Animal Welfare Professionals

Hi everyone

We're volunteers for a local rescue.  We do TNR and are foster parents, but lately we've had a real problem. The rescue we work with isn't helping us to find adoptive homes. It's not their fault-they are very overwhelmed and I know for a fact the other volunteers also have many cats that never wind up leaving.

Last October a woman who we had helped trap the cats in her parking lot at a nursing home called us. Her daughter found five kittens in a parking lot at a local business. The employee there told her that someone who lived around the corner dumped them there when her cat had kittens and she had done this before and the kittens usually wound up killed by cars as it's a very busy road.  Neither the woman who called my husband or her daughter were 'cat people' and my husband went and got them as he was concerned they would simply be dumped. 

The rescue told us since he had gotten them that there was no room at the inn.  They wouldn't put them in the pet store window where their others go-I don't know why. We had them vetted and neutered. 

We have a large cat household of rescues, mostly cats that were found from TNR and were friendly cats not thriving outside. I have several of my up for adoption cats listed and have listed these. But I don't get good candidates-we have a stipulation that if the person cannot keep the cat they return it to us and the few people we've had are from far away states and many get resentful when asked to do an application. 

Is there any site that will really help with finding homes?  We've also approached the other rescues in the area-they are too overwhelmed to help us. 

We're in a fairly rural are of South Alabama.  Does anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks,

Deb

#FosterPrograms

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Debra Hoffmann
TNR and Foster Pawrent
Azalea City Cat Coalition
Bay Minette AL
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Thank you for helping these kitties. It is a tough time for animals everywhere right now. I know all the rescues and shelters in my area in south Florida are overwhelmed as well.

What sites do you have them posted on? I would suggest posting on the Nextdoor app, joining all of the Facebook adoption groups in your area and posting there, and listing them on Adopt a Pet Rehome.  Here is the link to post them there https://rehome.adoptapet.com/r/185226  You can use our promo code to be able to post for a discounted rate of $1.  RCXHAQTL2U8AD8Z

Also make sure your listings/postings are of good quality (good photos in good lighting showing their personality, unique and compelling positive bios, personality traits, etc.) Is your application short and straightforward? If it is too lengthy and cumbersome, that may turn away potential adopters as well.

I would also suggest looking into whether any organizations near you transport adoptable animals to other states where there are fewer cats. Some organizations regularly send animals and could possibly help send yours to another rescue in another state.

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Amanda Gray
Vice President
Operation Liberation
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Original Message:
Sent: 06-26-2024 09:58 AM
From: Debra Hoffmann
Subject: How do you find adopters when you're pretty much on your own?

Hi everyone

We're volunteers for a local rescue.  We do TNR and are foster parents, but lately we've had a real problem. The rescue we work with isn't helping us to find adoptive homes. It's not their fault-they are very overwhelmed and I know for a fact the other volunteers also have many cats that never wind up leaving.

Last October a woman who we had helped trap the cats in her parking lot at a nursing home called us. Her daughter found five kittens in a parking lot at a local business. The employee there told her that someone who lived around the corner dumped them there when her cat had kittens and she had done this before and the kittens usually wound up killed by cars as it's a very busy road.  Neither the woman who called my husband or her daughter were 'cat people' and my husband went and got them as he was concerned they would simply be dumped. 

The rescue told us since he had gotten them that there was no room at the inn.  They wouldn't put them in the pet store window where their others go-I don't know why. We had them vetted and neutered. 

We have a large cat household of rescues, mostly cats that were found from TNR and were friendly cats not thriving outside. I have several of my up for adoption cats listed and have listed these. But I don't get good candidates-we have a stipulation that if the person cannot keep the cat they return it to us and the few people we've had are from far away states and many get resentful when asked to do an application. 

Is there any site that will really help with finding homes?  We've also approached the other rescues in the area-they are too overwhelmed to help us. 

We're in a fairly rural are of South Alabama.  Does anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks,

Deb

#FosterPrograms

------------------------------
Debra Hoffmann
TNR and Foster Pawrent
Azalea City Cat Coalition
Bay Minette AL
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