Who We Are and Why We Are Doing This.

Laurie

Christy

Heidi

Prior Contributors to Stray Pet Advocacy

Laurie

Welcome to the Stray Pet Advocacy site! I’m the site’s owner; my name is Laurie D. Goldstein. I’ve had the great fortune to be married to the love of my life since December 1993. Gary and I are partners in business. We are both Senior Vice Presidents of a mid-sized boutique brokerage firm in New York City. I’m a graduate of a Quaker College, and I’ve earned the professional designation of Chartered Financial Analyst, which skill I apply to my work as a publishing analyst on “Wall Street.”

Gary and I have no children, but we now have five "kids" who live inside with us: Lazlo, Sheldon, Spooky, Tuxedo and Flowerbelle. They were all feral rescues. We practice trap-neuter-release (TNR) for the seemingly endless stream of forgotten barn cats around here, and we care for a colony of about 12 ferals.

We’re pretty new to cats, actually. We live in a small farming community, and there are many forgotten barn cats and their progeny in the area. Gary used to hate cats, and I am VERY allergic to them. But our move to devoted cat-lovers started very simply with a garbage-can problem. I’ve always loved all animals, and instead of trying to run off the litterbug that kept raiding the can, I suggested we feed her. She was a scraggly looking thing. You can read Booger’s story, but suffice it to say – one cat leads to another.

When the kittens first turned up in our yard in the summer of 2002, we didn’t know what to do. I got on-line and found what I believe to be a great (and very helpful!) site, www.TheCatSite.com. There I discovered the world of ferals and strays, and Gary and I took on the challenge of trying to help end their terrible plight. We cared for the kittens and their mum, but in the meantime Gary became an expert trapper, catching the many cats attracted by the food we put out in order to get them vaccinated, spayed or neutered, and then re-releasing them. We adopted several of the kittens once they were 12 weeks old (old enough to leave mum), and we worked on socializing the others so that they would make the wonderful pets they have become (…and I started on prescription medication to combat my severe allergy to cats!) Unfortunately, we weren’t able to trap all the females before at least one more became pregnant, and we had to repeat the process with another batch of kittens that fall.

As for Samoa…well…he’s a different case. The owner of The Cat Site frequently posts headlines of cats in the news. I clicked on the link to the article she posted in the TCS Feral Colonies forum in September 202, and became immediately enraged. Here’s how that article began: “Our neighborhood has been terrorized lately by a wily old tomcat I call Osama bin Laden.” The story didn’t get any better from there, either. I immediately wrote a response to the journalist:

* * * * *

Dear Mr. Horsley:

I have to take grave issue with your presentation of that poor cat. Please bear in mind it is humans that created this situation by not properly caring for their cats. Education is what is important here, not condemnation. Literally millions of cats are left to fend for themselves through the ignorance of people who do not neuter or spay their pets or barn cats. EDUCATION in your column would be far more beneficial to the millions of needy animals as opposed to the condemnation of one poor sole who is not responsible for the fate bestowed upon him. I did not laugh reading your article, I cried. This cat may have been dumped by someone who didn't want him anymore (many families having babies for the first time do this). He may have run away from an abusive household, which could explain the reason for his attacks. He may have been born feral, and kicked around and had rocks thrown at him his whole life. Why would he act any differently than he does if that were the case? Either way, again, I repeat, this poor sole is not responsible for the situation in which he finds himself. He is a survivor with a stronger will and more smarts than most.

You say "Feral cats have no business setting up shop in a residential neighborhood." As if they choose! You make it seem as if you and your neighbors are the victims. This poor Tom is the victim. The victim of uncaring, uneducated people. And you are simply perpetuating the
problem, not helping anyone stop or address the problem. You could have used this opportunity to educate yourself as to the problem of feral and stray cats in this country. You could have used this opportunity to learn about all the good work being done by thousands across the country
to stop this problem through Trap, Neuter, Release (TNR) programs, designed and WORKING to reduce the feral/stray populations country-wide. But no. You further victimize another victim. He is the butt of a joke, a sad joke. I pray for that poor kitty, that he should know some peace some day, that he won't have to lash out at children who probably provoked him. I pray for your children, that they should become wiser than their father, and try to care about a problem as opposed to use it for a laugh at the victim's expense.

I also zipped off a letter to the paper’s Editor:

I am a Senior Vice President of and Senior Equity Analyst at Gilford Securities, a brokerage firm based in mid-town Manhattan. I survived September 11, 2001. Many of my friends and hundreds of my customers and business associates - people I knew personally - did not. That Mr. Horsley named this innocent victim of society's ignorance after a madman who is terrorizing our nation and has murdered thousands is in extremely poor taste. That the newspaper allowed him to print it is unconscionable.

Naming this victim of society's ignorance "Osama" cheapens the deaths of other innocents who suffered Osama bin Laden's handiwork. For Mr. Horsely to compare the fate of his neighborhood due to their ignorance of the problems of abandoned and feral cats to the victims of Osama bin Laden is unthinkable. Shame on him, and shame on you for printing it.

* * * * *

Well – I was so moved by the whole thing that I felt compelled to do something about it. The first thing that had to happen was to get rid of that horrible name! Using the letters in the name the journalist ascribed to him, we easily came up with an alternative, “Samoa.” After a rescuer was unable to contact her Texas connections, Gary and I took action. We looked up Vets in the Amarillo area and started calling. They all referred us to one person: Judi Glidewell, the owner of CritterCamp. We contacted her. She immediately took on the plight of this poor cat. She was able to get in touch with the journalist who wrote the article, and eventually they trapped Samoa. So many people from around the country became involved in this story, and the Internet enabled all of us to participate in his rescue.

To me it was the epitome of a rescue-coordination effort. A network of caring people from around the country – from around the world, in fact - came together to save Samoa from a terrible fate at the hands of people uneducated as to the plight of stray and feral cats; of people who assume no responsibility for a mess created by people, of which these poor creatures die daily. By the thousands. They die of disease and starvation. They die because they are poisoned. They die because they are euthanized by animal control. But they did not create the problem, people did. Why should these poor souls suffer when they’ve done nothing wrong?

They don’t need to. But it takes education. Thus, www.SaveSamoa.org and www.StrayPetAdvocacy.org were born.

Www.SaveSamoa.org is dedicated to the rescuers and the rescued. It is our hope that these stories will inspire anyone who was a cat turn up in their yard and gets on-line to seek answers. It is our hope that these stories will help all of us learn about rescuing, and those rescued. Www.StrayPetAdvocacy.org is dedicated to education, legislation and research. We hope to reach those who want to change animal control policy. Our goal is to provide access to solid research on the economic and humane benefits of programs that do not require euthanization. To provide access to solid research on the economic and humane benefits of enacting and financing low-cost spay/neuter programs. Our goal is to help change the fate of stray and feral cats everywhere. There is a solution to cat overpopulation, but the first and foremost challenge is one of education. I hope these sites will help us meet that challenge. These sites are dedicated to the forgotten or abused ones who live in misery and fear. Let’s save ALL the Samoas, and prevent the unwanted ones. There aren’t enough homes for them all.

Laurie & Gary’s Cats:

Christy

Hi, and welcome to Stray Pet Advocacy! My name is Christine O’Keefe (I prefer Christy) and I live in an inner-ring suburb of Cleveland, Ohio. I received my Ph.D. in Genetics from Case Western Reserve University in January 2000, and I currently work at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation studying the outcome of bone marrow transplants.

I grew up with cats, and when I moved to Cleveland, I wanted to share my new life with one. But, I didn’t have the time, space, or especially the money to properly care for a companion animal. However, one day fate stepped in and brought Ivo into my life. She has shared my life and held my heart since October 2001.

In order to learn more about cats and to be the best cat mom out there, I joined The Cat Site. It was there when I first heard of the story of Samoa (at first called Osama). I remember reading the newspaper article and getting so angry about how he was portrayed. It brought back memories of Wanda, the cat my parents rescued. She was nasty and aggressive and had been badly abused. But with love and care, she flourished. She loved to lay on the couch with you, purring and kneading and drooling. So, I got involved in saving Samoa by writing the journalist and sharing my feelings. And happily, Samoa has found a new home where he can purr and knead and drool to his heart’s content.

Now, I am involved with Save Samoa and Stray Pet Advocacy to give cats like Wanda and Ivo and Samoa the chance to have loving forever homes. While doing research for these sites, I’ve come across many wonderful stories of abandoned and forgotten and abused and mistreated cats who have found loving homes. But, I’ve also read many heartbreaking stories of cats who didn’t have the chance to be loved and who never got a chance to purr and knead and drool with a human they loved and trusted. I’ve also read stories of cats who were cruelly killed by humans who thought they were vermin or somehow less worthy of being alive. And every time I read a story like that, I give Ivo a kiss and an extra cuddle and promise her that I will try my hardest to make sure that one day stories like this will not be told.

This is why I am involved in Save Samoa and Stray Pet Advocacy. I believe that every cat should have a loving home. But, in our world today that is not possible. So, I’m involved in these sites to provide all cats with the best lives they could possibly have. I am a strong supporter of Trap/Neuter/Return programs for feral cats, along with programs educating people about spay/neuter and cat overpopulation. My fondest hope is that these sites will help to improve the lives of all cats. And I hope that one day sites like these will not be needed.

Christy’s Cat

Heidi

Welcome to Stray Pet Advocacy. My name is Heidi Bickel and I’m the webmaster here and at our sister site, www.SaveSamoa.org. I have a degree in Language Arts, which I don’t use all that much in my work as an Administrative Assistant. My passions lie beyond the job that pays my bills, especially with bettering the world for the companion animals we share it with.

I share my home with my husband and two cats. Ophelia was here first, but was quickly followed by Trent. They are absolute joy and love wrapped in a bit of fur, and I can’t imagine my life without them.

I became involved with Save Samoa and Stray Pet Advocacy through The Cat Site. I had been a member for a while when the owner of that site posted the story of Osama the cat. Like the others, I was incensed at the lack of compassion toward another living being. It was because of this story and other even more horrible stories I read on The Cat Site that made me realize that I needed to do something to help the situation. Beyond the ones who end up in a shelter and are put to sleep because there just aren’t enough homes for all these unwanteds, there are a vast number of other animals brutalized by humans, starving in the alleys and rural areas, just eeking out survival if they are lucky. For every few thousand of these there are one or two rescuers who try to help, but the real help comes through education. Educating the public that the problem isn’t owned by these survivors like Samoa, but with the people who abandoned him in the first place, with the people who allowed his mother cat to breed indiscriminately, with the people who brutalized him by throwing rocks and chasing him with a baseball bat.

Through these sites, we hope we can make a difference for the animals who cannot speak for themselves. Save Samoa is full of heartwarming stories, stories that hopefully will inspire someone to take an extra look at the hungry cat in the neighborhood or the dog at the side of the road. Don’t think someone else will take care of it. These stories are of the lucky ones, the ones who found that neon light that says “I will love you and take care of you” above a caring person. There are too many who never get that chance, and that is why we are working so hard with these two websites


		Heidi’s Cats





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Prior Contributors

Kass

My name is Katherine Madore, but everyone calls me Kass! I help in providing background research for both the Save Samoa and Stray Pet Advocacy websites. My educational background is in Environmental Resource Management and I am passionate about environmental protection, animal advocacy, and photography. Nakita-&-Grass1

During August 2002, I started researching cat resources on the internet to educate and prepare myself for bringing a feline into my home. I came across The Cat Site and started researching everything from nutritional needs to what type of toys I should buy to keep my cat entertained. Then, in October 2002 I brought a wonderful kitten into my life and named her Nakita Blue. My household has not been the same since and she is the energy and soul that makes my house a home!

After conducting research on the internet, we became aware of the lack of quality education and resources on the subject of feral and stray animal populations. The internet is a vast universe of information scattered across unlimited websites. When searching on the specific topic of stray and feral management, TNR, or shelter resources a person can become frustrated with the numerous places they have to visit in order to find the information they require.

Our goal is to pull together the best resources from the internet and have a ”one stop shop” where the viewer can obtain information on the whole life cycle that is involved in managing the current stray and feral animal populations. Since most rescuers seem to feel overwhelmed when they first start in their rescue efforts, we want to help them by providing a positive and informative resource on the internet.

Edmund Burke, the British statesman and philosopher once said ”The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” I believe that every person should fight an injustice and an excellent place to begin is with the animals that most of society choose to ignore.

We hope that our websites provide you with the inspiration and resources you need to continue with your rescue efforts.

Barb

My first animal volunteer work was grooming and comforting cats and kittens at a humane society as well as advocating for marine mammal protection. Many years later I began volunteering at a no-kill shelter and quickly became aware of animal issues. I focused on the need to address the root causes of animal homelessness including overpopulation.

I created a spay/neuter assistance directory for my state, collected animal control and shelter costs statewide, and calculated the per 1000 people population shelter statistics. I started an online forum, End Homeless Animals - Oregon, to discuss taking action on statewide programs for targeted, accessible, low and no-cost spay neuter and pet retention.

My volunteer work includes helping animal groups, workers and volunteers readily access accurate information and avoid duplication or reinvention. I researched, compiled and shared national 'best practices' and models for high-impact spay/neuter and pet retention programs that reduce animal homelessness and overpopulation. I volunteer with animal control agencies and nonprofit animal groups on progressive and proactive projects.

DuncanTagged My life is shared with human and rescued canine and feline companions as well as abundant birds and wildlife. We live on a small rural-zoned acreage in Oregon where I am documenting native flora and fauna. My worklife has included selling and managing conventions and events for hotels, administrative / proposal coordination for environmental engineering consultants, and accounting for a construction company.

~Help End Animal Homelessness and Killing ~
Neuter/Spay and Keep Pets for Life!

Barb also has the following websites:

Feral Cats in the News ~ the Feral Cat Blog!
Daily national and global cat news, information and resources to actively use for cat advocacy and cat management.
http://catsinthenews.blogspot.com

Cat Management in Communities
http://catmanagement.blogspot.com

Neuter/Spay Assistance and Information ~ Oregon, Washington, Nationwide
http://neuterspayoregon.blogspot.com


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Special thanks to: Gary, Earl, and Rob our significant others who support us in our efforts; Ivo, Nakita, Trent, Ophelia, Booger, Lazlo, Shelly, Spooky, Tuxedo and Flowerbelle, for inspiration and motivation; Anne Moss and Mary Anne Miller of www.TheCatSite.com (our internet forum “home”) and www.Meowhoo.com for providing these wonderful sites and all of your support; and Mary Anne again, Val of www.PrincessPurr.com and Lisa who works with www.AzCATS.org for the use of the photos of your beautiful feral cats.


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