03/02/2020
The Bluegrass Area Development District Announces Partnership with the Joanie Bernard Foundation and Team Shelter USA for Bluegrass Cat Project
Central Region, Kentucky (February, 3rd)— A year-long needs assessment in the Bluegrass area, has resulted in the award of a $200,000 grant from the Joanie Bernard Foundation for the Bluegrass Cat Project administered to twelve counties of the Bluegrass Area Development District (ADD) and includes the continued mentorship with Team Shelter USA. The Bluegrass Cat Project focuses on the spay and neuter of community cats, with the goal of lowering the number of cats entering the shelter at risk of euthanasia.
Over the next eleven months, Dr. Sara Pizano of Team Shelter USA, LLC will assist the twelve Bluegrass counties chosen to participate in this project. The Bluegrass ADD will work with local veterinarians, shelters and other non-profit organizations to contract spay and neuter services.
In addition to the spay/neuter, these cats will be provided with vaccinations, and are marked in a process known as “ear-tipping”, which make the cat easily identifiable from a distance as being fixed and no longer adding to the population.
In an earlier statement, Deborah Cribbs of the Joanie Bernard Foundation commented, “Our Northern Kentucky model has been a great success. We look forward to creating the second no-kill ADD for cats in Kentucky.”
Dr. Sara Pizano, founder and consultant of Team Shelter USA commented, “It is crucial to make an impact on the community cat population through spay/neuter. It not only decreases intake and euthanasia risk at the shelter, but dogs and people will benefit as well when finite resources are uses more strategically.”
The Bluegrass ADD is thankful to all the partners in this exciting project and will provide updates on the projects progress.
About
The BGADD’s Mission: Enhance the economy of our communities through planning to maximize resources, projects to promote development, and programs to improve the quality of life for the citizens of the region.
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Contact: Staci L. May
Telephone: 859/269-8021, ext. 310
Email: [email protected]