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Photo by Maggie O'Neill Maddie's® Spay/Neuter Project for Stray Community Cats in NYC Program Update: As the Administrator of the Maddie's® Spay/Neuter Project for Stray Community Cats in NYC for the Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals, I wanted to inform the TNR-certified community about the status of this spay/neuter grant. The Maddie's® Spay/Neuter Project for Stray Community Cats in NYC was a one-year grant. It is incredibly difficult to obtain large-scale funding for feral cat programs, so we are extremely grateful to Maddie's Fund for their generous support in making an increased number of spay/neuter surgeries for NYC's stray and feral cats possible throughout 2011. This project greatly surpassed our expectations on several levels; particularly underestimated was the level of participation from private practice veterinarians. As many of you know, the veterinarians' response to participating in this program was overwhelmingly and wonderfully positive! These practices demonstrated their commitment to addressing the cat overpopulation crisis here in NYC and were highly engaged in participating in the project. They were all highly valued and much appreciated resources within their communities. The services made available from The Toby Project, The Humane Society of New York, and the ASPCA were also bolstered by the increased funding. The Mayor's Alliance, through careful planning, was able to continue funding this program into the first quarter of 2012, but due to the greater-than-projected number of surgeries performed by all the participating clinics, we will not be able to continue funding these surgeries past March 31, 2012, until further notice. We are working very hard to extend funding for the Maddie's® Spay/Neuter Project for Stray Community Cats in NYC, as we know how important this is to all of you and for NYC's unowned cats, but we must put this program on hold as of April 1. We are expecting to have more information by the end of April and we will inform you as soon as we have any news. As feral cat caretaker I know how disappointing this news is, but we need to keep in mind that there are still low-cost or free spay/neuter resources available, thanks to the ASPCA, The Humane Society of New York, The Toby Project, and other programs. We are very fortunate here in NYC to have these partners, and we hope that everyone will continue their very important work. The Mayor's Alliance continues to provide transport assistance, so if you've been using a private practice in your neighborhood and need help getting your cats to Glendale or any of the other clinics, please contact us at transport@AnimalAllianceNYC.org. View other Feral Cat Spay/Neuter Programs & Clinics and Feral-Friendly Veterinarians in New York City.
Sincerely,
Evon Handras, Director of Administrative Services Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals
More Information Community Cats Spay/Neuter Funding: A Clarification by Out of the Cage! Saturday, March 31, 2012
Maddie's Fund® is a family foundation endowed by the founder of Workday® and PeopleSoft, Dave Duffield and his wife, Cheryl. Maddie's Fund is helping to achieve and sustain a no-kill nation by providing solutions to the most challenging issues facing the animal welfare community through its grant giving, hands-on animal care, and research and education. Maddie's Fund is named after the family's beloved Miniature Schnauzer who passed away in 1997. www.maddiesfund.org |
