Operation Community Cats
TOGETHER We Will Do This!
Operation Community Cats
EIN: 27-0977993
as of November 2025
as of November 14, 2025
Mission
Operation Community Cats To reduce the population of community cats through spay and neuter.
Ruling year
2009
Vice President
Lou Ann Gaskell
Treasurer
Shelly Khir
Main address
1077 S Garden Pl
Boise, ID 83705-5846 USA
EIN
27-0977993
Humane education
Animal population control
Population served
Adults
NTEE code
Animal Protection and Welfare (includes Humane Societies and SPCAs) (D20)
IRS subsection
501(c)(3) Public Charity
IRS filing requirement
This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.
Tax forms
Communication
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
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Ada County (Idaho, United States)
Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
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
This metric reflects free spay/neuter and vaccinated homeless outside cats that OCC facilitated. In the first 2 months of 2024 -128 feral cats spay/neutered and 1410# of cat food provided.
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
Related Program
Free Spay Neuter Vaccine Feral Cats TNR
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
This metric shows the number of community cats that were spay/neutered, vaccinated, provided food at no charge. OCC target population is homeless outdoor cats caregivers.
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn 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.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people’s needs and how we can help them achieve their goals, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations,
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We share the feedback we received with the people we serve, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback, We ask the people who gave us feedback how well they think we responded,
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
We don’t have any major challenges to collecting feedback,
Financials
Financial documents
Download audited financialsRevenue vs. expenses: breakdown
Financial data
Operation Community Cats
Balance sheetFiscal Year: Jan 01 - Dec 31
The balance sheet gives a snapshot of the financial health of an organization at a particular point in time. An organization's total assets should generally exceed its total liabilities, or it cannot survive long, but the types of assets and liabilities must also be considered. For instance, an organization's current assets (cash, receivables, securities, etc.) should be sufficient to cover its current liabilities (payables, deferred revenue, current year loan, and note payments). Otherwise, the organization may face solvency problems. On the other hand, an organization whose cash and equivalents greatly exceed its current liabilities might not be putting its money to best use.
Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Documents
Vice President
Lou Ann Gaskell
Treasurer
Shelly Khir
Operation Community Cats
Officers, directors, trustees, and key employeesSOURCE: IRS Form 990
Compensation data
There are no highest paid employees recorded for this organization.
Operation Community Cats
Board of directorsas of 10/9/2025
Board of directors data
Lou Ann Gaskell Vice President
Shelly Khir Treasurer
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Not applicable -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Not applicable -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
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:
The organization's co-leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
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- Financial statements for 2019
- Letter of Determination
- Officer and/or Employee data for 2024, 2023
- Contractor and/or Paid Preparer data for 2024, 2023
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