Alley Cat Rescue is an organization in

Mount Rainier, Maryland Mount Rainier is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States, bordering Washington D.C. The population was 8,333 at the 2020 census. Mount Rainier is contained between the Northwest Branch Anacostia River, Cedar Lane Alley, and 34 ...

, that works to protect

cat The cat (''Felis catus'') is a domestic species of small carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species in the family Felidae and is commonly referred to as the domestic cat or house cat to distinguish it from the wild members of ...

s through rescue, rehabilitation and

adoption Adoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting of another, usually a child, from that person's biological or legal parent or parents. Legal adoptions permanently transfer all rights and responsibilities, along with filiation, from ...

locally in the states of

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

, and the

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, area using

trap–neuter–return Trap–neuter–return (TNR), also known as trap–neuter–release, is a controversial method that attempts to manage populations of feral cats. The process involves live-trapping the cats, having them neutered, ear-tipped for identification, and, ...

for

feral cat A feral cat or a stray cat is an unowned domestic cat (''Felis catus'') that lives outdoors and avoids human contact: it does not allow itself to be handled or touched, and usually remains hidden from humans. Feral cats may breed over dozens ...

s; as well as providing national and international resources for cat caretakers.

Founding

The organization was founded in 1997, when President Louise Holton moved on after co-founding

Alley Cat Allies Alley Cat Allies (incorporated on October 6, 1991) is a nonprofit animal welfare organisation. It advocates for reform of public policies and institutions to better serve the interests of cats. Based in Bethesda, Maryland, the group is best k ...

Programs

Low cost spay-neuter clinic

The organization offers low cost spay and neuter services for cats to low income residents of the states of

, and

Feral Cat Spay Day

On May 27, 2010, veterinarians across the U.S. were encouraged to participate in free or low-cost clinics for feral cats. Over 150 vets participated, including those in Canada and South Africa. The event has continued each year, most recently on May 27, 2014.

Trap–neuter–return

The organization offers

services for community cats (feral and stray) in their locations of Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C., including a feral cat clinic with low cost spay and neuter services by appointment.

Adoption

Adoption services are offered for about 250 cats and kittens a year, in a store-front location in

Silver Spring, Maryland Silver Spring is a census-designated place (CDP) in southeastern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, near Washington, D.C. Although officially unincorporated, in practice it is an edge city, with a population of 81,015 at the 2020 censu ...

. "We find homes for abandoned, stray, and relinquished cats; we also socialize feral kittens and work to find barn homes for feral cats."

Resources

Online resources are offered about feral cats, alternatives to declawing, and cat health, and information on advocating for cats. The organization maintains a list of "Cat Action Teams" who work to help feral cats all over the U.S.

International outreach

In 2007, the organization helped organize a free spay-neuter clinic for cats and dogs in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. In 2008, the organization gathered 12,000 signatures prior to the Beijing Winter Olympics and sent the petitions to the International Olympic Committee to encourage them not to host the games in countries that "clean their streets" of stray animals in preparation for the Olympics. The organization is also working to help save the

African wildcat The African wildcat (''Felis lybica'') is a small wildcat species native to Africa, West and Central Asia up to Rajasthan in India and Xinjiang in China. It has been listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List in 2022. In Cyprus, an African wil ...

, and to help feral cats in South Africa.

Awards

The organization's publications have won several awards:"History"
, Alley Cat Rescue Inc., accessed August 19, 2014. *In 2002, ACR's newsletter, ''Alley Cat Mews'', and handbook, ''Feral Cat Colony Management'', each won a Certificate of Excellence and a Muse Medallion from the Cat Writers' Association. *In 2007, ''Alley Cat Mews'' won a Muse Medallion from the Cat Writers' Association. *In 2011, ''An Army of Ordinary People,'' an article by Maggie Funkhouser published in ''Alley Cat Mews, was awarded a Certificate of Excellence from the Cat Writers' Association.

References

{{Reflist, 2 , refs= "Mission Statement"
{{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140711051120/http://www.saveacat.org/index.php/acr-about/acr-mission , date=2014-07-11 , Alley Cat Rescue, Inc., accessed August 19, 2014.

External links

Official Website
Animal charities based in the United States Charities based in Maryland Domestic cat welfare organizations Trap–neuter–return organizations