Operation Community Cats
TOGETHER We Will Do This!
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
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
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.
Free Feral Dry Cat Food
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
Help Build Catios ( cat patios)
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.
Where we work
External reviews

Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Evaluation documents
Download evaluation reportsNumber 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
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planLearn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
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
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
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.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
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.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
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
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Operation Community Cats
Board of directorsas of 08/13/2023
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
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: