Project Purr Receives $42,500 Two-Year Grant from PetSmart Charities® to Alter Watsonville Feral Cats
April 26, 2011
Project Purr received a $42,500 two-year grant from PetSmart Charities® to increase feral cat spay/neuter. Last year, Project Purrʼs low-cost feral cat spay/neuter program altered more than 500 feral cats in Santa Cruz County. With the support of this grant, Project Purr will sterilize an additional 1,000 feral cats in specific zip codes over the next two years, to humanely help solve the cat overpopulation problem.
“We are excited about the impact of helping more people help more cats. The shelter receives lots of cats from Watsonville and Freedom and this grant will specifically help those areas,” said Lynne Achterberg, Project Coordinator.
“Anyone feeding a stray cat or concerned about too many kittens can take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to get the cats spayed or neutered. Together we can improve the lives of a lot of cats and help our neighborhoods and our community too. Feral cats are responsible for over 80% of all kittens, and each time a litter is born, competition for homes increases and lowers the odds that all kittens will find homes. Increased feral cat spay/neuter is a long-term solution that will also help to reduce the number of animals coming into the shelter.”
Project Purrʼs program in Watsonville uses East Lake Animal Clinic as its primary veterinary partner. The veterinarians at East Lake are experienced in working with feral cats and open for surgeries seven days a week. Dr. Dave Carroll of East Lake says “I have been doing low-cost spay/neuter for cats for over thirty years and working with Project Purr has been my most fruitful experience. Each feral cat spayed/neutered represents hundreds of kittens who wonʼt suffer and it makes me smile knowing Iʼve given each feral cat a second chance on a healthy life.”
Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) is the most humane and effective solution to cat overpopulation. The cats are TRAPPED, NEUTERED, vaccinated, eartipped and then RETURNED to their original outdoor home. Feral cats should not be taken to the animal shelter, because after their holding period they will most likely be euthanized. "When a person takes on the responsibility to provide a feral cat a forever home by spaying and neutering, feeding daily and providing veterinary care when sick or injured, they are helping reduce euthanasia and providing feral cats with a chance at a happy and healthy life," said Santa Cruz County Animal Control Officer Todd Stosuy.
This project will bring awareness to city and county officials and the public that TNR is a critical component to saving animalʼs lives. City of Watsonville Mayor Daniel Dodge states, "We appreciate Project Purr for bringing a low-cost community cat spay/neuter program to Watsonville that assists residents in effectively and humanely reducing animal overpopulation. With the Project Purr feral cat program and the support of PetSmart Charities®, our residents can make a difference to prevent future unwanted kittens, lessen the strain placed upon our overburdened animal shelter, and save City of Watsonville taxpayersʼ money."
Project Purr is a feral cat advocacy organization that was founded in 1989 to humanely reduce cat overpopulation in Santa Cruz County. The grassroots all volunteer nonprofit funds the only county-wide low cost spay/neuter program for feral cats and kittens, which is available to all Santa Cruz County residents, regardless of income, with no voucher required. In addition, Project Purr provides a unique and invaluable resource to the community with guidance on Trap-Neuter-Return. Volunteers are welcome and donations are tax-deductible. For more information on Project Purr and its programs, call 831/423-MEOW (6369) or visit www.projectpurr.org. Project Purr has launched a new website www.helpwatsonvillecats.org to provide bilingual information about the Watsonville feral cat project.
