This year has been incredibly busy and we wanted to share what we accomplished with your support in 2022 and will continue to focus on in the New Year.
Serving community cats
This year, we fed over 160 homeless cats each day in the broader Sacramento area, also providing feral colonies with 200 shelters and 100 feeding stations. We are not done building!
Our volunteers trapped 120 community cats for Trap/Neuter/Return (TNR) and fostered kittens. We take anywhere from 3 to 10 calls each day from residents asking questions and looking for resources for community – as well as owned - cats. Our phone work is especially needed to help senior citizens.
Expanding Spay/Neuter
We continued to distribute vouchers for free spay/neuter for pets in Rancho Cordova and unincorporated Sacramento County. In Rancho Cordova alone, we provided 289 vouchers this past fiscal year.
However, even with the expanded surgical resources of the SPCA, the wait for pet owners to get a spay/neuter appointment for their animals is far too long. Many people adopted pets during COVID lock downs contributing to the number of owned animals needing sterilization. Also, there is a shortage of veterinarians and vet techs, not only in the Sacramento region but across the entire country, adding to the problem of long waits for spay/neuter appointments.
Limited spay/neuter resources severely impact feral cat trappers in their life-saving work to avoid more unwanted kittens. To address the gap, this year we provided funding to other surgical teams, such as Animal Spay Neuter in Auburn and Animal Outreach of the Mother Lode in Diamond Springs, to enable these facilities to add free feral spay/neuter days.
We hope to support more spay/neuter down the road for owned and community cats working with Rancho Cordova Animal Services to provide mobile vet services. A mobile vet clinic could bolster regional spay/neuter capabilities to address the cat and dog overpopulation issue we face.
Feeding animals
Inflation is hitting folks and the rising cost of pet food is making it difficult for seniors on fixed incomes and other low-income residents. We provided dog and cat food for over 100 Meals on Wheels seniors and 60 Vets at Mather Veterans Village, plus more at other Mercy Care Centers.
Community Outreach
Now that COVID is behind us, we started participating in community events to educate the public about responsible pet ownership and Whisker Warriors programs. We had booths at Good Neighbor Days, Doggie Day in the Park, Trunk or Treat (with dog and cat treats, too), and the beautiful Rancho Cordova Christmas Tree Lighting.
Our great team of dedicated volunteers make all this happen. With your support, we will continue to expand and grow to be a powerhouse for animals within the whole region!
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