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The Community Cats Podcast

The Community Cats Podcast

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 Our mission is to provide education, information and dialogue that will create a supportive environment empowering people to help cats in their community. *For transcripts of most shows, visit https://www.communitycatspodcast.com/podcast/.© 2023 The Community Cats Podcast, All Rights Reserved Economia Gestão e Liderança
Episódios
  • Achieving 40% Reduction in Cat Intake Through Targeted TNR in Sunnyvale Featuring Vanessa Forney, Founder & President of Bay Area Cats

    Achieving 40% Reduction in Cat Intake Through Targeted TNR in Sunnyvale Featuring Vanessa Forney, Founder & President of Bay Area Cats
    Oct 7 2025
    "I think just the nature of having a shelter that's supportive and animal control has really expedited this as a success…And I think that made a big difference in the city."

    This episode is sponsored-in-part by Maddie’s Fund.

    Stacy LeBaron talks with Vanessa Forney, founder and president of Bay Area Cats, an organization in Sunnyvale, California focused on spay neuter for pets and trap neuter return. Since stumbling upon a kitten in her neighborhood in 2020, Vanessa has personally trapped over 2,500 cats and kittens, built an efficient volunteer trapping team, and formed a 501(c)(3) that has helped spay/neuter thousands of cats every year.

    In this episode, Vanessa shares how she quickly moved from rescue-reactive thinking to strategic targeted TNR, focusing her efforts on Sunnyvale and achieving remarkable results through mass trapping techniques and neighborhood-wide approaches. She discusses the importance of data collection, building collaborative relationships with animal control and open intake shelters, and how her organization achieved over 40% reduction in combined shelter intake and TNR program cats between 2022 and 2024. Vanessa also explains the typical timeline for seeing impact (including the initial uptick in requests during the first 12-18 months), the evolution of a TNR organization through different life stages, and why addressing pet spay/neuter is critical for long-term sustainability.

    Listeners will come away understanding that successful targeted TNR requires patience, collaboration, detailed record-keeping, and a multi-layered approach that addresses both community cats and owned pets. Vanessa's story demonstrates that even young organizations can make significant measurable impact when they focus their resources strategically, build strong community partnerships, and create volunteer networks that make the work sustainable rather than isolating.

    Press play now for:

    • How targeted TNR achieved over 40% reduction in cat intake in Sunnyvale between 2022-2024
    • Why geographic focus creates greater impact than spreading resources across multiple areas
    • The 3-5 year timeline for seeing significant results in municipal targeted TNR programs
    • Building collaborative relationships with animal control and open intake shelters
    • Advanced trapping techniques including mass trapping, trap training, and remote control traps
    • The importance of detailed data collection and feeder mapping for strategic planning
    • Why accessible pet spay/neuter is essential for long-term sustainability
    • Creating volunteer teams and community support systems for sustainable TNR work

    Resources mentioned:

    • Bay Area Cats website (https://bayareacats.org/)
    • Bay Area Cats Instagram (@Bay_Area_TNR) (https://www.instagram.com/bay_area_tnr)
    • Humane Society Silicon Valley (https://hssv.org/)
    • Neighborhood Cats Targeted TNR Training (https://www.neighborhoodcats.org)
    • Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society (https://www.mrfrs.org/)

    Sponsor Links:

    • Maddie's Fund (https://www.communitycatspodcast.com/maddies633)

    Follow & Review

    We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts(https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-community-cats-podcast/id1125752101?mt=2). Select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then share a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.
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    34 minutos
  • Revolutionizing Animal Fundraising With Furlanthropy Featuring Adam Spencer, Founder of Furlanthropy

    Revolutionizing Animal Fundraising With Furlanthropy Featuring Adam Spencer, Founder of Furlanthropy
    Sep 30 2025
    "We are a unique charity, very innovative in this space. What you're really doing is you're inviting people to touch your mission. The number one reason anyone gives to any charity or any cause is to fulfill something within themselves, within their own heart." This episode is sponsored-in-part by Maddie’s Fund. In this financial innovation episode, host Stacy LeBaron speaks with Adam Spencer, founder of Furlanthropy, the first charity-owned and operated crowdfunding platform exclusively for animal-related causes. Adam's journey began with his beloved rescue cat Kobe, who lived over 20 years and provided profound emotional support during difficult times. When Adam and his wife later rescued a pet whose original owners had surrendered her due to inability to afford life-saving care, it opened his eyes to the tremendous financial barriers preventing pet parents from accessing veterinary care. As a certified fundraising executive (CFRE), Adam was surprised that no nonprofit crowdfunding platform existed specifically for animal welfare needs. Adam explains how Furlanthropy's nonprofit status provides donor protections unavailable on for-profit platforms like GoFundMe. The platform verifies every campaign and sends funds directly to veterinary hospitals rather than fundraisers, ensuring money reaches its intended destination. With 90 cents of every dollar going directly to campaigns and the remaining 10% supporting administrative costs and underfunded campaigns, Furlanthropy offers transparency that allows donors to research executive compensation through IRS 990 forms. The platform supports immediate campaign creation without waiting periods, accommodates various donation methods including stock gifts and donor-advised funds, and can reimburse past expenses to alleviate financial burdens. The conversation explores fundraising strategy for small grassroots TNR organizations, addressing the common perception that spay/neuter is harder to fundraise for than kitten adoptions. Adam emphasizes that donors give primarily to fulfill something within themselves, often in tribute to their own beloved pets, making prevention-focused campaigns viable when the story connects emotionally. His advice centers on inviting people to become ambassadors for missions they care about, recognizing that not everyone can give financially but everyone can share stories and expand reach through their networks. Press play now for: How Kobe the rescue cat's emotional support inspired a platform serving all animals in needThe donor protection advantages of nonprofit vs. for-profit crowdfunding platformsDirect payment to veterinary hospitals ensuring funds reach intended recipients90/10 fee structure with transparency allowing donor research of executive compensationImmediate campaign launch capability without approval delays or waiting periodsSupport for past, current, and future expenses to alleviate caregiver financial burdensStock gifts, donor-advised funds, and multiple donation methods for sophisticated givingPetSmart Charities $200,000+ grant validation and upcoming partnership announcementsStrategic fundraising advice for small TNR organizations and grassroots groupsWhy prevention-focused campaigns succeed when stories connect with donor heartsAmbassador model allowing supporters to create campaigns for causes they care aboutThe power of multiple smaller gifts vs. single large donations for building supporter base Resources mentioned: Furlanthropy website (https://furlanthropy.org/)Furlanthropy Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/furlanthropycharity/)Furlanthropy Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/furlanthropycharity/)Furlanthropy Twitter/X (https://twitter.com/Furlanthropy1)Furlanthropy LinkedIn (https://linkedin.com/company/furlanthropy/)Email contact: paws@furlanthropy.orgPhone: (434) 207-2790PetSmart Charities (https://petsmartcharities.org/)Forever Legacy Society for planned giving (https://furlanthropy.org/ways-to-give/furever-legacy-society/)GuideStar nonprofit profile (https://www.guidestar.org/profile/87-4346748) Sponsor Links: Maddie's Fund (https://www.communitycatspodcast.com/maddies632) Follow & Review We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts(https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-community-cats-podcast/id1125752101?mt=2). Select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then share a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.
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    24 minutos
  • Building Bridges: International Lessons for Community Cat Programs, Featuring Maia Rumpho, Founder of Pet Project Rescue

    Building Bridges: International Lessons for Community Cat Programs, Featuring Maia Rumpho, Founder of Pet Project Rescue
    Sep 23 2025
    "What we do in Mexico is my dream for Minnesota. We provide free spay neuter to both owned and street animals every single week." This episode is sponsored-in-part by Maddie’s Fund and The Community Cat Clinic. In this international perspective episode, host Stacy LeBaron speaks with Maia Rumpho, founder of Pet Project Rescue, who turned a chance encounter with a street dog in Mexico into a binational animal welfare organization. Maia's journey began in 2007 during an engagement trip to Mexico, where rescuing a street dog sparked her understanding of the resource disparities between communities. What started as a dog-focused rescue evolved into Minnesota's only free TNR program, while maintaining weekly spay/neuter clinics in Mexico that serve as a model for comprehensive community animal care. Maia shares how her social work background shapes her approach to animal welfare, recognizing that effective programs must address barriers facing the people who care for community cats. Her organization removes financial obstacles that might force caregivers to choose between their own basic needs and helping animals. The conversation explores the striking differences between urban and rural cat populations in Minnesota, where urban colonies typically number 10 or fewer cats while rural areas often have 30 or more. Maia discusses the challenge of veterinary access in rural areas, where both distance and lack of feral cat experience among local veterinarians create significant barriers. The discussion highlights Maia's experience working in Mexico, where government support, animal control cooperation, and cross-organizational teamwork create an environment she wishes could be replicated in Minnesota. Her Mexico programs include weekly clinics serving 25 animals and annual three-day events handling 1,100-1,200 animals with remarkable efficiency. Maia's vision includes bringing MASH-style clinics to Minnesota, already piloting monthly Friday clinics in North Minneapolis that target the city's highest need area. This episode demonstrates how international experience can inform domestic programs and why collaboration across all sectors is essential for addressing community cat overpopulation. Press play now for: How a 2007 Mexico engagement trip sparked Minnesota's only free TNR programThe dramatic scale difference: 30+ cat rural colonies vs. 10 or fewer urban populationsMexico's collaborative model with government support and skilled veterinariansWeekly clinics serving 25 animals and annual 1,100+ animal three-day eventsWhy Minnesota procedures cost 4-6 times more than Mexico operationsAdapting Mexican high-volume models for North Minneapolis communitiesThe authorization system that provides flexibility for unexpected additional catsStrategic targeting of areas with highest need and lowest income bracketsWhy summer is optimal timing for TNR activities nationwide Resources mentioned: Pet Project Rescue website (https://petprojectrescue.com/)Pet Project Rescue Instagram: @PPR_mpls (https://www.instagram.com/ppr_mpls/)Pet Project Rescue Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/PetProjectRescue/)Pet Project Rescue TNR Program (https://petprojectrescue.com/about/programs/trap-neuter-return-tnr/)Coco's Animal Welfare - Playa del Carmen, Mexico partner (https://cocosanimalwelfare.org)Rocco's Relief Foundation - Mexico City area partner (https://rrfmexico.org)MN SNAP - Minnesota Spay Neuter Assistance Program (https://mnsnap.org/)Contact: Info@PetProjectRescue.com Sponsor Links: Maddie's Fund (https://www.communitycatspodcast.com/maddies631)The Community Cat Clinic (https://www.communitycatspodcast.com/catclinicga) Follow & Review We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts(https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-community-cats-podcast/id1125752101?mt=2). Select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then share a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.
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    27 minutos
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