Happy Tails: Lady Madonna - Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society

Cat Currents
A nationally recognized,
nonprofit volunteer-driven
organization committed to
ensuring the health and
welfare of feral and domestic
cats and kittens by promoting
proactive, compassionate,
no-kill programs.
Happy Tails: Lady Madonna
Last June, our Catmobile veterinarian
asked us to take in a three-year-old
orange tabby named Lady Madonna
from another shelter, where she had
become a bit nippy with adopters in
their caged environment.
Tuesday - Saturday:
11:00am - 4:00pm
Little did we know, Lady Madonna
would be with us for seven months.
As Shelter Manager Brit Fox Hover
described, however, the time in the
shelter ultimately served her well:
“Madonna had a major affinity for running down in the basement. She loved
that we had to catch her and the attention she got from it. She did it so much
that she got used to being picked up and
ended up loving it. We could hold her
and kiss her and do anything by the [time she was adopted]. She made being here a game and in so
doing lost a lot of [the] fear and aggression she had when she initially came here by bonding with
us humans.”
Stop in anytime we’re open,
or, for an appointment outside
of our regular hours, email
adoptioncounselor@mrfrs.org.
In early January 2016, Madonna’s ship came in when Dwight walked into the shelter. He was interested in a different cat, but spent a lot of time discussing Madonna with Adoption Coordinator Gaye
Piechowiak. A few days later, after discussing the adoption with his wife, Dwight returned and said he
wanted to adopt Madonna.
Visit our cats online anytime at
mrfrs.org - click on Meet the
Cats!
Soon after, Gaye received some wonderful emails from Dwight… er… Lady Madonna:
Salisbury Adoption
Center
63 Elm Street
(Route 110 East)
Salisbury, MA 01952
978-462-0760
Adoption Hours
Sunday & Monday:
closed
Catmobile Hotline
Monday - Friday
10:00am - 4:00pm
978-465-1940
or anytime at
catmobile.org
catmobile@mrfrs.org
Find us on...
Facebook
facebook.com/MRFRSorg
facebook.com/catmobilemrfrs
Twitter
@MRFRScats
Instagram
@Catmobile2
Hi Gaye,
I have a new home! I attached some pictures that I wanted to share with my old friends. The first
picture is me scoping out my new parlor. There’s lots of places here to explore. The second picture is
me checking out my new scratching post [not shown]. My new owner somehow knew I liked catnip
because he put some on it. The third picture is me playing with Cheryl, she got home after work and
offered me a string toy that I couldn’t resist [not shown]. The fourth picture is me at the top of the
stairs, waiting for my new owners to go to bed (I like this spot) [not shown]. It’s very nice and quiet
here. I’ve been snooping into every nook and cranny in my new home. I think I’m doing this to be
sure I’m the only cat in the house. Well it turns out, I am! Well, it’s getting late, so I’m going to call
it a night. Best regards, Lady Madonna P.S. I’ll be back in touch soon.
-Hi Gaye, Day two and I’m spoiled rotten. I spent
late last night nestled in a secret spot until early this
morning. Then I spent most of today snoozing on
my owners’ waterbed. I finally got hungry enough to
come down stairs and eat some Fancy Feast Ocean
Whitefish and Tuna and Purina 1 Chicken & Turkey.
I then spent the rest of the evening basking under
Cheryl’s floor lamp. Many Meows, Lady Madonna
Thanks to Dwight and his family for giving Lady
Madonna the home she waited so patiently for – it was
clearly worth the wait!
Letter from the Executive Director
Dear Friends,
We’re only a few months into 2016, and the year is already off to
a busy start (and, luckily, a less snowy one than last year)!
organizations to carry out a targeted TNR project and apply for
funding to continue future projects on their own. By coaching these
organizations, we have grown the capacity for TNR across the country, and assisted over 9,000 cats and kittens. This year our mentoring
program has shifted its focus in order to help smaller, grassroots organizations develop successful TNR projects. Stacy’s years of experience are being put to great use in helping these groups get their TNR
projects off the ground.
Since our last newsletter, we won 10,000 lbs. of World’s Best Cat
Litter thanks to all of you and the many great folks who voted
for us during the contest. We also took in almost seventy cats
from one home just before Thanksgiving, and in November and
December, we had record adoption numbers, with a whopping
203 cats and kittens finding wonderful new homes in just two
hectic months!
Finally, as the survey many of you received by email in January indicated, MRFRS is just entering the very early stages of exploring the
possibility of a new facility in our future. We are grateful to everyone
who responded to the survey; it was a great way to “take the temperature” of our supporters around this idea, and while this will be a slow
and careful process, we are, as always, grateful for your support! Stay
tuned for more on this in the future (though we know it’s hard to be
patient)!
Our Catmobiles keep chugging along, too, serving all of Eastern
Massachusetts with low-cost spay/neuter services. Did you know
that we visit over thirty locations, from Salisbury all the way
south to Attleboro and out west of I-495 to Gardner?
Our FARS and Captain Courageous Fund programs continue to
assist cats around the state as well. FARS helps low-income cat
owners with veterinary care when their cats are sick or injured,
and CCF lends a helping hand with vet care for stray and feral
cats with nowhere else to turn. Later on in this newsletter, you’ll
find the heartwarming story of David and his two kitties, assisted
recently by FARS.
Wishing you and yours all the very best for 2016!
With gratitude,
One initiative you may be less familiar with is our mentoring
program, started in 2011 and run by former MRFRS President
Stacy LeBaron. This program, initially funded through grants
from PetSmart Charities, provided mentorship to fifty-nine
Liz Pease
Executive Director
M A C A N D M A F : O U R PA R T N E R S I N C A R I N G F O R C AT S I N N E E D
Making spay and neuter services affordable to everyone is one
of the most powerful ways to reduce feline overpopulation. As
we frequently say, “it takes a village to help our kitties,” and
we’d like to tell you about two effective organizations that have
helped MRFRS—and many other animal welfare groups—
reduce the number of unfixed cats.
Created in 2012 through legislation, the Massachusetts Animal
Fund’s (MAF) mission is to seek an end to the problem of
animal homelessness in the Commonwealth. Their programs are
funded directly by the voluntary tax check-off line (Line 32F)
on your state tax form.
MAF distributes the funds you donate on your tax return to
offset the cost of providing spay/neuter services and vaccines
to homeless cats and dogs, along with the pets of low-income
residents. We are proud that MAF is a sponsor of our Catmobile
program, and we accept the vouchers they distribute to lowincome pet owners for no-cost spay/neuters for their cats. Most
recently, MAF provided us with a generous grant of $5000 to
assist with the spaying and neutering of the sixty-nine cats we
took in from the Hayes Street hoarding situation.
through the sale of these special plates (with the exception of a onetime $12 manufacturing fee per plate) is distributed through MAC
as grants to non-profit humane organizations and municipal animal
control agencies, who use the funds to subsidize their spay/neuter
initiatives. MFRFS has received grants from MAC to offer low-cost
($40 spays, $20 neuters) surgeries for residents of Salisbury, Fitchburg
and Lynn, and they have also given us grants in the past to support our
monthly feral cat clinics.
We’re thankful for the efforts and support of both MAF and MAC…
and you can help them continue to do their important work. Be sure
to make a donation of any amount on Line 32F of your state tax form
before April 15, and choose to declare your love for animals by buying
an “I’m Animal Friendly” license plate. For more information, check
out the following websites:
www.massanimalfund.com
www.massanimalcoalition.com
The Massachusetts Animal Coalition (MAC) is a statewide, notfor-profit organization that promotes collaboration among those
who work in animal welfare in Massachusetts. Its membership
spans a wide array of individuals and groups, all of whom have a
passion for improving outcomes for animals.
The MAC program you’re probably most familiar with is the “I’m
Animal Friendly” license plate program. All of the funds raised
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S AV E T H E D AT E S
Our Catmobile Call Center, which
handles over 500 phone calls per
week, is staffed by three customer
service professionals, including
Cindy Bernard and Jane Carolan.
• DINING TO DONATE: PHAT CATS BISTRO
Wednesday, April 20th through Sunday, April 24th at at 65A
Market Street, Amesbury. From 4:30pm till closing, every evening
from April 20th through April 24th, a portion of all food sales at
Phat Cats Bistro will be donated to MRFRS! Reservations are
strongly recommended, as this is a small venue. Come and enjoy
a great meal at Phat Cats -- and help support the kitties while you
dine!
Cindy graduated with a masters
degree in nursing and spent forty
years running emergency rooms!
She retired seven years ago and
started with MRFRS as a cat care
volunteer in 2013. She started
working as an operator at the call
center in September 2014. Cindy
loves the camaraderie at the office
and has a true passion for helping
people and their pets. She currently
lives in Windham, NH with her dog, Babs (the Catmobile office
mascot) and her cat, Maggie Mae, adopted from MRFRS. On her
days off, Cindy enjoys needlework, eating chocolate, and most of all,
spending time with her children and grandchildren at Arlington Pond.
• SPRING PLANT SALE
Saturday, May 9th, 10:00am-2:00pm at 63 Elm Street, Salisbury.
Pick up some beautiful spring plants and bulbs for your home and
garden and make sure to pick up some gifts for Mother’s Day!
We’ll be having a bake sale, too -- and come check out vendors
ArubaCats (cat trees), The HERB FARMacy (herbs and plants),
and Mast Cove Pottery (bird baths, leafware pottery, birdhouses,
and pots).
• 21st ANNUAL STRUT FOR STRAYS
Sunday, May 22nd, 10:00am-2:00pm at the Newbury MA Upper
Green. Check out the details in our story on page 3!
• COOL CATS ONLINE AUCTION
June 1st-13th Help our cats by participating in a fun, online
auction featuring great items for yourself, your friends and family,
and your pets. You’ll be able to preview the auction starting Friday,
May 27 at www.biddingforgood.com/mrfrs/coolcats2016.
Jane Carolan has been a call center
operator at the Catmobile office for
almost three years. Before she started
at MRFRS, she ran her own business
as a historic preservation consultant for
nearly thirty years. She was looking for a
part-time job, and thought the Catmobile
Call Center would be the perfect fit! Jane
is obsessed with cats and has always had
a cat in her life. Jane’s hobbies include
reading (especially mysteries and history), yoga, swimming, and crocheting.
You may be familiar with Jane’s work if you’ve purchased a crocheted
cat bed at Whisker Wonderland! Jane lives in Newbury with her
beloved cat Tom, who enjoys testing out the cat beds and watching his
“friends” at the birdfeeder.
• SPRING YARD SALE
Saturday, June 4th, 9:00am-2:00pm on the front lawn of the
adoption center. Our Yard Sale always has something for everyone!
• DINING TO DONATE: CARRY OUT CAFE/NATURAL DOG
Thursday, June 2nd, 4:00pm - 7:00pm 155 State St.,
Newburyport. 10% of sales at both locations will be donated to
MRFRS. Mark your calendar now to stop by the Natural Dog (and
Holistic Cat) for some goodies for your pets -- and Carryout Cafe
for a great dinner for yourself!
It ’s A l m o st Ti m e t o St r u t !
Spring is just around the corner, and we’re already gearing up for
our 21st Annual Strut for Strays on Sunday, May 22, 2016. Once
again, our 5K walk, 5K run and family festival will take place on the
Newbury Upper Green on Route 1A in Newbury from 10 am to 2 pm.
• Attend the Strut, and enjoy all of the wonderful food and craft
vendors who help make the Strut such a fun event. You can buy
some raffle tickets to help our Captain Courageous Fund for
injured, unowned cats, browse and shop our booths, and enjoy fun
activities for your kids.
There’s so much you can do to support the Strut, which is one of
our two most important fundraising events of the year:
• Spread the Word! Make sure to tell your friends about the Strut
and share our posts on Facebook. We need your help to spread the
word! It’s going to be a great day — for people and for our cats.
See you at the Strut!
• Sign up to walk or run at the event. You can sign up at mrfrs.org/
strut —and while you’re at it, why not put together a team of your
friends and walk together to support cats and kittens in need?
• Raise money from your friends and family. It’s easy to do by
putting together a First Giving page, and challenging your contacts
to support your efforts.
• Become a Strut sponsor! Whether you’re an individual or have a
business, we need your support. Imagine how proud you’ll feel
seeing your name on the Strut t-shirt that’s given to all of our
walkers and runners! Email strut@mrfrs.org for more information.
3
FARS Program
In November of this past year, our FARS program—which covers the cost of veterinary
care for cats belonging to low-income owners—received this email from Gail: “I’m
writing on behalf of my stepfather, who has 2 older cats in dire need of dental care. David
is a senior living on a fixed income, and cannot afford to provide veterinary care for his 2
cats, whom he loves very, very much.”
Once David filled out a FARS application, we were able to qualify him for our program
and then send his two kitties, Mittens and Red Kitty, to a local veterinarian for checkups
and a much-needed dental surgery for Red Kitty.
Not long after, we received this wonderful update from Gail: “Red Kitty has recovered
beautifully from his dental surgery! His heavily tartared teeth were cleaned and 2 infected
teeth were removed. Thanks to the Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society and its FARS
program, Red Kitty is now pain and infection free!
“Because of your financial support, David was also able to bring 17-year old, Mittens, to
the vet for a checkup. I’m happy to report that despite her advancing age, Mittens is in
great health and only required routine blood work and vaccinations.
“I truly cannot thank you and the FARS program enough for helping David and his kitties.
Without programs like this, seniors and others living on a fixed income would be unable to provide much-needed veterinary care for the animals
they love so much. Red Kitty and Mittens mean the world to David and he is incredibly grateful to MRFRS for affording him the opportunity
to provide veterinary care to his kitties.”
Gail’s email is exactly why we offer our FARS program—to keep kitties together with the families who love them! Thanks to generous grants
from Banfield, the Carlee Foundation, and the Fuller Foundation this fiscal year, FARS has been able to help sixty-eight cats so far this fiscal
year, with a lifetime total of 339 cats assisted by this much-needed program!
WISH LIST
• Canned (pate style) food
• Canned kitten food
• Paper towels
• Bleach
• HE laundry detergent
• Black sharpies
• Copier paper
Newsletter Credits
Writing & Editing:
Lisa Finkel
Steph Lyon
Liz Pease
Layout:
Ad’m DiBiaso
Photography:
Courtesy Photos
Gaye Piechowiak
Printing:
Harborside Printing
Issue 18
Copyright © 2016
MRFRS