got to school, b-but I didn’t take any classes. When I saw that, I-I just ran off home.”

The redhead squinted, seeming unconvinced about Ladybug’s explanation. Even so, she sighed and crossed her arms.

“This all really sucks, LB,” she said. “And CN, don’t worry about it. If there’s anything I’ve learned from my best friend, is that accidents happen all the time. Speaking of Marinette,” she started rubbing her chin. “You know she has a habit of stuttering when she’s nervous too… Anyway, I hope she’s feeling better.”

“Oh, Marinette’s sick?” Chat Noir chirped in, ears perked up.

“Yeah,” Alya sighed. “My friend and I had to practically carry her home this morning.”

“Wanna see her?” the boy suggested.

“You know, now that I’m out of school, we could—”

“Wait, no,” Ladybug intervened, starting to feel hot under the suit. Since when is Chat Noir so enthusiast about seeing me?

The other two looked at her, Alya with a smug smile. “Why not? We got time to kill.”

“Plus, we could take care of her, too,” Chat Noir reasoned. “Maybe bring her some soup.”

“Yeah,” the redhead agreed, finally opening the box containing the fox miraculous. There was a bright yellow light, and from it appeared Trixx.

“Alya!” the kwami shouted, tackling her charge’s cheek. “It’s so good to see you again.”

“It’s great to see you too, little guy,” she said, nuzzling the little god. “But you know what this means. Trixx, transform me!”

In a flash of yellow, Alya was now Rena Rouge. She twirled around and basked in her outfit, touching the ears and tail.

“I missed this already!” she squealed.

“Can we see Marin—” Chat Noir started.

“No!” Ladybug interrupted, placing a hand on her hip. “I-I mean, I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

“Don’t worry, Buginette,” Chat Noir waved a hand. “Marinette is good with superheroes.” He paused. “Hey, those rhyme. Marinette. Buginette. Marinette. Bugi—”

“I think we should let her rest,” Ladybug insisted, now leaning against the alley wall.

“Are you okay?” Rena Rouge suddenly asked.

“What?”

“You’re sweating.”

Ladybug frowned. She swiped her hand over her forehead, and sure enough, it was drenched.

“You’ve gotta be kidding.”

Buy me a Hot Chocolate?

[techcrunchappcom]

New Post has been published on https://techcrunchapp.com/national-organizations-lobbying-casper-city-council-uncommon-not-necessarily-effective-national-news/

National organizations lobbying Casper City Council: Uncommon, not necessarily effective | National News

For about the last month, a national organization has taken an interest in a city of Casper municipal ordinance. I haven’t been in Casper long, but this seemed strange to me.

Not that Casper hasn’t caught the attention of national retailers, or been studied by outside organizations. But a nonprofit advocacy organization with a national network spending money to influence a decision at the municipal level — that seemed new.

The issue at hand was the feral cat feeding ban the Casper City Council had been considering since July. Regardless of your feelings on the issue, it was interesting to see how an outside influence affected the proceedings.

Before we get into it, I do think there are a few necessary caveats. First, local activists contacted the organization Alley Cat Allies for assistance, not the other way around. Second, according to Alley Cat Allies founder Becky Robinson, it was local activists who asked for financial support for a public awareness campaign. Third, the group apparently does this kind of work a lot. With $10 million in annual contributions, according to its 990, it has the money to spend.

So to be clear, their assistance was requested. This was not a situation where an East Coast organization (Alley Cat Allies is headquartered in Maryland) parachuted into town unsolicited.

But once requested, the organization really dug in. They purchased billboards and yard signs and paid for the production of a professional video documenting the City Hall demonstrations. What really annoyed the City Council, though, were the hundreds of emails the organization’s supporters sent to every member of the council.

This is where things seemingly began to deteriorate. While the feral cat feeding ban was rejected, the outsize influence didn’t seem to actually help the issue. Multiple members of the council openly complained about the volume of emails and how far they were coming from.

Some council members said they would have preferred to hear from residents rather than hundreds of people from out of state and, in a few cases, different countries.

In the past when large numbers of residents have gathered around an issue, the council has seemed incredibly receptive to those concerns.

When residents banded together to support a city LGBTQ task force, the council created one. When residents poured into City Hall to challenge the sale of the Plains Furniture Building, several members of the body changed their votes in support of the outcry (additional public feedback led to the council reviving the issue and selling the building).

When the issue is championed by members of the community, this particular iteration of Casper’s City Council has mostly been amenable to at least compromise. I should be fair: The council did compromise on this issue, too. But the national influence seemed to hurt more than help.

Vice Mayor Khrystyn Lutz proposed the amendment that ultimately killed the ban on feeding feral cats, but it came with a catch. Those who fed the cats would be considered by statute their owners.

When I called her Friday to ask if Alley Cat Allies’ efforts had affected that decision, she said it had no impact “whatsoever.”

Councilman Ray Pacheco, before Lutz proposed her amendment Tuesday, said he would vote down the feeding ban (and the entire ordinance) if a compromise wasn’t reached during the meeting.

I called him for this column because of this response. He was among the few members who seemed, if not to appreciate the large-scale campaign, then at least to accept it as a duty of an elected official.

“I don’t care if we got 50,000 emails from people,” he said. “We’re public servants. … We signed up for that when we got elected, that we were going to hear the voice of the people.”

Still, when asked if the outside group affected his decision, he said only somewhat. The outside dollars certainly made the outcry louder, but he said he had decided the council needed a compromise prior to the start of the meeting.

He also agreed when I said it seemed like the national influence actually turned some members of council off to the group’s goals.

This is an incomplete and nonscientific case study, but I would bet the trend holds if tested against other issues. That said, it seems unlikely that test will come.

Pacheco, Lutz and City Manager Carter Napier told me they couldn’t remember a similar situation in Casper, where such a large organization attempted to influence a municipal vote.

“Hence why I’m having a hard time even remembering any,” Pacheco said, adding that he may be missing something, but it hasn’t been common in his roughly eight years as a councilman.

Lutz, being in her first council term, admittedly has not been on council long enough to provide a broad historical perspective, but also said in her time with the city, it hasn’t happened.

Regardless, Alley Cat Allies isn’t going anywhere yet. It published a release Wednesday opposing Lutz’s amendment and promising to continue working with Casper advocates.

Follow local government reporter Morgan Hughes on Twitter @morganhwrites

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[cutshawsnidowoa]

Alley Cat Rescue has “Boots on the Ground” Across the Nation

The post Alley Cat Rescue has “Boots on the Ground” Across the Nation by JaneA Kelley appeared first on Catster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren't considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Catster.com.

Louise Holton may not be a name on the lips of cat lovers everywhere, but it should be. In 1975, Holton worked with the Johannesburg SPCA in South Africa on trap-neuter-return for community cats. She worked with veterinarian and TNR pioneer Jenny Remfry; world-famous author and biologist Roger Tabor; and cat rescue organizations in the U.K., bringing the knowledge she gained to the United States to set up TNR programs here.

Related: Why Getting Involved in TNR is Easier Than You Think

Louise co-founded Alley Cat Allies in 1990, and in 1997 she started Alley Cat Rescue with a trap-neuter-return program for feral cats and an adoption program for friendly cats. Today, ACR’s programs include a low-cost spay/neuter clinic, Cat Action Teams and TNR programs for community cats.

“We work on international TNR programs, mainly through offering support, and we do hands-on TNR in Los Angeles; Roanoke, Virginia; and Maryland,” Louise says. “We fund and run spay clinics in each place.”

Helping community cats

Alley Cat Rescue has spayed and neutered more than 180,000 cats since its inception. The organization currently spays and neuters well over 3,500 cats per year and is working to increase those numbers.

One thing that makes Alley Cat Rescue unique is its Cat Action Teams. “We have Cat Action Teams in every state,” Louise says. “These are groups who can help people find low-cost vets, perhaps lend them traps and guide them through the process of TNR.”

ACR also has a directory of low-cost spay/neuter clinics listed on its website to help potential colony managers find clinics to help them. Like many community cat organizations, Alley Cat Rescue partners with local advocates, city and regional government, and individuals who want to help.

Alley Cat Rescue’s Spring Spay Challenge, for example, has developed a national network of veterinarians offering free or low-cost spay/neuter services for TNR. “More than 1,400 veterinarians in 45 U.S. states have participated in our Spring Spay Challenge campaign, along with veterinarians in Canada, Croatia, Greece, Japan, Israel, India and South Africa,” Louise says. “Through this program, we strive to bridge the gap between rescue groups, veterinarians and cat caretakers.”

And it has worked. As a result of the Spring Spay Challenge, 80,000 community cats have been sterilized.

Another ACR accomplishment Louise is particularly proud of is Alley Cat Rescue’s Guide to Managing Community Cats, a comprehensive guide to TNR, feral cats, colony care, advocacy for feral cats and more. The guide is available free for download on ACR’s website.

Changing attitudes

Alley Cat Rescue has been changing hearts and minds about TNR for decades. Maryland, for example, was initially opposed to TNR for feral cats, but over time, the organization’s efforts have paid off, and TNR is now an accepted method of cat colony management in that state. Why? The results are there, and they’re backed up by data.

The spay/neuter program in Maryland has effectively reduced the intake of feral cats in the targeted regions by 18% and reduced euthanasia rates by 38%. In 2018, Alley Cat Rescue received funding of almost $29,000, which allowed the organization to spay and neuter 752 cats in ACR’s targeted regions in that state. ACR has also been advocating in California.

In 2005, a court injunction forced the City of Los Angeles to stop supporting trap-neuter-return activities based on their potential environmental impact. The city completed an environmental impact report that marked off Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESAs), then proposed a way to begin TNR efforts again. However, it turned out that the proposal made it all but impossible to legally TNR community cats. The city proposed a feral cat feeding ban in all areas considered ESAs, plus a one-mile buffer zone around those areas. In those areas — which comprise a huge portion of the city — feeding would only be allowed as bait in traps, limited to 30 minutes, could only occur during limited daytime hours and would need to be monitored at all times.

“We have been working closely in Los Angeles with authorities and various groups to get the ban on TNR there overturned,” Louise says.

Alley Cat Rescue was one of many organizations that stepped up to advocate for the removal of ESAs from the TNR proposal or, if those zones needed to be kept for legal or political reasons, to amend the language to allow for effective TNR and colony management programs in and near ESAs.

For 23 years, Alley Cat Rescue has been working on the ground and in the halls of government to improve the lives of community cats.

Top photograph: VII-photo | Getty Images

To learn more visit saveacat.org or Facebook.com/alleycatrescueinc.

The post Alley Cat Rescue has “Boots on the Ground” Across the Nation by JaneA Kelley appeared first on Catster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren't considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Catster.com.

from Catster https://www.catster.com/lifestyle/alley-cat-rescue via IFTTT

[alleycatallies]

Alley Cat Allies Earns 4 Stars from Charity Navigator + More Important Updates

Alley Cat Allies Again Earns 4 Stars from Charity Navigator

Amazing news! Alley Cat Allies earned the coveted Charity Navigator 4-star rating—the highest level of recognition—for the 11th consecutive year!

This achievement shows our commitment to transparency in everything we do with our supporters’ donations. Our donors can be confident that every gift has a direct, lifesaving impact for cats and kittens.

Your generosity protects cats every day: alleycat.org/Donate.

We Won’t Stop Speaking Out for Waconia Cats

In a dangerous and irresponsible move, Waconia, Minnesota, passed a cat leash law—and applied other unrealistic and ineffective measures to cats.

Alley Cat Allies wrote a letter urging the Waconia City Council to oppose these amendments to its ordinance, which added cats slapdash to laws regulating dogs. Unfortunately, the amendments passed regardless.

We aren’t done: We’re going to take action to protect Waconia’s cats—especially community cats, who are at the most risk from the city’s decision.

Our Veterinarian Training Program™ Kicked Off in Saint Kitts

Recently, Alley Cat Allies was on the Island of Saint Kitts educating veterinarians and veterinary students at the Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine on lifesaving Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) for community cats.

Meeting and helping to train the rising generation of veterinarians was beyond inspiring—the future of our movement to protect all cats looks bright.

(Ross University students have a great appreciation for community cats, with active groups focused on community cat care and education on campus. The regal T’Challa, a campus community cat, is something of a legend!)

And that’s what the new Alley Cat Allies Veterinarian Training Program™ is all about; equipping the veterinarians of today AND tomorrow with the techniques, knowledge, and drive to protect cats who live outdoors just as much as those who live indoors. High-quality, high-volume spay and neuter and TNR are the primary focuses of this lifesaving program.

Keeping Families Together™ with a Successful Food Bank in Atlantic County

By supporting no-cost resources for cats, we’re Keeping Families Together™!

Alley Cat Allies helped develop a no-cost food bank for cats in Atlantic County, New Jersey, that has provided tens of thousands of pounds of dry cat food and hundreds of cases of canned food in just the past year. We provide food bank support in multiple communities to help both indoor and community cats.

Looking for no-cost cat food near you? Our state-by-state Animal Food Bank Directory can help: alleycat.org/FoodBank.

ADOPTED! Talley Goes from the Edge of Death to a Loving New Home

Watching Talley make biscuits, happy and comfortable, is incredibly gratifying—because not long ago, she faced death in a shelter with a horrible lethal policy.

Alley Cat Allies rescued Talley and provided her with the veterinary care, safe space, and love she needed to recover and show her true colors.

We’re thrilled to announce that Talley recently found her forever home (and immediately relaxed into her new family’s hands!). Our amazing, compassionate supporters are the reason we can save cats like Talley every day, and we can’t thank you enough.

Fire Cats Mona and Phoenix are Up for Adoption

If you’ve been following us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn, you know that Mona and Phoenix are survivors of the Texas Panhandle wildfires. The Alley Cat Allies Rapid Response team rescued them from the area with singed whiskers and smoke inhalation and ensured they recuperated with critical veterinary care.

Now they’re feeling better and have shown their true, incredibly sweet personalities. They’re ready for the next step in their journey—could it be with your family?

Adopt Mona

Adopt Phoenix

Rubble Update after Texas Wildfires

You’d never guess that not long ago, Rubble was rescued with symptoms of smoke inhalation in the aftermath of the Texas Panhandle fires. He’s the sweetest and most chill guy!

Alley Cat Allies took on Rubble’s care, as well as that of other fire-affected cats. That’s on top of providing critical support, veterinary care, and supplies for other indoor cats, community cats, and dogs impacted by the disaster.

Throwback: Miso and Her Kittens

Enjoy this throwback video of Miso and her kittens, Butternut, Bisque, Noodle, Chowder, Bouillon and adopted kitten Minestrone. From day one until adoption earlier this year, YOUR support protected them all!

Content source: https://www.alleycat.org/alley-cat-allies-earns-4-stars-from-charity-navigator-more-important-updates/