Photo: Fayette Regional Humane Society
The Fayette Regional Humane Society (FRHS) announced Friday that it has received a $45,000 grant from the Joanie Bernard Foundation to support their Community Cat Initiative in their four-county region, which includes Fayette, Clinton, Highland, and Ross County. The Community Cat Initiative is a program that helps high-risk cats.
“This grant gives us an amazing opportunity to significantly decrease the number of homeless and unwanted cats entering shelters and living in the communities,” said Dr. Lee Schrader, FRHS executive director.
The grant will cover 480 spay/neuters and vaccinations. The funds will also target Surrender Prevention Medical Care for sick and injured cats, which will provide medical care for cats from income-qualified households/families within Fayette County. These services help keep cat families together and prevent surrender to shelters.
This is the first year FRHS has been awarded the grant from the Foundation, an Ohio-based cat welfare organization whose mission is to create cat-caring communities across the United States via their Give Them Ten Movement.
“These funds will help to further The Give Them Ten Movement which seeks to improve the lives of cats by creating communities that understand them and take actions to protect them, including spaying and neutering,” said Deborah Cribbs, founder, and director of The Give Them Ten Movement. “This is one more step towards our mission of creating cat-caring communities across the nation.”
The Community Cat Initiative’s long-term goal is to continue reducing the shelter intake of healthy cats by families who may not have an income to provide them with medical care and spaying or neutering to prevent the further overpopulation of cats.
“The Joanie Bernard Foundation’s work is making a significant difference in the lives of cats in our region,” said Schrader. “We are deeply grateful for this grant which will allow us to continue and expand our mission to reduce cat homelessness and keep cats out of shelters.”
The Fayette Regional Humane Society is a non-profit (501(c)(3), volunteer organization. They rely on donations, grants, and fundraising to carry out their mission. The Humane Society is the only organization in Fayette County able to respond to calls about abused, neglected, and injured domestic animals, 24 hours per day, seven days per week. To learn more about the Fayette Regional Humane Society, please visit their website at www.fayetteregionalhumane.org. For more information on the Community Cat Initiative call the Humane Society at 740.335.8126.
The Joanie Bernard Foundation is working to create cat-caring communities across the nation through their Give Them Ten Movement. This movement seeks to improve the lives of cats by creating communities that understand and take actions to protect them, including spaying and neutering. The Foundation supports groups, organizations, and projects that advance the Give Them Ten Movement. www.givethemten.org/