Jacksonville

Re: Feral Colony Care Taker

castaing173 — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:09:56 GMT

Most feral colony caretakers try to feed twice a day, or at least I do. Usually in the morning around daybreak and again at nightfall. I would say to go to where you've seen the cats, about an hour or so before dark and you will probably find their caretaker. Be sure to announce yourself as you approach, so as not to scare the cats or the caretaker. I'm sure their caretaker would love to have some help - if that is what you are interested in doing. Of course, be sure the cats get neutered or spayed.

Good luck,

Sheryl Castaing

Feral Colony Care Taker

JDBella — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 21:09:14 GMT

Hi,

I have located about 7-10 cats and would like to find out who is taking care of them. Is there a list or is there someone that maintains this information that I can call.

congrats Mel Bell

Heidi_56 — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 18:16:45 GMT

I had to post this I am so proud fo our very own Mel Bell Yes Mel Bell made K-9 Officer of the year. Out of the whole state of Florida.Her and Kauhlua. They were on channel 4 news here www.news4jax.com is the link.But it was not in the paper. She did not want to post about it.But she has been through so much with all her bloodhounds. and Now this great news.:):):):) So just had to share with you all our very own Mel Bell From Florida made K-9 officer of the year. Hugs and Congrats Mel {{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{HUGS}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}} heidi

Seeking Home for 2 Family Dogs- Two gorgeous labs trained

castaing173 — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 13:44:25 GMT

Please send this to everyone you know who might be interested in these beautiful labs!

  ANY PET LOVERS LOOKING FOR TWO LABS?



If you can ' t help, please forward & thank you!
Two gorgeous labs - trained - Seeking Home for Family Dogs


Cookie and Coco
Even if you cant take them, please pass this around!
Contact: Katherine at:  kjmorris74@yahoo.com

We are moving overseas in just 2 weeks. Unfortunately, I have still not been able to find a good home for Cookie and Coco . We ' re not able to take our beloved doggies with us and I ' ve been desperately trying to find a home for both of them ' together ' . They were raised together and pine without each other. The Lab rescue have already said that they would probably separate them, so this is my last resort. Recently I tried to take Coco out in my car alone and she TOTALLY refused to even get into the car without Cookie......!!!! She absolutely pulled back on her haunches until Cookie was by her side.

Both doggies are in great health, have been spayed and have ID chips implanted under the skin.

Cookie turned 3 December 10th and Coco turned 3 April 1st. Cookie is my mellow-yellow, and just loves her tummy rubbed. Coco is adorably funny and lives for her "ball." She also loves the water...... Cookie loves lots of attention. Both doggies are loyal and love to walk. They have been raised with my 3 kids running around all over the place, and have survived Sammy ' s constant hugging and love of ' dress-up ' , so they are fantastic family dogs.. This is by far one of the most difficult decisions I have ever had to make, but under the circumstances I have no choice.

Please, please forward these pics to all your friends. I want to find a great home for these fabulous doggies. They are just adorable and it ' s heartbreaking to let them go. In a perfect world, I hope that we could find someone local so that we can still keep in touch and visit them. I pray that someone, somewhere can help us keep Cookie and Coco together, and love them just as much as we do. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart. kjmorris74@yahoo.com

Dog in need

becca13 — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 22:40:33 GMT

My boyfriend and I were the lucky owners of Rusty, a male shephard mix, for 5 great years. Unfortunately, last Thanksgiving we had to make the hard decision to give him up because he bit numerous people, including small children. We partnered with a local rescue who was able to find him a new home but a few months ago, he bit the child in his new home and is now back with the local rescue.

We were told by the rescue that the chances of finding him a new home are slim but we still want to try every option possible. We rescued Rusty so we don't know his exact age but the vet estimates that he is 6 years old.

Rusty is a very loving and devoted dog and we think he would do best in an environment without small children. Does anyone know of a good home for Rusty?

Resources

admin — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 09:06:59 GMT

Documents

Links

Pet-Friendly Jacksonville

Rescue Groups & Shelters

Spay/Neuter Programs

Wildlife & Exotics

Wildlife Rescue Coalition

Spay Surprise!

FeralFreedom — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 03:22:05 GMT

Our doctors were in for quite a suprise today when a female cat was presented to them for spaying and turned out to be a hermaphrodite. She had girl parts on the outside but testicles inside (no ovaries). She is otherwise in fabulous condition and will be returning to her colony tomorrow after being speutered. What an interesting find!

When the Unexpected Happens

FeralFreedom — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 21:24:44 GMT

Friday was a typical busy day at our clinic until one of our Feral Freedom community cats decided to begin delivering kittens in her trap! The first one popped out just as her trap was being carried into the prep room to get her ready for surgery. Talk about a suprise! We quickly transferred her into a larger cage where she delivered 4 adorable kittens.

Then on Saturday morning a tearful woman showed up at our clinic with 5 newborn kittens whose mom had just been killed by a dog. We placed these five babies with our new mom and she immediately started taking care of them.

Mom is a very happy girl who loves her babies. Once they are weaned though, she'll be spayed (along with the kittens) so this doesn't happen again - then it will be off to a rescue group for adoption!

4,041 Cats Have Received a Second Chance Through Feral Freedom

FeralFreedom — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 01:32:04 GMT

It's been a long time since I've updated everyone on the Feral Freedom program so I apologize for the overdue report!

It hasn't even been a year yet and we've already exceeded our original estimation of fixing 3,500 cats. As of today, over 4,000 community cats have been turned into Jacksonville's Animal Care & Control and processed for TNR. Before August 2008, these cats would have been euthanized due to their unadoptable status or for the simple reason of overcrowding in the shelter. Now however, they've been given a second chance at life and one in which they never have to be bothered with the aggravation of unwanted litters, fighting over mates, etc.

What I have found most interesting is that the employees of Animal Care & Control are actively trying to gather information about these cats while educating the people who are trapping them. In the past it didn't seem important for the shelter to ask where the cats were coming from, was there someone in the neighborhood feeding them, why the cats were hanging around a particular area, etc. All they worried about was taking the cats from the person turning them in and knowing the "problem" would be handled (through euthanasia). Now when someone turns in a trapped cat, questions are asked, the TNR program is explained, and people seem to appreciate that something positive is in the works. JACC has devised a code so we know when someone is okay with the TNR program, if they actually want the cats released back on their property or if they don't agree with the program. We still release those cats where people have said they are against TNR, we just make sure to find a safer release spot within the territory.

The more people know about the positive effects of TNR, the more cats we are seeing being turned in. People who don't mind the cats but want to see the breeding stopped are now trapping cats for TNR. Some of these folks would never have trapped the cats in the past because they didn't want to see them killed, but now that they know about the Feral Freedom program we are seeing more "Wants Cat Back" on the cage cards rather than "No TNR".

We still have another 7 weeks to go before our 1st anniversary of the program - it will be so exciting to see how many more cats we can fix.

Samantha's Great Adventure - A Microchip Success Story

FeralFreedom — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 06:38:36 GMT

When I walked into our clinic on Tuesday one of our vet technicians told me that we had received a cat from Animal Care & Control that had already been microchipped & spayed. Because we are normally dealing with feral cats, they didn't learn this until after they had sedated her in the trap and were prepping her for surgery. I immediately called 24 Hour Petwatch and discovered that her owners had reported her missing on March 15th. I quickly dialed the long distance number (but didn't think anything of it since a lot of Jacksonville residents have moved here from out of town and kept their old cell phone numbers).

After reaching the owner and identifying myself, she excitedly asked if we really had found Samantha. I was so happy that we had actually made contact with her owner and couldn't wait for them to be reunited. I gave her our address and asked when she could pick her up. That's when she threw me a curve ball and asked what city I was calling from. I stated I was in Jacksonville and asked where she was, which turned out to be Summerville, South Carolina!!! Imagine our suprise (and hers too) in learning that her cat had been found so far away.

It turns out that Samantha's family had taken her on a road trip to Florida but lost her at a rest stop in Brunswick, Georgia where she had gotten free of her harness. They thought she might need to use the bathroom and didn't realize how dangerous it was to have her outside of the vehicle (even on a harness).

How Samantha made it from a rest stop at I-95 in Brunswick, Georgia, to I-95 and Baymeadows Road in Jacksonville (80 miles south) is anyone's guess. Most likely someone befriended her at the rest stop and brought her home with them to Jacksonville or maybe she hopped a ride another way. She is a little thin and is missing some fur, but overall is in great shape and is just as sweet as she can be!

All we can say for sure is that without this microchip, there is no way Samantha would have ever been reunited with her family! They had contacted shelters and rescue groups in Georgia, but never thought she'd make her way into Florida! Needless to say, they are planning a road trip to Jacksonville on Sunday to pick her up (we'll be sure to get a photo with the happy family)!

We've come across cats with microchips before, but often the families have forgotten to register the chip or update their contact information and we are never able to track them down. Samantha's family had adopted her from the SPCA in their town and thought it was neat that she was microchipped - I bet they never thought it would save her life!

Libby Finds A Home

FeralFreedom — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 09:38:45 GMT

Libby was brought to FCNMHP through the Feral Freedom program. She had an old injury to her eye and the shelter staff thought it may have to be removed. Once we were able to examine her (during her spay surgery), our vet determined that we should treat her for an eye infection and reevaluate in a week. We quickly learned what a sweet and affectionate cat this was and were determined to find her a real home with a family to love (her former family moved off and left her behind and she was brought to the shelter by a concerned neighbor).

The good news is that Libby did not have to lose her eye and now she has a family of her own (which includes another rescued kitten named Pookie and a cat loving dog named Zoe).

Kittens Abandoned on Golf Course in a Carrier

FeralFreedom — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 09:33:12 GMT

We recently had three kittens go through the Feral Freedom program and be released back into the nice neighborhood where they came from. A few days later we received a call from an Animal Control Officer that he had found these three kittens in a carrier on a golf course several miles away. Fortunately, no harm was done to them and because they were microchipped we knew exactly who they were.

On this same day, we received an email from a resident who had seen the kittens in his neighborhood and had contacted a rescuer to pick them up since they were friendly and cute. The kittens had disappeared before he knew it though and he was concerned that something bad had happened. He told us that his neighbors were not cat friendly.

Fortunately this story has a happy ending (the kittens are up for adoption with a rescue group and one has already found a home). It makes you wonder though how often this might happen. Because each Feral Freedom cat is microchipped, we're able to step in and assist when one has been found and solve the mystery of who it is and where it came from.

Does TNR Cause Cat Lovers To Go Wild?

FeralFreedom — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 17:59:19 GMT

Someone recently told us that as TNR becomes more acceptable in communities, that folks who have always been complacent and have done nothing to help cats in the past will suddenly go cat crazy. The claim is that those keeping cats indoors will suddenly fling open their doors and let their pet cats run free. The other claim is that people who have feared the laws against feeding outdoor cats will start placing food outside thereby attracting cats from far and wide to stop by for dinner (causing riots among neighbors).

My gut reaction is that this is truly insane. People who are complacent will always be complacent. A change in public policy isn't going to warm their heart and make them realize that they should be compassionate towards those less fortuntate. Those I know who care for colonies and cats in general drive around with food in their cars and will stop at any cat sighting to leave a meal. These same people check feeders at their designated colonies daily to ensure the cats are eating well - regardless of the ordinance that states you are not allowed to feed stray animals. Compassion overrules ordinances any day for people who care about animals.

The other thought that people will start letting their cats roam free because the City now supports TNR is silly. If you keep your cats indoors for their safety, you aren't going to decide to turn them loose just because TNR is accepted in your community. A lot of people allow their cats outside already regardless of the ordinaces (which do state that they need to be contained on your property and not free roaming).

I'm curious what your thoughts are on this topic and if it sounds as silly to you as it does to me.

Determining "Ferality" - How to Help Shelter Staff Understand Who is Feral or Simply Scared

FeralFreedom — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 17:44:11 GMT

The Feral Freedom program is designed to TNR all the feral, stray & free roaming cats of Duval County. Sometimes though we end up with a pet cat who has been fixed and declawed and obviously just lost its way (either by accidentally getting out of the house or wandering too far from home). Ironically these cats often act more feral in the trap than our true ferals. In situations like this we take extra measures to locate the family or seek assistance from rescue and will never TNR a declawed cat. I imagine this must happen across the country though and wonder how many pets never get the opportunity to find their families or never get a chance to be adopted if they come into a shelter acting wild/feral.

We've established some guidelines to help the city shelter workers determine who best fits in our program, but for some who aren't fans of cats or who may be afraid of them - I'm curious how we can make it easier to determine who is a pet cat that is scared and who is a good candidate for the Feral Freedom program. The torti mom & her newborn kittens were all going to be put down at our shelter if we hadn't taken them because mom was considered feral. Turns out she is the biggest cream puff who is so proud of her babies and wants to show them off to everyone. It would have been a real shame to lose her just because her face didn't seem friendly (she never hissed or acted out - she just sat quietly with her babies and the staff claimed she was "scary feral").

The cat pictured above is one that was given to us with a damaged eye that needed to be removed. After inspecting it more closely we believe the eye can be saved. She's currently receiving meds daily and we will reevaluate the eye next week. She has really come out of her shell and turned into a total sweetie (looks like another one slated for adoption once she is ready).

Feral Freedom Update - 2,256 Graduates During Past 6 Months

FeralFreedom — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 17:27:35 GMT

Time flies when you're having fun and boy have we been having fun here in Jacksonville. Instead of slowing down during the holidays and winter months, we've seen increased numbers. To date we've fixed almost 2,300 feral, stray and free roaming cats and kittens since the program began in August.

Jacksonville Animal Care & Control (JACC) is now in a position where they are looking for "adoptable" community cats as they come into the shelter to fill empty cages in their adoption room. I can't ever really remember a time when the staff has actually gone looking for friendly cats - usually there are too many and little chance that they will ever reach adoptions.

This program while called Feral Freedom is actually open to all our free roaming and community cats of Duval County. Because we have warm weather most of the year, there are a lot of friendly community cats who live outside and don't have an official family or address. These cats now have an opportunity to potentially find a home of their own.

We've recently had two super cold spells come through Jacksonville which caused a lot of alarm for caretakers. Our temperatures reached freezing levels several nights in a row and we all worried that the cats would turn into popsicles. We know that other areas around the country deal with this every year - but it is pretty unusual for us here. Many of us winterized our cat colonies as best we could, but it seems like the cats already had a winter plan in place.

Last week we received a "feral" mother cat from JACC who had given birth outside and kept her 1 week old babies alive through the harsh weather. We weren't quite sure what we were going to do with her (spay her and let her continue raising the kittens, hold off on fixing her until the kittens could eat on their own and then TNR her, TNR her now and bottle feed the kittens, etc). Within the first 5 minutes of meeting this girl though we realized she isn't feral at all (she's a tortoiseshell and that's just the way they look - ha)! Mom & babies are now in foster care and will all be adopted once they are fixed and ready to go. This leads me to my next discussion - how to help Animal Control staff determine who is feral and who is simply scared.

Animals In Need : Have a little time to spare, and want to share?

Kathy_g — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 20:00:44 GMT

Then share that time with First Coast No More Homeless Pets!
www.fcnmhp.org
The staff and animals at FCNMHP would love to share that extra time with you to help the animals of Duval County!
Below is the message to volunteers:

The holidays are busy and so are we!
We need lots of help at the clinic now and throughout 2009. We are still operating out of the temp clinic- on University Bv near Atlantic.

If you have some time, I think you will find it a lot of fun. Even the squeamish can work and enjoy it. Anyone who works is amazed by the process and the volume. And it's a lot of fun!

No time? Then maybe you can spare a few dollars to help us provide more surgeries for folks in need.

If you own or manage a business- we need local business to help us with small fundraising events!

Here are the volunteer needs:

Spay/Neuter Clinic Assistance

First Coast No More Homeless Pets sets the standards for spay/neuter clinics in this country! Can you volunteer working hands-on at the clinic? Open Monday-Saturday. Shifts available each day- 8a-12n, 11a-4p, 8:30a-3;30p and an extra on sat 10a-3p. No medical experience required.

Feral Cat Ride-Alongs

First Coast No More Homeless Pets sets the standards for spay/neuter programs! Do you have one day a week to ride along with staff and help release cats that have been spayed or neutered?

Neighborhood Representatives

Are you available to help distribute flyers in the Jacksonville neighborhoods to promote our programs and clinic? This volunteer opportunity offers a flexible schedule.

If interested, just email me back with what you want to do.

Thank you and Happy Holidays!

CONTACT:
dlfields@bellsouth.net

Thanks!

Beau-Coup Brothers Adopted!

FeralFreedom — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 07:27:16 GMT

Beau & Coup are two gorgeous brothers that were processed through the Feral Freedom program last month. We ran into a snag though during the "return" portion of our TNR phase, when we realized that the address provided to us for their return ended up being bogus. We couldn't simply turn them out into unknown territory without a caregiver, so instead we sought a rescue group who would find them a loving home. We hoped they could stay together but knew that might not be possible... until today when the Garland family stopped by Petsmart to buy Christmas gifts for their other pets and ended up with two special gifts for the whole family to enjoy!!

Beau & Coup immediately bonded with their new family and were purring up a storm as they headed home together snuggled in their jumbo carrier! We couldn't have asked for a happier ending for these two special boys!

Another Feral Freedom Cat Finds a Home!

FeralFreedom — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 17:37:49 GMT

This big handsome boy now has a mom and a home to call his own! Skylar saw his photo online in the lost pets section of Animal Care & Control's website and thought it might be her cat that she lost 3 months ago. We knew right away that it wasn't though since her cat had been neutered and this boy wasn't, but she wanted to swing by our clinic and see him in person just in case. This friendly tom spent the weekend with us and was preparing for surgery on Monday morning when she stopped by. Skylar was disappointed that he wasn't her baby, but asked if she could adopt him and provide him with a loving home. Big Tom seemed happy to be heading home for some much deserved TLC after his big fix!

1,640 Feral Freedom Alumni to Date!!!

FeralFreedom — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 08:51:45 GMT

1,640 cats saved through TNR in 4 months time! Wow!!! It's so amazing how uplifting this program is to so many different people (shelter workers, trappers, colony caregivers, regular citizens and all of us in the animal welfare community). Having the support of your local animal care & control agency really makes all the difference and we couldn't be more proud of Jacksonville. Yippee for our cats!

More Than Just A Spay/Neuter Clinic

FeralFreedom — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 08:35:32 GMT

You're homeless, alone and have no insurance or family to pay for your medical bills... definitely not a good time to have your eye rupture from injury or infection. Fortunately, for those lucky community cats who make their way to our clinic - we don't hold back on the care when extra work is needed. Stoli here arrived with a badly injured eye - to add insult to injury - a good samaritan tried to help the situation by applying Neosporin to the eye (note to all - please do not put Neosporin in any cat's eye - according to our staff vet this causes more damage than you can imagine).

Stoli's eye was irrepairable and had to be removed, but also gone is the pain and discomfort that he's felt for who knows how long. Today he is on the road to recovery and looking forward to sunny days ahead!