12/22/2025
We are proud to announce that our organization has been successfully awarded the Summerlee Sustainable Solutions Grant through United Spay Alliance, with generous support from the Summerlee Foundation. 🧡
This is a significant milestone that strengthens our ability to deliver long-term, sustainable solutions for community cats in McLennan County.
As part of this competitive grant process, Julie Morriss, our Communications and Outreach Associate, completed an intensive 8-week, college-level certification course in Community Cat Program Management through the University of the Pacific. In addition to structured coursework, this required an average of 12 additional hours per week over eight weeks dedicated to research, strategy development, and studying modern, data-driven Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return-Managment (TNVRM) and community cat management practices.
Julie also successfully completed The Neighborhood Cats TNR Certification Workshop, gaining hands-on training in the most current, humane, and effective trapping and TNR best practices used nationwide.
The Summerlee Sustainable Solutions Grant provides $4,000–$8,000 in program funding, along with full tuition for the University of the Pacific certification course, ongoing mentorship, cohort learning, and practical tools designed to ensure long-term program sustainability and measurable impact.
Our target service area for this initiative is the 76705 zip code in McLennan County, encompassing the communities of Bellmead, Lacy-Lakeview, and the Waco campus of Texas State Technical College (TSTC). Grant funding will support:
🐾Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return-Management (TNVRM) and colony management for community cats
🐾Spay/neuter services for owned cats within the target area. *we know intact, indoor cats will become outdoor cats.
🐾A dedicated allotment of funds for cats with higher medical needs, that come from our targeted area, including eye conditions, skin issues, and other procedures deemed necessary by our veterinary team to ensure quality of life.
We are thrilled to officially launch this program in January 2026, with early scouting and trapping efforts already underway. This grant represents not only an investment in cats, but in thoughtful, humane, and sustainable solutions that benefit the entire community.
Do you live in the 76705 zip code and have indoor or outside cats needing to be spayed or neutered?
Visit https://www.animalbirthcontrol.org/spay-neuter-services or for more information regarding outdoor felines and TNR visit https://www.animalbirthcontrol.org/commcat-tnr