Operation Community Cats

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.