Please feel free to pass the details of the following scheme around...
I started the Feral & Stray Foundation about 6-months ago, and one of the main things I wanted to do was set up a neutering and microchipping scheme. I contacted the RSPCA East Lincs after hearing their new manager was very proactive and keen on neutering, and together, we’ve joined forces and are now running a pilot neutering scheme in the East Lincs area.
The scheme is free for feral and stray cats, and free for people in receipt of benefits. We also offer it to families on low income as a cost-price service. They just need to be in the East Lincs area. We have raised funds to run the clinics for 6-12 months, but are completely dependent now on donations from clients and people supporting the scheme.
The clinics are running on the first Sunday of the month, and I have a group of volunteer vets and nurses (I’m a nurse so dragged all my friends in!), along with volunteers for cleaning and reception. In the Feb clinic, we neutered 23 cats and chipped 7, and in the March clinic, we neutered 27 cats and chipped 10. The April clinic is already almost fully booked, and we have approx. 20 feral cats due to come through, depending on when they are trapped to be disease tested, neutered, flea treated and released.
The vet practices are offered for free, and we currently have one practice we’re running in, with another 4-5 interested in offering the premises free for clinic use. I’ve secured low-cost microchips, and we have the support of a drug company offering free frontline for use on ferals and strays, and we have FeLV and FIV snap test donated for this use also.
This is only fire fighting - I would personally love to see a ban on breeding come into force as while ever people can breed so freely, the cat crisis will continue...
If anyone would like further details, please feel free to visit the Feral & Stray Foundation on Facebook, or the website
www.feralandstrayfoundation.co.uk. There are posters for this scheme that can be printed, shared and emailed.
We hope to roll out this scheme as widely as we can, and the interest in the project is already exploding.
I’m also creating a feral register for farm/equestrian/smallholdings who would take individual, pairs or small groups of neutered ferals, and I’m in the process of setting up a fundraising auction on Facebook, where all proceeds will go to the neutering fund.
Feel free to PM me or ask for further details (such as areas covered).
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Feral-Stray-Foundation/144880882317321?ref=hlLiz x
(Mods- Please feel free to move this to a more suitable board if necessary)