PLATINUM2023

Operation Community Cats

TOGETHER We Will Do This!

aka OCC   |   Boise, ID   |  www.occidaho.org

Mission

Operation Community Cats To reduce the population of community cats through spay and neuter.

Ruling year info

2009

President, Executive Director

Diane Rae Ayres

Main address

1077 S. Garden Pl

Boise, ID 83705 USA

Show more contact info

EIN

27-0977993

NTEE code info

Animal Protection and Welfare (includes Humane Societies and SPCAs) (D20)

IRS filing requirement

This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990-N.

Communication

Programs and results

What we aim to solve

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Over 50% of the cats in the United States are community cats. Community cats are outdoor, unowned cats that live on their own. Most are not lucky enough to have a caregiver that provides food , water and shelter. In 2018 the Western Governors made it even harder for community cats by listing feral cats #13 on the top 50 Indigenous Species in the West. Community cats are feral, stray, lost and abandoned cats and are called community cats because they are in every community and are a situation every city and town deal with. According to the Humane Society of the United States only 2% of community cats are spayed and/ or neutered and that 80% of new kittens born each year are born by community cats. These community kittens are entering shelters and rescue groups that are already bursting at the seams.

Our programs

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?

Free Spay Neuter Vaccine Feral Cats TNR

The HSUS estimates that only 2% of community cats are spayed/ neutered and that 80% of new kittens born each year are produced by community cats. Operation Community Cats mission is to solve this situation by providing free Spay/ Neuters for community cats- includes cats living on their own, outside and some of those cats and kittens are lucky enough to have a caregiver to provide food, water and shelter. These cats can be feral, strays that once had a home, cats and kittens whose owners just dumped them from a vehicle on the road on into someone else’s yard. These cats are everywhere and most fend for themselves in all types of weather.

Population(s) Served
Adults

Community cats live everywhere outside, usually on their own unless they are lucky enough to have a caregiver that provides them fresh water, food and shelter. Even with a caregiver it gets very expensive to feed the sometimes 35 or more forgotten helpless cats. Operation Community Cats provides dry cat food to those asking when we have funds. Please donate as funds go fast to feed hungry community cats and kittens.
Thank you

Population(s) Served
Adults

OCC is collaborating with other nonprofits and the community to share the benefits to humans, wildlife, cats safe inside and the environment. Bringing building contractors, builders, handyman, retired, volunteers, community cat lovers, bird lovers and just about any one that wants to help to volunteer and/ or donate or who knows what else. There are always cats that just have to be outside to watch nature and smell the fresh air, the solution is a Catio or cat patio. Big or small OCC, other rescue groups and volunteers will be there to share ideas, plans, materials and even labor if needed. It’s a win, win, win kinda deal. For wildlife, cats and the community.

Population(s) Served
Adults

Where we work

Our results

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.

Number of research studies that obtain comparable levels of information from fewer animals or that obtain more information from the same number of animals

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Population(s) Served

Family relationships

Related Program

Free Spay Neuter Vaccine Feral Cats TNR

Type of Metric

Other - describing something else

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

This metric shows the number of community cats that were spay/neutered free by Operation Community Cats. OCC target population is unowned outdoor feral, abandoned, lost and abandoned cats.

Number of animals receiving subsidized or free spay/neuter services

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Related Program

Free Spay Neuter Vaccine Feral Cats TNR

Type of Metric

Other - describing something else

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

The numbers to the left are free spay? neuter/ vaccinate by OCC for the year. Unaware of other nonprofit rescue groups offering the same services. OCC also provides free food & medical help for cats

Our Sustainable Development Goals

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.

Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.

Charting impact

Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.

Vision
A world where all cats are safe at home in a healthy environment for both them and wildlife.

Goals

1. Build a High Quality High Volume Low Cost Cat Spay/ Neuter Clinic that has space for minor cat medical. Also an education center for humane treatment of animals, importance of spay and neutering.

2. Create a Cat Coalition- made up of all cat rescues and shelters in our area

3. Strengthen Partnership with Golden Eagle Audibon Society

4. Educate about Catios, cat patios and other ideas to keep pet cats inside where they will be safe

Operation Community Cats and the Golden Eagle Audubon Society have formed a unique partnership to motivate a change in our community. Both organizations agree that by having fewer pet cats roaming freely it is better for cats, birds, and other wildlife.’

Collaborating with other cat rescue organizations in our valley with targeted vigorous TNR (trap- neuter-return) so colonies of outside cats cannot grow and slowly do not exist any more.

Encourage people to keep their pet cats inside for the safety of their cats and educate and help build Catios for those that have pet cats that want to be outside.

Operation Community Cats aka OCC was founded by two very capable people that have at least 50 years of cat welfare and rescue between them.

Lou Ann Gaskell co- founder and Vice President of Operation Community Cats, has taught trapping classes, made TNR videos, set up online TNR sign up calendars, ran all facets of the trap depot and TNRed for over 25 years.

Diane Ayres co- founder of the Idaho Humane Society S.P.O.T. Clinic ( $15 feral and $25 pitt bull and mix S/N), Founder, Executive Director of Spay Neuter Idaho Pets, Inc. aka SNIP created all parts of a very successful 501 C3 all volunteer non profit, opened a high quality high volume low cost spay neuter clinic and then
Co- founded OCC and ED all faucets of starting a new non profit. Like Lou Ann Gaskell Diane started rescue volunteering in 1995 and has lots of TNR and management experience.

Volunteers and BOD members come from all walks of life and have all volunteered with Lou Ann and Diane in the past. They have over 1000 hour of experience and don’t know the word no. Willing to learn and do anything to save cats and all animals.

With the communities support, wildlife groups and community groups working together we will solve the outside cat problem.

We are partnering with the Golden Eagle Audobon Society, Operation Community Cats has become an affiliate with Catio Spaces, started fundraising and a youth education program based on the free app Dogs Cats and Me.

Where we are headed now is to fundraiser and write grants so we can continue trap-neuter-vaccinate- return (TNVR community cats, after TNVRing 135 community cats in March of 2021.

***One of our largest challenges during these times of virus is finding veternary clinics and veterinarians to assist in the use of their clinics during off times for free, cost of medication or low rent. Or to provide low cost spay and neuters appointments for Operation Community Cats to fix community cats for free to caregivers and other unowned cats.

Financials

Operation Community Cats
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Operations

The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.

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Connect with nonprofit leaders

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Operation Community Cats

Board of directors
as of 08/13/2023
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board chair

Diane Ayres

Operation Community Cats

Term: 2019 -

Lou Ann Gaskell

Jen Willet

Bark n Purr owner

Mike Willet

Bark n Purr owner

Diane Ayres

Retired

Organizational demographics

SOURCE: Self-reported; last updated 4/3/2021

Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.

Leadership

The organization's leader identifies as:

Race & ethnicity
White/Caucasian/European
Gender identity
Female, Not transgender (cisgender)
Sexual orientation
Heterosexual or straight
Disability status
Person with a disability

Race & ethnicity

Gender identity

 

Sexual orientation

Disability