Animal Welfare Professionals

I live in a rural area of Texas that has a massive feral and stray cat population.  There are no organizations dedicated to this issue in the area, there is one group that does dog fostering and rehoming, they don't handle cats at all.  It's been something that has been on my heart to do something about for some time and I've decided to just start where I can and see how it grows.  I'm very fortunate to have a low cost spay/neuter clinic about 45 minutes away (HCAL for any one familiar) and they've been very good about working with me.  My initial plan was to self fund and provide the surgery and transportation for free to people that are managing feral colonies or feeding strays, I can do about 100 cats a year that way.  I did my first one this week and we had 8 cats come in, 7 of which were fixed and 1 that isn't healthy enough for sedation.  It's not a lot but, you eat the elephant one bit at a time and this was the first bite.  After soliciting cats for this date, I've come to realize the problem is much larger than I really understood so I've revised my goal up to 500 cats this year but, that means I'm going to need to get more organized, solicit donations, have a way to handle vet care for the ones that are too sick for sedation and generally add complexity.  The vet we use for our pet cats is awesome and has agreed to help me with that part.  Having farm animals, I've had to learn how to do a lot of basic vet care on my own so I can deal with the common eye infections, worming, giving shots when needed, etc with her help.  I've also been contacted by someone that has been fostering kittens for adoption on her own locally and she's offered to help however she can, I can't foster because we fail at it miserably.  If a kitten or cat stays here for 2 - 3 weeks, it lives here, we get attached and that's just how it is.

So all that said, I'm soliciting any advice anyone that has been down this road can offer on how to best do this.  What do I not know I don't know yet?  What pitfalls are in my future and how can I avoid them?  How do you go about building your volunteer network?  Where do you find donors?  I've gotten donations from a couple of the people that brought cats in for the surgery this week and one person that just wants to help, it's only $115 total and i spent $533 on the surgeries but again, one bite a time eventually eats the elephant.

I'm working on a website (https://baderacatrescue.org) and have a Facebook page setup with a way for people to donate via PayPal (Bandera County TNR | Bandera TX) with a way for people to donate via PayPal.  Longer term, I'm going to need to file for 501(c)3 status but, I don't have enough people participating right now to fill the Director positions required by Texas to create the organization.  Ultimately, I'd like to use a vacant building we own as a shelter and adoption center, that's at least a few years down the road though.

I really appreciate any advice anyone can offer, I really have no idea what I'm doing here.  Nobody else is doing it though and I can't go through another kitten season without doing something.

The little black kitten is the one that we couldn't get fixed this week.  She's got a URI, eye infection and worms.  I've wormed her, given her some antibiotics and am putting antibiotics in the eyes a couple of times a day.  She's a really good candidate for re-homing, very affectionate, so I've got to get her handed off to someone else soon before she becomes our 23rd pet cat.  We have 190 acres for them so, don't judge me too harshly.  I promise we don't have a hoarder house that smells like a litter box.  :)

#AdmissionsandIntake(includingIntake-to-placement)
#CommunityCatManagement
#FosterPrograms
#FundraisingandDevelopment
#MarketingandSocialMedia
#OrganizationalManagement
#Rehoming

------------------------------
Bernie Granier
Head Cat Wrangler
Bandera Cat Rescue / TNR
TX
------------------------------

Hi Bernie;

    Nice job and thank you for helping cats in your community.  I would be happy to share more, but below are a few options to get charitable donations to check out before you dive into the 501 c3 pond.  

    You can sign up for a new program:   https://furlanthropy.org/.   You can start a fundraising project with them and folks can get the charitable contribution.  

    You can consider down the road using a fiscal sponsor like:  Chappy and Friends instead of having to do the whole board management thing...  

the above types of programs will hopefully help you be able to focus more on your program work vs administrative tasks etc.    If you are interested in Fundraising ideas the folks at get fully funded have excellent resources

     Good luck and thank you! 

    

------------------------------
Stacy LeBaron
Head Cat
The Community Cats Podcast
Warren VT
978-239-2090
------------------------------

You're the MAN, Bernie!  Thank you for your compassion and your action to help all the struggling felines in your county.  We've been rescuing cats in rural West Tennessee for the past 22 years, about 500 a year.  I can tell you the biggest hurdle we face is meeting our annual budget of around $250K.  We do have some overhead with our physical facility and supporting ten foster homes with supplies etc.  Our biggest expense is veterinary care and we receive deep discounts from two vet practices.  I say all this because the cost of rescuing 500 cats a year can get away from you very quickly, if you are self-funding.  We end up with some very costly surgeries/treatments for rescued cats (we take all comers).  I don't know if you have a Vet School anywhere near you, but we use the Mississippi State University vet school for complex and costly surgeries that they do almost free to help train their students.  The majority of our funds come from modest online donors and we supplement that with a active grant-writing program.  We've received 10 grants from national foundations in the past 30 months.  I can tell you that the available grants for animal welfare are sparse and not huge.  So my best advice to you is build a donor base using your Facebook site and any other social media  you feel  comfortable with.    Leave grants until a year  or so to build up  some results andcredibility as you will need that to write successful grant.   Best of Success!

------------------------------
Bruce Thorsen
President, Board of Directors
Purrfect Match Cat Rescue
Millington TN
------------------------------

Thanks for the feedback Bruce.  The local TNR clinic is doing spay/neuter for us at an average of $75+/- when you include the extra costs for in heat females or aborted sedation when cats have a respiratory infection or something.  That includes Rabies and FVLP vaccinations.  Just doing TNR, which is really my main focus, we can do 500 a year for $40,000 +/-.  I'm planning to put $10,000 into it this year, which will do at least 100 cats, I've got to raise funds for the rest though.  Hopefully, our vet expenses will remain manageable with just small things like URIs, eye infections and wormings.  I'm not sure it really makes sense to take heroic efforts to save a feral cat that needs major care and recovery, unless they're already very well socialized and we can place them somewhere.  I don't need any more project cats...lol

We're looking at doing some fundraising events, things like a Sip & Paint at one of the area wineries, a rubber duck race in the river if we ever get some rain, corn hole tournament or an outdoor movie night using an inflatable screen.  Stuff like this should be well attended and help with fundraising.  I'm looking at doing some raffles as well. 

I've looked into grants and have found that, like you said, there aren't that many of them and they aren't all that much money.  Don't get me wrong, I'd love to have another $2,500 or $5,000 from a grant but, I'm not sure that the amount of effort involved in chasing that wouldn't be better spent on our own fundraising efforts.

------------------------------
Bernie Granier
Head Cat Wrangler
Bandera Cat Rescue / TNR
TX
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 02-25-2025 06:48 AM
From: Bruce Thorsen
Subject: Starting a TNR and Rescue organization in an underserved area - please give me your advice.

You're the MAN, Bernie!  Thank you for your compassion and your action to help all the struggling felines in your county.  We've been rescuing cats in rural West Tennessee for the past 22 years, about 500 a year.  I can tell you the biggest hurdle we face is meeting our annual budget of around $250K.  We do have some overhead with our physical facility and supporting ten foster homes with supplies etc.  Our biggest expense is veterinary care and we receive deep discounts from two vet practices.  I say all this because the cost of rescuing 500 cats a year can get away from you very quickly, if you are self-funding.  We end up with some very costly surgeries/treatments for rescued cats (we take all comers).  I don't know if you have a Vet School anywhere near you, but we use the Mississippi State University vet school for complex and costly surgeries that they do almost free to help train their students.  The majority of our funds come from modest online donors and we supplement that with a active grant-writing program.  We've received 10 grants from national foundations in the past 30 months.  I can tell you that the available grants for animal welfare are sparse and not huge.  So my best advice to you is build a donor base using your Facebook site and any other social media  you feel  comfortable with.    Leave grants until a year  or so to build up  some results andcredibility as you will need that to write successful grant.   Best of Success!

------------------------------
Bruce Thorsen
President, Board of Directors
Purrfect Match Cat Rescue
Millington TN
------------------------------

Our rescue model is completely different from yours, so I think you probably can fund TNR for 500 cats a year with some effort in broadening your social media content and looking around for some corporate support from businesses in your area that sell pet-related stuff and eventually some grants.  We've partnered with grocery stores, Tractor Supply and Hollywood Feeds (based in Memphis) .   We actually don't do TNR.  We collaborate with another local NPO who focus on ferals. We rescue, vet and socialize stray, abused, abandoned cats/kittens along with saving cats from euthanasia from six rural county animal shelters.  We then transport the cats to four adoption partners in New England free of charge.  You can visit our website: www.purrfectmatchcatrescue.org to see our story and successes.  Since 2015, we've transported over 5,000 cats to New England where they all found loving, permanent homes.  So we have a good story to tell in attracting grants.  Having a track record and a well-run NPO are keys to success in the grants-world.   Keep up your fine work!!!  P.S. Your spay/neuter costs are very similar to our average. 

------------------------------
Bruce Thorsen
President, Board of Directors
Purrfect Match Cat Rescue
Millington TN
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 02-25-2025 07:22 AM
From: Bernie Granier
Subject: Starting a TNR and Rescue organization in an underserved area - please give me your advice.

Thanks for the feedback Bruce.  The local TNR clinic is doing spay/neuter for us at an average of $75+/- when you include the extra costs for in heat females or aborted sedation when cats have a respiratory infection or something.  That includes Rabies and FVLP vaccinations.  Just doing TNR, which is really my main focus, we can do 500 a year for $40,000 +/-.  I'm planning to put $10,000 into it this year, which will do at least 100 cats, I've got to raise funds for the rest though.  Hopefully, our vet expenses will remain manageable with just small things like URIs, eye infections and wormings.  I'm not sure it really makes sense to take heroic efforts to save a feral cat that needs major care and recovery, unless they're already very well socialized and we can place them somewhere.  I don't need any more project cats...lol

We're looking at doing some fundraising events, things like a Sip & Paint at one of the area wineries, a rubber duck race in the river if we ever get some rain, corn hole tournament or an outdoor movie night using an inflatable screen.  Stuff like this should be well attended and help with fundraising.  I'm looking at doing some raffles as well. 

I've looked into grants and have found that, like you said, there aren't that many of them and they aren't all that much money.  Don't get me wrong, I'd love to have another $2,500 or $5,000 from a grant but, I'm not sure that the amount of effort involved in chasing that wouldn't be better spent on our own fundraising efforts.

------------------------------
Bernie Granier
Head Cat Wrangler
Bandera Cat Rescue / TNR
TX
------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 02-25-2025 06:48 AM
From: Bruce Thorsen
Subject: Starting a TNR and Rescue organization in an underserved area - please give me your advice.

You're the MAN, Bernie!  Thank you for your compassion and your action to help all the struggling felines in your county.  We've been rescuing cats in rural West Tennessee for the past 22 years, about 500 a year.  I can tell you the biggest hurdle we face is meeting our annual budget of around $250K.  We do have some overhead with our physical facility and supporting ten foster homes with supplies etc.  Our biggest expense is veterinary care and we receive deep discounts from two vet practices.  I say all this because the cost of rescuing 500 cats a year can get away from you very quickly, if you are self-funding.  We end up with some very costly surgeries/treatments for rescued cats (we take all comers).  I don't know if you have a Vet School anywhere near you, but we use the Mississippi State University vet school for complex and costly surgeries that they do almost free to help train their students.  The majority of our funds come from modest online donors and we supplement that with a active grant-writing program.  We've received 10 grants from national foundations in the past 30 months.  I can tell you that the available grants for animal welfare are sparse and not huge.  So my best advice to you is build a donor base using your Facebook site and any other social media  you feel  comfortable with.    Leave grants until a year  or so to build up  some results andcredibility as you will need that to write successful grant.   Best of Success!

------------------------------
Bruce Thorsen
President, Board of Directors
Purrfect Match Cat Rescue
Millington TN

Hi Bernie!  Congratulations for being part of the solution!

My first thought is to drop "rescue" from the name.  It just seems to invite people to make the cats someone else's problem.  You will have your hands full to do spay-neuter and Trap-Neuter-Return, without inviting folks to bring more with a name that sets up expectations.   Badera Cats sounds great!

Then, remember where all of these cats come from:  unspayed and unneutered pets!  Look at the Community Cats Podcast's great pyramid (you can learn more and download it in English and Spanish here:  https://www.communitycatspodcast.com/cat-pyramid-2/), and think about offering cat owners a deep discount to fix their pet cats--you pay the balance, not the whole amount.  You know what's reasonable for your community as a price--$30 co-pay?  $25, or $50?  If someone can't pay, scoop them up as volunteers to help with fundraising! 

Speaking of which, finding other like-minded volunteers will be the key to building a successful program!  

Transportation can be an issue for people, so maybe you can offer that as well? Some enterprising people here in the Pacific NW offer transport of about a 3-hour ride (one way--so 6 hours round-trip) for $15.  Within a few yeas, each was able to purchase and outfit a small used schoolbus to carry even more cats.  The length of the drive meant an overnight with the cats in the bus.  You could have volunteers  do it for $5-10 per cat, and cover their gas costs., coffee.

We require vets working with our organization to learn the "quick spay" techniques, so that they will save time and money on the spay-neuter surgeries, and we minimize recovery time as much as possible.  We ask them for a heavy discount on their normal fees, reflecting the growing volume of cats we send them.  Have you taken your family vet to lunch, or brought coffee and had  a discussion about what it would look like to start building a high-volume program?  Are there other vets in the area you could engage with as well?  Maybe build a program together, not as competitors?  

You can look into sponsoring a "wet lab" for more efficient spay-neuter techniques used for high volume progams.  Are there reretired vets or large animal vets who might be interested in solving the overpopulation problem as volunteers or Per diem workers in your local vet clinics?

Just a few ideas after 5 years running a small nonprofit for cats in a foreign country.  We started with my $300 donation for s/n, a gmail account,  Facebook page, and one friendly vet, open to new ideas.   We couldn't find a fiscal sponsor -- similar nonprofits in the US didn't want responsibility for a project overseas, and there were no like-minded programs we could partner with in the location where we work.  We thought the paid sponships at the time were too expensive.  There are more of them now , which may impact their affordability.

My first pet cats as a child were left behind with kind family friends. when we moved.  Unspayed and unneutered.  Thoughts of their offspring still haunt me when I hear about cats in Texas.

Good luck!  Build a solid support network for yourself and take care!

------------------------------
April King
Volunteer and Board Member
Kotor Kitties
+1 206 407 5336
http://www.kotorkitties.org
------------------------------

Hi Bernie, 

Well done!  I have family in Texas and realize that cats are often considered expendable out there.  That's awesome that you can self fund, at least for a little bit.  I was under the same plan when I started my Community Cat program last July, but was quickly approached by a donor who offered her husband's help in getting me 501c3 status.  i recommend doing that as soon as you can.  Our Board is comprised of 3 like-minded individuals who do all the dirty work for now, but I just received my first TNR grant from the Binky Foundation yesterday!  I also partnered with my local municipality to set aside some tax dollars to fund surgeries through a TNR partner.

We have a Facebook webpage, but it's local.  I have found a few high dollar donors, and am ready to start my first fundraiser on my own in March, so hopefully it goes well - if it does, I'll share results.  I'm creating my solicitation letters for all the businesses in town to ask for donations as well.  I wish I could go as big as an entire shelter, but I work full time.  Becoming the 501c3 allowed me to use the Fundraising tools on PayPal, Venmo and Facebook so here's hoping that helps as well.  

What I have found helpful is networking.  Allowing people who want to help, a way to help in the way they want to.  Some people are really good and organizing, and others can transport.  Lean heavily on them so it frees you up to run the show!  Best of luck@

------------------------------
Suzanne Shriner
Director
South Middleton Community Cats
PA
------------------------------

Thanks Suzanne, I created the Tx Nonprofit Corp, got my EIN and submitted the 501(c)3 paperwork last week.  I'm just waiting for the IRS to send me a letter, which takes however long it takes.  I'm collecting things for an online raffle or silent auction right now, I think that'll do better than just asking people for donations.  I've gotten a few donations, about $275, it helps but it's not nearly enough.  We're also working on planning some fun events as fundraisers, a Sip & Paint at a local winery, outdoor movie night, rubber duck race if we ever get some rain and the river is flowing well, etc.

I did setup a FB page and have a website in progress (https://banderacatrescue.org).  I've also met with the Executive Director at the non-profit clinic that I'm using for the spay/neuter to talk about ways to collaborate.  I think my next step is going to be to visit with the County Judge (sort of like the mayor of a county in Tx, not a judge in the traditional sense) to see if there might be some funding there, or at least some way to generate more awareness. 

I can already see this is going to be a lot of work but, someone has to do it and I guess that someone is going to be me.  At least for now.

------------------------------
Bernie Granier
Head Cat Wrangler
Bandera Cat Rescue / TNR
TX
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 02-26-2025 10:34 AM
From: Suzanne Shriner
Subject: Starting a TNR and Rescue organization in an underserved area - please give me your advice.

Hi Bernie, 

Well done!  I have family in Texas and realize that cats are often considered expendable out there.  That's awesome that you can self fund, at least for a little bit.  I was under the same plan when I started my Community Cat program last July, but was quickly approached by a donor who offered her husband's help in getting me 501c3 status.  i recommend doing that as soon as you can.  Our Board is comprised of 3 like-minded individuals who do all the dirty work for now, but I just received my first TNR grant from the Binky Foundation yesterday!  I also partnered with my local municipality to set aside some tax dollars to fund surgeries through a TNR partner.

We have a Facebook webpage, but it's local.  I have found a few high dollar donors, and am ready to start my first fundraiser on my own in March, so hopefully it goes well - if it does, I'll share results.  I'm creating my solicitation letters for all the businesses in town to ask for donations as well.  I wish I could go as big as an entire shelter, but I work full time.  Becoming the 501c3 allowed me to use the Fundraising tools on PayPal, Venmo and Facebook so here's hoping that helps as well.  

What I have found helpful is networking.  Allowing people who want to help, a way to help in the way they want to.  Some people are really good and organizing, and others can transport.  Lean heavily on them so it frees you up to run the show!  Best of luck@

------------------------------
Suzanne Shriner
Director
South Middleton Community Cats
PA
------------------------------

Hi Bernie,

Congrats on the First Steps toward a great organization! You mention meeting with a nonprofit clinic executive director. If you are in good terms and trust this person to advocate for your organization, you might want to approach him/her to sponsor you fiscally until you get your own 501-c3. I think this will allow you write grants with this person managing the grants funding if you get it. Hence I mentioned trust. Just something to think about. 

I saw that Suzanne got her First Steps grant for TNR with Binky, with the fiscal sponsorship you might be able to do the same - applying for the First Steps grant with Binky. I think it is $1000. Anything helps.  Good Luck.

------------------------------
Julielani Chang
The Life of Kai: Compassion Connections Inc.
Davis CA
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 03-03-2025 01:03 PM
From: Bernie Granier
Subject: Starting a TNR and Rescue organization in an underserved area - please give me your advice.

Thanks Suzanne, I created the Tx Nonprofit Corp, got my EIN and submitted the 501(c)3 paperwork last week.  I'm just waiting for the IRS to send me a letter, which takes however long it takes.  I'm collecting things for an online raffle or silent auction right now, I think that'll do better than just asking people for donations.  I've gotten a few donations, about $275, it helps but it's not nearly enough.  We're also working on planning some fun events as fundraisers, a Sip & Paint at a local winery, outdoor movie night, rubber duck race if we ever get some rain and the river is flowing well, etc.

I did setup a FB page and have a website in progress (https://banderacatrescue.org).  I've also met with the Executive Director at the non-profit clinic that I'm using for the spay/neuter to talk about ways to collaborate.  I think my next step is going to be to visit with the County Judge (sort of like the mayor of a county in Tx, not a judge in the traditional sense) to see if there might be some funding there, or at least some way to generate more awareness. 

I can already see this is going to be a lot of work but, someone has to do it and I guess that someone is going to be me.  At least for now.

------------------------------
Bernie Granier
Head Cat Wrangler
Bandera Cat Rescue / TNR
TX
------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 02-26-2025 10:34 AM
From: Suzanne Shriner
Subject: Starting a TNR and Rescue organization in an underserved area - please give me your advice.

Hi Bernie, 

Well done!  I have family in Texas and realize that cats are often considered expendable out there.  That's awesome that you can self fund, at least for a little bit.  I was under the same plan when I started my Community Cat program last July, but was quickly approached by a donor who offered her husband's help in getting me 501c3 status.  i recommend doing that as soon as you can.  Our Board is comprised of 3 like-minded individuals who do all the dirty work for now, but I just received my first TNR grant from the Binky Foundation yesterday!  I also partnered with my local municipality to set aside some tax dollars to fund surgeries through a TNR partner.

We have a Facebook webpage, but it's local.  I have found a few high dollar donors, and am ready to start my first fundraiser on my own in March, so hopefully it goes well - if it does, I'll share results.  I'm creating my solicitation letters for all the businesses in town to ask for donations as well.  I wish I could go as big as an entire shelter, but I work full time.  Becoming the 501c3 allowed me to use the Fundraising tools on PayPal, Venmo and Facebook so here's hoping that helps as well.  

What I have found helpful is networking.  Allowing people who want to help, a way to help in the way they want to.  Some people are really good and organizing, and others can transport.  Lean heavily on them so it frees you up to run the show!  Best of luck@

------------------------------
Suzanne Shriner
Director
South Middleton Community Cats
PA

Hey Bernie!

Congratulation and thank you for your work! It looks like you already have your 501c3 started, it only took a couple weeks for us to get our IRS letter. You are at a great start with coming to Maddie, there are so many amazing resources here. We started in rural Arkansas 2 years ago this past November. I had experience with TNR in San Francisco, and grew up with a mom who was known as the small town cat lady. When I was a teen we had over 30 cats, and smelled like it. :(   I would suggest creating an eye catching post on Nextdoor, Facebook, etc in local town groups and let people know you are wanting to see if anyone is interested in doing TNR. I had 9 people show up during a tornado watch, and now that we are a 501c3, several of them are on the board. Get Canva now and when you get your letter you can get the pro for free.

Being in Texas you have access to an amazing organization, Summerlee Foundation. They fund a lot of TNR programs and specifically have one for Texas.

Data is going to be key, so learn a process for tracking now. I'll be honest, I wish we would have stuck with a simple google doc, but we moved to ShelterLuv when some of the board wanted to focus on adoptions also.  As others mentioned, doing both is too much.  Focus on the TNR and partner with intake rescues! Once you get some data behind you apply for Bissell foundation grants. Bissell is one of the few national orgs focusing on FIXING the overpopulation crisis.  Become a Best Friends Partner! Like Maddie's fund there are some amazing resources and you can work with your regional contact to get more connections.

My computer decided to act up, so going to end here.  Feel free to reach out and I'm happy to share any resources we had when we got started.

It's a challenge, but so worth it!

Jenn

------------------------------
Jenn Capps
Executive Director
Community Cat Support Network
AR
------------------------------

I thought I'd come back and update everyone on what's happened in the last 3 months and what I've learned.  First, what we've managed to accomplish.

• We've TNR'ed 60 cats since 2/18, 90% of which are females
• Got 501(c)3 status using the short form, side note - don't tell others that went through the long form process how easy and fast the short form is.  If looks could kill....
• Raised a little over $8,000, which includes a MuttNation Foundation grant, $3,500 of my own money and $400 from a raffle
• Scheduled a Paint and Sip fundraiser for 5/24 where we hope to raise another $2,000
• We had to euthanize one because it was in such bad shape.  We lost one to injuries caused by a racoon while it was in a trap, I still have immense guilt over her and it changed the way we do some things.

Here's what I've learned, some of it I suspected going into it, some of it has been a surprise.

• A surprise is that fundraising is a constant effort.  While I originally planned to self fund this and do 100 cats this year, it immediately became apparent that wasn't going to have much of an impact so I revised that up to 500 and had to start asking others to help.  Most of the people that will praise what you're doing will not give anything to help support it, not even $5.  I wish they'd realize how much $5 from 100 people every month would help but, they can't seem to grasp that skipping a single coffee shop trip can make a big difference.
• There's always someone that's going to criticize what you're doing, even if you have the same goals.  This could be the person that says we should just shoot the feral cats, to the person that criticizes us for not combo testing every cat.  Reality is that, even if I agreed shooting was the answer, we're going to get a lot more cooperation and have more impact with TNR than the shooter will so not supporting us is counterproductive to a shared goal of reducing the population.  And combo testing, well yeah it would be ideal but, it would also reduce the number of cats we can spay by 1/3 and since we've made a decision to focus only on females right now for maximum population impact, it wouldn't matter because we're not touching the Toms right now who are just as likely to be infected.  These critics also never do anything to help, they just want to try to tear you down so they need to be blocked and ignored or they'll suck you dry.
• URIs are a MUCH bigger issue than I expected in the colonies and where one in a colony has one, there are always many others that will as well.  Thankfully, I already had a vial of Draxxin for my livestock, that's been a huge blessing and it's been extremely effective.
• More than half of our spays have been pregnant so, the hope that I could avoid spay/aborts was a pipe dream.  I still have some guilt over this but, I've accepted that it's a necessary evil.  I wish it could be different but, I can't live in wish land unfortunately.
• The majority of the people that are caring for the colonies are good people who are in way over their heads and don't really understand what's best for the cats.  We struggle with some of them to convince them that the cats are going to be OK in a trap for 24 hours, among other things.  It's a real balancing act managing their protective feelings towards "their" cats and what needs to happen.  They're all very grateful for the help but, sometimes we have to be more direct with them than I would like.
• Having a sympathetic vet available to help is an absolute must.  The clinic that does our surgeries is also a nonprofit and doesn't do anything other than spay/neuter and vaccinations so they can't help with other issues.  My personal vet has given me her cell and offers advice for free when I need it.  I really don't know what I'd do without her, I've been in over my head on some of these and without her guidance would probably not have had a good outcome.  I'm not inexperienced, having been caring for cats, dogs and livestock for 30 years now but, some of the conditions these ferals have shown up with were so far beyond where I would have let them get that I wasn't sure where to begin (which goes back to the caretakers being in way over their heads and letting little things become big things).
• This is almost a full time job.  Thankfully my employees have been willing to help, some of it paid time and some of it as volunteers.  I couldn't do it without them and the community involvement we do have.
• The cats are always going to relieve themselves on the trip to the clinic so make sure you have tarps and something absorbent under the traps.  One of my helpers got sprayed by a Tom last week, somehow she managed to stay in a positive mood for the 3 hours before she could get to the shower.  Rock stars like that make this much easier.

I think that covers the highlights.  I'm glad I've started this, despite the struggles and heartbreaks along the way.  I stay focused on how much good we're doing and the success stories where a cat has shown up with a URI so severe she ultimately lost vision in one of her eyes but, despite that we were able to get her healthy again and return her to her colony where she's thriving now.  The wins like that make all the effort worthwhile

------------------------------
Bernie Granier
Head Cat Wrangler
Bandera Cat Rescue / TNR
TX
------------------------------

Congratulations on getting your 501-c3. I suffered through the long form and am so glad there is a short form. Thank you for all the work you do despite the naysayers There are always those who lift you up and push you down but as long as you have a clear path, strong conviction and hope, things will find their way to work for you. The sympathetic vet is clearly a godsend.  I wish I have a sympathetic vet. I don't have the 30 yr experience that you have but 9 years of doing this work I know how hard it is. I am forever grateful to Maddie's to give my nonprofit a good seed to start. It sounds like you have a great ability to raise money which is a valuable skill to have and yes fundraising directly or indirectly is a constant endeavor. Good Luck with everything you do!

------------------------------
Julielani Chang
The Life of Kai: Compassion Connections Inc.
Davis CA
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 05-11-2025 07:19 AM
From: Bernie Granier
Subject: Starting a TNR and Rescue organization in an underserved area - please give me your advice.

I thought I'd come back and update everyone on what's happened in the last 3 months and what I've learned.  First, what we've managed to accomplish.

• We've TNR'ed 60 cats since 2/18, 90% of which are females
• Got 501(c)3 status using the short form, side note - don't tell others that went through the long form process how easy and fast the short form is.  If looks could kill....
• Raised a little over $8,000, which includes a MuttNation Foundation grant, $3,500 of my own money and $400 from a raffle
• Scheduled a Paint and Sip fundraiser for 5/24 where we hope to raise another $2,000
• We had to euthanize one because it was in such bad shape.  We lost one to injuries caused by a racoon while it was in a trap, I still have immense guilt over her and it changed the way we do some things.

Here's what I've learned, some of it I suspected going into it, some of it has been a surprise.

• A surprise is that fundraising is a constant effort.  While I originally planned to self fund this and do 100 cats this year, it immediately became apparent that wasn't going to have much of an impact so I revised that up to 500 and had to start asking others to help.  Most of the people that will praise what you're doing will not give anything to help support it, not even $5.  I wish they'd realize how much $5 from 100 people every month would help but, they can't seem to grasp that skipping a single coffee shop trip can make a big difference.
• There's always someone that's going to criticize what you're doing, even if you have the same goals.  This could be the person that says we should just shoot the feral cats, to the person that criticizes us for not combo testing every cat.  Reality is that, even if I agreed shooting was the answer, we're going to get a lot more cooperation and have more impact with TNR than the shooter will so not supporting us is counterproductive to a shared goal of reducing the population.  And combo testing, well yeah it would be ideal but, it would also reduce the number of cats we can spay by 1/3 and since we've made a decision to focus only on females right now for maximum population impact, it wouldn't matter because we're not touching the Toms right now who are just as likely to be infected.  These critics also never do anything to help, they just want to try to tear you down so they need to be blocked and ignored or they'll suck you dry.
• URIs are a MUCH bigger issue than I expected in the colonies and where one in a colony has one, there are always many others that will as well.  Thankfully, I already had a vial of Draxxin for my livestock, that's been a huge blessing and it's been extremely effective.
• More than half of our spays have been pregnant so, the hope that I could avoid spay/aborts was a pipe dream.  I still have some guilt over this but, I've accepted that it's a necessary evil.  I wish it could be different but, I can't live in wish land unfortunately.
• The majority of the people that are caring for the colonies are good people who are in way over their heads and don't really understand what's best for the cats.  We struggle with some of them to convince them that the cats are going to be OK in a trap for 24 hours, among other things.  It's a real balancing act managing their protective feelings towards "their" cats and what needs to happen.  They're all very grateful for the help but, sometimes we have to be more direct with them than I would like.
• Having a sympathetic vet available to help is an absolute must.  The clinic that does our surgeries is also a nonprofit and doesn't do anything other than spay/neuter and vaccinations so they can't help with other issues.  My personal vet has given me her cell and offers advice for free when I need it.  I really don't know what I'd do without her, I've been in over my head on some of these and without her guidance would probably not have had a good outcome.  I'm not inexperienced, having been caring for cats, dogs and livestock for 30 years now but, some of the conditions these ferals have shown up with were so far beyond where I would have let them get that I wasn't sure where to begin (which goes back to the caretakers being in way over their heads and letting little things become big things).
• This is almost a full time job.  Thankfully my employees have been willing to help, some of it paid time and some of it as volunteers.  I couldn't do it without them and the community involvement we do have.
• The cats are always going to relieve themselves on the trip to the clinic so make sure you have tarps and something absorbent under the traps.  One of my helpers got sprayed by a Tom last week, somehow she managed to stay in a positive mood for the 3 hours before she could get to the shower.  Rock stars like that make this much easier.

I think that covers the highlights.  I'm glad I've started this, despite the struggles and heartbreaks along the way.  I stay focused on how much good we're doing and the success stories where a cat has shown up with a URI so severe she ultimately lost vision in one of her eyes but, despite that we were able to get her healthy again and return her to her colony where she's thriving now.  The wins like that make all the effort worthwhile

------------------------------
Bernie Granier
Head Cat Wrangler
Bandera Cat Rescue / TNR
TX
------------------------------

This would be SOOOOO much harder without the vet help. 

I've done pretty well raising funds by staying active on social media and asking for money with easy ways to give in every post.  If you haven't, join PayPal Giving Fund, get certified as a nonprofit by Facebook and get your free nonprofit Venmo account.  The posts that do the best are the ones with the most pathetic looking cats, like this one that raised $800 in 2 days - https://www.facebook.com/share/p/16mdpt68j3/

I don't particularly care for using the really pathetic looking cats as fundraising tools but, you've got to do what's effective.  And in that case, the money we raised gave her a much better outcome than she'd have had without it.

------------------------------
Bernie Granier
Head Cat Wrangler
Bandera Cat Rescue / TNR
TX
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 05-11-2025 08:36 AM
From: Julielani Chang
Subject: Starting a TNR and Rescue organization in an underserved area - please give me your advice.

Congratulations on getting your 501-c3. I suffered through the long form and am so glad there is a short form. Thank you for all the work you do despite the naysayers There are always those who lift you up and push you down but as long as you have a clear path, strong conviction and hope, things will find their way to work for you. The sympathetic vet is clearly a godsend.  I wish I have a sympathetic vet. I don't have the 30 yr experience that you have but 9 years of doing this work I know how hard it is. I am forever grateful to Maddie's to give my nonprofit a good seed to start. It sounds like you have a great ability to raise money which is a valuable skill to have and yes fundraising directly or indirectly is a constant endeavor. Good Luck with everything you do!

------------------------------
Julielani Chang
The Life of Kai: Compassion Connections Inc.
Davis CA
------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 05-11-2025 07:19 AM
From: Bernie Granier
Subject: Starting a TNR and Rescue organization in an underserved area - please give me your advice.

I thought I'd come back and update everyone on what's happened in the last 3 months and what I've learned.  First, what we've managed to accomplish.

• We've TNR'ed 60 cats since 2/18, 90% of which are females
• Got 501(c)3 status using the short form, side note - don't tell others that went through the long form process how easy and fast the short form is.  If looks could kill....
• Raised a little over $8,000, which includes a MuttNation Foundation grant, $3,500 of my own money and $400 from a raffle
• Scheduled a Paint and Sip fundraiser for 5/24 where we hope to raise another $2,000
• We had to euthanize one because it was in such bad shape.  We lost one to injuries caused by a racoon while it was in a trap, I still have immense guilt over her and it changed the way we do some things.

Here's what I've learned, some of it I suspected going into it, some of it has been a surprise.

• A surprise is that fundraising is a constant effort.  While I originally planned to self fund this and do 100 cats this year, it immediately became apparent that wasn't going to have much of an impact so I revised that up to 500 and had to start asking others to help.  Most of the people that will praise what you're doing will not give anything to help support it, not even $5.  I wish they'd realize how much $5 from 100 people every month would help but, they can't seem to grasp that skipping a single coffee shop trip can make a big difference.
• There's always someone that's going to criticize what you're doing, even if you have the same goals.  This could be the person that says we should just shoot the feral cats, to the person that criticizes us for not combo testing every cat.  Reality is that, even if I agreed shooting was the answer, we're going to get a lot more cooperation and have more impact with TNR than the shooter will so not supporting us is counterproductive to a shared goal of reducing the population.  And combo testing, well yeah it would be ideal but, it would also reduce the number of cats we can spay by 1/3 and since we've made a decision to focus only on females right now for maximum population impact, it wouldn't matter because we're not touching the Toms right now who are just as likely to be infected.  These critics also never do anything to help, they just want to try to tear you down so they need to be blocked and ignored or they'll suck you dry.
• URIs are a MUCH bigger issue than I expected in the colonies and where one in a colony has one, there are always many others that will as well.  Thankfully, I already had a vial of Draxxin for my livestock, that's been a huge blessing and it's been extremely effective.
• More than half of our spays have been pregnant so, the hope that I could avoid spay/aborts was a pipe dream.  I still have some guilt over this but, I've accepted that it's a necessary evil.  I wish it could be different but, I can't live in wish land unfortunately.
• The majority of the people that are caring for the colonies are good people who are in way over their heads and don't really understand what's best for the cats.  We struggle with some of them to convince them that the cats are going to be OK in a trap for 24 hours, among other things.  It's a real balancing act managing their protective feelings towards "their" cats and what needs to happen.  They're all very grateful for the help but, sometimes we have to be more direct with them than I would like.
• Having a sympathetic vet available to help is an absolute must.  The clinic that does our surgeries is also a nonprofit and doesn't do anything other than spay/neuter and vaccinations so they can't help with other issues.  My personal vet has given me her cell and offers advice for free when I need it.  I really don't know what I'd do without her, I've been in over my head on some of these and without her guidance would probably not have had a good outcome.  I'm not inexperienced, having been caring for cats, dogs and livestock for 30 years now but, some of the conditions these ferals have shown up with were so far beyond where I would have let them get that I wasn't sure where to begin (which goes back to the caretakers being in way over their heads and letting little things become big things).
• This is almost a full time job.  Thankfully my employees have been willing to help, some of it paid time and some of it as volunteers.  I couldn't do it without them and the community involvement we do have.
• The cats are always going to relieve themselves on the trip to the clinic so make sure you have tarps and something absorbent under the traps.  One of my helpers got sprayed by a Tom last week, somehow she managed to stay in a positive mood for the 3 hours before she could get to the shower.  Rock stars like that make this much easier.

I think that covers the highlights.  I'm glad I've started this, despite the struggles and heartbreaks along the way.  I stay focused on how much good we're doing and the success stories where a cat has shown up with a URI so severe she ultimately lost vision in one of her eyes but, despite that we were able to get her healthy again and return her to her colony where she's thriving now.  The wins like that make all the effort worthwhile

------------------------------
Bernie Granier
Head Cat Wrangler
Bandera Cat Rescue / TNR
TX