inside... - Cat Adoption Team

A publication of the Cat Adoption Team Issue 5 SPRING/SUMMER 2016
A Move Changed Lacey’s Life
A f t e r 5 ye ars in shelters, Lace y f i n al l y has he r ho me
Every so often, a cat has a harder time than
usual meeting the right adopter. Such was the
case for Lacey, a six-year-old female tabby cat
who had spent most of her life in animal shelters.
In May 2010, Lacey was found roaming a landfill
in a small Oregon town. She was taken in by the
local shelter where they discovered that she was
about one year old, infected with parasites, and
pregnant.
inside...
2015 ANNUAL
REPORT
Lacey received the medical care she needed and
had her litter of kittens. Once the kittens were
weaned, she was spayed and became available
for adoption. But then she waited—for four
years!
Lacey came to CAT from another shelter after
waiting four years for a new home.
Despite being friendly, cute, and curious,
Lacey was repeatedly overlooked by potential
adopters. When the shelter had the opportunity
to transfer her to CAT through our Nine Lives
Transfer Program, they took it. The move from
a small town to a large metropolitan area would
give Lacey a greater chance for adoption.
CATS
ON THE MOVE
At CAT, we learned that although she enjoys being around people, she can become overstimulated
quickly. Over time, she had also developed some stress-related health issues that needed attention.
We moved Lacey into one of CAT’s foster homes where her health and overall
comfort greatly improved. It was a good change for Lacey, but our ultimate wish
for her was a permanent home.
“We do everything we can to make cats comfortable, healthy, and happy,” says
Karen Green, executive director of CAT, “but no shelter can compare to a loving
home.”
As Lacey began her fifth year of living in shelters, CAT focused extra effort
on helping her meet the right adopter. We posted her story online and in local
papers. And we asked you—our extended CAT family—to share her story too.
Your kindness amazed us. Lacey’s Facebook post was shared 980 times and seen
by almost 73,000 people. One of those people was Brittany Chandler.
Brittany had been considering adopting a new cat when she saw a friend’s post
about Lacey. She met Lacey on January 10, and fell in love.
Today, Lacey and Brittany are doing great together. Brittany describes Lacey as
“so sweet” and shares that “she head-butts me and nestles up to me.”
Your donations, volunteer efforts, and online support make stories like this
possible—thank you!
See inside for more details about CAT’s Nine Lives Transfer Program.
After living in shelters for five years, Lacey was adopted by
Brittany Chandler on January 10.
Sherwood, OR 97140
14175 SW Galbreath Drive
NON PROFIT
US POSTAGE
PAID
PORTLAND OR
PERMIT NO 63
A Great Year for
Portland-Area Cats
Cats on the Move
H o w t he Ni n e Li v e s Tran sfe r Pro g ram at C AT
e x pe ri e n c e d radi c al chan g e i n 2 0 1 5
2 0 15 was a record-breaking year i n t he
Po rt land m etro community
Through community engagement and partnerships among local
animal welfare groups, the Portland metro community achieved
another record year in 2015 with saving cats and kittens.
Our community has become
an increasingly safe place
for homeless animals—fewer
animals are entering shelters
and more of those who do are
finding loving homes. In 2015,
92% of all cats entering local
animal shelters were saved,
compared to just 49% in 2006.
Photo: Lamm Photography
In 2015, Trixie was found as a
homeless kitten. Thanks to a
Good Samaritan and the Spay
& Save program, she is safely
spayed and in a loving home.
Much of this success is due to
the Animal Shelter Alliance of
Portland (ASAP), a coalition
of 10 local animal welfare
organizations,
including
CAT. Through efforts that
focus on reducing shelter
intake,
improving
medical
and behavioral services for
homeless pets, utilizing transfer
of animals between shelters,
and encouraging adoption, our
community has seen a 90%
decrease in euthanasia rates
since 2006.
Thanks in part to Spay & Save, ASAP’s low-cost spay/neuter program,
fewer homeless cats are born into our community. As a result, local
shelters have seen a 42% decrease in the number of cats coming
through their doors since the launch of Spay & Save in 2010.
Because of this tremendous lifesaving success, organizations like
CAT are able to expand our reach to help save cats lives from areas
outside our immediate community.
“We continue to look for new partnerships, programs, and innovative
ways to save lives, such as bringing in cats from rural areas in our
region and beyond,” says Karen Green, executive director of CAT.
With the support of our entire community, more cats and kittens are
getting the quality care they need and their best opportunities to
find loving new homes. Thank you for saving lives with us!
Portland-Area Shelter Cat Stats
Until last year, CAT took in the majority of cats and kittens from
local shelters, including Multnomah County Animal Services and
Washington County Animal Services. With the lifesaving success that
our community is currently experiencing, we’re now able to work with
more shelter and rescue groups outside the Portland metro area.
The chart below shows just how quickly things are changing. In
2014, more than half of the cats and kittens for adoption at CAT had
come from other shelters within the Portland metro area and Salem.
By 2015, incoming cats from these groups dropped 40 percent,
and incoming animals from shelter and rescue groups outside our
immediate area increased almost 300 percent! What’s more, we took
in and found homes for more cats in 2015 than we did in 2014!
Incoming Cats at CAT
2014 vs. 2015
3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
Portland Metro &
Salem
Outside Immediate Public (owners, vet
Area
clinics, etc.)
Hiro’s Journey
Hiro came to CAT from central Oregon for a second chance
at adoption. This handsome 10-year-old Himalayan mix had
been adopted and returned twice for not getting along with
other pets. In the shelter where he was surrounded by other
cats, he was getting crankier by the minute.
In late January, Hiro moved to CAT. We had space for him
in one of our offices where he would get lots of human
attention and wouldn’t be so close to other cats. The new
environment brought about a big change for Hiro. Away
from other cats, he showed his charming, friendly side—
and he gained many admirers. By early February, he was
adopted into a loving home!
2006 2014 2015
Save Rate*
49.3%
91.2%
92.1%
Euthanasia
11,431
1,276
1,166
Adoptions
10,366
11,840
12,385
*The percentage of cats leaving the shelter alive (through adoption,
return to owner, or transfer to another shelter) no matter what
their health or behavior status.
Contact
Hours
Cat Adoption Team
14175 SW Galbreath Drive
Sherwood, OR 97140
503.925.8903
catadoptionteam.org
Tuesday – Friday, 12 noon – 7 pm
Saturday/Sunday, 12 noon – 6 pm
Closed Mondays
Total
Connect with us
facebook.com/catadoptionteam
twitter.com/catadopt
instagram.com/catadoptpdx
youtube.com/catadoptionteam
INCOMING CATS
Thanks to your support of our Nine Lives Transfer Program, cats from
other organizations can come into CAT to find new homes.
2015 ANNUAL REPORT
2,903 felines taken in
19% from the public (owner surrender, return)
25% from public shelters in Multnomah, Washington, and Clark counties
54% from other organizations
ADOPTIONS
With so many animal lovers in our area, it’s
no wonder adoptions at CAT were up 18%
over last year.
2,894 total adoptions
56% kittens (age < 1 year)
44% cats (age ≥ 1 year)
Including: 1,084 cats who completed special
COMPASSIONATE CARE
We strive to provide exceptional, individualized care to all the cats
who come through our doors. As a result, cats find the right
homes quickly
31% increase in adult cat adoptions (age ≥ 1 year)
63% decrease in length of stay*
*The total number of days an animal remains in CAT’s care prior to adoption
medical/behavior care
104 cats who will need ongoing
medical/behavior care in their
new homes
45 cats who required
extraordinary
measures to save
27 seniors (age 8 years+)
22 FIV-positive
VOLUNTEERS
Our talented, kind-hearted volunteers introduce cats to great new
families, clean kennels, fold laundry, file paperwork, and so much
more. Thank you for your dedication to saving lives!
417 volunteers worked 39,519 hours–the equivalent
of 19 full-time employees
Online Community: 9,793 Facebook fans
3,876 Twitter followers
SPAY/NEUTER CLINIC
FINANCIALS
CAT is a private, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that
relies on the support of our community through individual
contributions, corporate giving and sponsorships, grant
support, bequests and other planned gifts, and
event income.
$1,672,666
2015 Revenue & Support
52% Contributions and Grants
23% Adoption and Hospital Services
14% Thrift Store and Retail
7% Other Income
5 % Events
$1,481,323
2015 Expenses
76% Animal Services
9% Fundraising
8% Thrift Store
6% Administration/General
Financial figures are preliminary pending an auditor’s review; totals may be
slightly more/less than 100% due to rounding
See additional 2015 statistics at tiny.cc/CATstats15
Spay and neuter reduces the number of homeless cats
in our community and can strengthen the bond between
families and their pets.
2,688 spay/neuter surgeries
40% CAT cats & kittens
60% subsidized surgeries for cats with low-income owners
KITTEN FOSTER PROGRAM
Homeless kittens and mama cats get a safe start to life
thanks to our fully trained and incredibly kind
foster volunteers.
685 felines fostered
648 kittens
37 mama cats
90 foster homes
Meet the People
From “dog person” to “cat lady”
Show Your Support
Po pu l ar w ay s t o g i v e back a n d he l p c at s
Cars for CAT
Donate your vehicle to save lives! CAT can accept donations of cars,
trucks, RVs, boats, Motorbikes, ATVs, and other vehicles. Call us at
(503) 925-8903 x228.
AmazonSmile
If you choose CAT as your charity, you can donate partial proceeds
to us when you shop online at AmazonSmile. For more information,
visit smile.amazon.com.
Fred Meyer Rewards Card
Link your Fred Meyer Rewards Card to CAT and Fred Meyer will
donate to us on your behalf every time you use your card. Details at
www.fredmeyer.com/communityrewards.
Meow Team
Make a difference every month! Meow Team members contribute
through automatic monthly donations to provide a dependable
stream of support. Sign up at catadoptionteam.org/meow.
CAT volunteer and donor Tia Kauffman, pictured with her
cat Dexter.
CAT volunteer and donor Tia Kauffman says there was a time when,
“I could probably count on one hand the number of times I had pet a
cat!”
Tribute Gifts
Honor a loved one with a sponsorship in their name and you’ll get a
commemorative plaque displayed in our shelter. Call us or download
the sponsorship form at:
catadoptionteam.org/support/honor-memorial-gifts.
Estate Gifts
Through your will or living trust, you can designate a part of your
estate to support CAT’s programs and services. Or name CAT as a
beneficiary of your retirement, life insurance, or other investment
account. For more details, visit catadoptionteam.org/support/
planned-giving.
In fact, when Tia first got involved with CAT, she considered herself
more of a dog person. Now after 11 years volunteering with CAT,
she’s earned the “cat lady” moniker among colleagues, friends, and
family.
For her first CAT volunteer gig, Tia fostered a pair of kittens who
needed extra socialization. She found the experience rewarding and
was hooked. Since then, she’s done a little bit of everything: adoption
counseling, caregiving, posting cats online, and staffing community
events. She even convinced her mom to join her as a regular volunteer
feeder for several years.
These days, Tia is a volunteer foster mentor, and her entire family,
which includes husband Bryan and son Quinn, welcome foster cats
and kittens into their home. She says that they enjoy the opportunity
to volunteer as a family, “I bet there’s not that many three-year-olds
who can help give fluids to a kitten—but mine can!”
The Kauffmans are CAT donors as well. “I like supporting in both
ways,” says Tia. “I do the volunteering part almost more for myself
because it just feels good. The donor part is because while time is
money, money is money too—it’s a way that I can give even more.”
Being a part of the CAT community has been fulfilling for Tia and
her family. “It’s been really fun to watch CAT grow and change over
the years,” she says, “At CAT, I know my time and my financial
contributions really matter, and that’s important to me.”
To learn more about opportunities to help cats and kittens,
visit catadoptionteam.org
Kitten Palooza
Cat Adoption Team
Saturday, June 25
10 am - 6 pm
KITTENS! GAMES! SALES! FUN!
Photo: Leslie Schweitzer
Your support—whether through shopping, sponsorships, or other
gifts—provides lifesaving opportunities to cats like Jaime.
To learn more about supporting CAT,
visit catadoptionteam.org/support
Save the Date
Join us for the 13th annual
benefit auction and gala
in support of the
Cat Adoption Team
Saturday, November 12, 2016