FixNation and Valley Vet Non Profit (VVNP) are teaming up this summer to bring you even more days when you can get your feral cats fixed for free.

Starting in August, VVNP will be open on the 2nd Monday of every month for a day dedicated to fixing feral cats. This is an extra day above and beyond when VVNP is normally open, as a way to expand how many feral cats are being fixed within our community each month. VVNP will fix up to 50 feral cats on these special Mondays, and the program will be sponsored by FixNation.

This program kicks off on Monday, August 9th. The spay/neuter services will be done at VVNP’s clinic at 1659 East Los Angeles Avenue in Simi Valley.

The same great “free feral program” that you’ve come to know from FixNation still applies for these Mondays, including:

- Spay/neuter surgery
- Physical exam
- FVRCP distemper combo vaccine
- Rabies vaccine
- Revolution (for fleas, earmites, mange, hookworms and roundworms)
- Eartip
- Antibiotic
- Fluids
- Pain medication
- Droncit as needed (for tapeworms)
- Lots of TLC!

VVNP will also offer FeLV/FIV testing and microchipping for an additional fee. FeLV/FIV combo tests are $20, FeLV only tests are $10, microchips are $25 and hernia repairs are $15. Convenia injections, if recommended by the vet, are $25.

Only feral cats will be booked on these special Mondays, and all cats will be eartipped. Any tame companion cats or friendly strays should be scheduled at either FixNation or VVNP during normal business hours.

Feral cats must come in to VVNP in humane traps and be fully covered (no carriers or other containers please). Drop off time is between 8:00 – 8:30 a.m. and pick up is between 2:00 – 2:30 pm. Appointments must be made in advance, and trappers can book appointments by calling VVNP directly at 805-584-3823.

Both FixNation and Valley Vet Non Profit are very excited to be bringing you this new outreach program. We hope it helps both the trappers and the cats out in the West Valley.

FixNation will continue to look for new and creative ways to bring more spay/neuter services to other parts Los Angeles. We firmly believe that public access to free spay/neuter services is a critical component in homeless cat management. Collectively, we can make a difference.

FixNation has partnered with Cars 4 Causes as a way to raise money for our community cats. Now you can donate your old cars, trucks, boats, RV’s, motor homes, motorcycles… you name it! It doesn’t even need to run. If it’s a motorized vehicle and you have the title, you can donate it for a great cause. Cars 4 Causes is a non-profit 501(c)(3), so your donation is tax deductible.

Cars 4 Causes will generally arrange for your car to be picked up within 24 hours. The way it works is that Cars 4 Causes has their own mechanics evaluate the vehicle. When it is cost-effective, they make major or minor mechanical repairs, and then they detail the cars and advertise them for sale. They don’t use auction houses or third parties to sell the majority of our vehicles, and because of this Cars 4 Causes receives the highest average return rates on their sales!

Cars 4 Causes allow people to choose the charity they want to benefit from their car donation. If you donate a car and select FixNation as your charity of choice, 70% of the net sales go to FixNation and the rest goes to Cars 4 Causes charity supported programs. And don’t forget you get the tax break on your donation too. It’s a win-win all around!

CLICK HERE TO DONATE TODAY!

Click here for more information on Cars 4 Causes

That’s when thousands of people from Southern California, of all ages and all backgrounds, work together to lend a hand to nonprofits, schools and other agencies that need their help. Last year on Big Sunday Weekend, 50,000 volunteers turned out at more than 500 different projects from San Diego to Solvang, making Big Sunday Weekend one of the largest regional community service events in America.

Big Sunday takes place at hundreds of different sites throughout the Southland, from downtown L.A. to the Westside, from the San Fernando Valley to the San Gabriel Valley, from Orange County to the Inland Empire to Ventura County. There are opportunities for every passion, talent, skill and age. Projects are scheduled throughout the weekend, and can last anywhere from one hour to two full days. Big Sunday Weekend also includes special events such as art shows, sports days, yard sales and blood drives.

This year, one of the special activities will be benefitting FixNation!

Volunteers can sign up to host a dog biscuit booth to sell dog biscuits to benefit one of five local animal non profit organization: FixNation, Clinico, Bark Avenue Foundation, Seal Beach Animal Care Center and the Southern California Labrador Retriever Rescue.

As a host, you run your own booth and staff it with your friends, family, co-workers… whoever you want as volunteers. Big Sunday will provide some supplies, including very cute and delicious (so we’ve heard!) dog biscuits, signage and more.

You can choose ANY location and time to hold your booth. The only requirement is that the booth be open for a minimum of two hours on either May 1st or May 2nd.

The original deadline for signing up was April 22nd, but that has been extended, so if you’re interested in participating SIGN UP TODAY! Complete and submit the volunteer registration at:

http://my.bigsunday.org/index.cfm?x_x_=1&Fuseaction=DIYDogBiscuit

For any questions or further information, email Lori, our Dog Booth Coordinator at lori@bigsunday.org.

For more information on Big Sunday, including a calendar of events, check out their website at:

http://my.bigsunday.org/

http://www.bigsunday.org/

Here is an FAQ on what this means on a practical level:

1. Is TNR now illegal?

Answer: No. TNR is legal for private citizens and rescue organizations to carry out. The only difference is that the city is currently prohibited from supporting our TNR efforts.

2. Can I still get city vouchers to offset the cost of spaying or neutering feral cats?

Answer: Currently, a private resident can get up to three vouchers for spaying or neutering cats that live on their own property. These vouchers must be obtained directly from a city shelter.

3. If I have a question or problem related to feral cats in Los Angeles or if I need to borrow a feral cat trap, whom should I contact?

Answer: Contact FixNation, Stray Cat Alliance, Kitten Rescue, Actors & Others for Animals, Best Friends Catnippers, or one of the many local cat rescue organizations that you may already be familiar with.

4.  How did this lawsuit happen?

Answer: A group of conservancy organizations that are concerned about declining song-bird populations and  the potential impact of feral cats on the environment sued the city for non-compliance with CEQA, and the court found in their favor.

5.  What is being done to correct the situation?

Answer: A coalition of animal organizations has formed to work with the city of Los Angeles to re-establish TNR as an important strategy in any effective and humane program aimed at managing and controlling feral cat populations while complying with CEQA. The coalition includes:  Actors & Others for Animals, Best Friends Animal Society, Feral Cat Caretakers’ Coalition, FixNation, Found Animals Foundation, Kitten Rescue, and Stray Cat Alliance.

6.  Will Judge McKnew’s ruling be appealed by the City of LA?

Answer: No. The City Attorney has concluded that because the law precludes any new evidence or arguments being introduced on appeal, that re-trying the same case on the existing court record would likely have the same result with the added consequence of establishing the ruling state-wide, while now it only affects the city of Los Angeles. The coalition has hired an attorney who specializes in CEQA, and they agree with the City Attorney’s decision not to appeal.  Rather, the coalition will work with the city to develop a TNR policy while observing CEQA requirements.

7.  What can I do to help?

Answer: Please forward this FAQ to concerned family and friends, and if you can, please donate to your favorite feral cat program and sign the coalition’s declaration of support for TNR in Los Angeles. (Click here to view and sign the Coalition Declaration)

If you care about the lives of homeless cats in Los Angeles, please read, and in any way you can, show your support for this important declaration.

Declaration of Support For The Humane Management of Feral Cats in Los Angeles

When Superior Court Judge Thomas McKnew ruled last December that the City of Los Angeles Animal Services can no longer provide information about Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) or funding for spay/neuter of feral cats without first satisfying a California Environmental Quality (CEQA) review, he turned the clock back two decades.

Before the ruling, Los Angeles was a model of humane feral cat care for cities nationwide. The city recognized Trap-Neuter-Return as an effective tool in its commitment to becoming “no-kill,” and the community embraced it: last year more than 16,000 feral cats were neutered with the help of volunteers and nonprofit groups.

There is no humane alternative to TNR and the consequence of the Judge McKnew’s ruling is that more cats are entering and dying in our city shelters everyday.

This isn’t a question of “cats versus birds”.  The organizations and individuals who advocate for TNR are concerned about all animals. It is our belief that we need to control the community cat population for the sake of the cats, the birds and the environment as a whole. Catching and killing stray and free roaming cats is not only inhumane, it simply doesn’t work.

What works—and has been working for 20 years—is the city joining with caregivers and local nonprofits to help protect and improve cats’ lives, minimize their impact on the environment and to help stabilize the feral cat population—an animal population that has thrived outdoors for thousands of years – through a robust TNR program that complies with CEQA.

The cats of Los Angeles are in dire need of our voice and our advocacy.

FixNation declares its support for the establishment of TNR as official policy for the City of Los Angeles. We applaud the city for their prior efforts in this regard and we want the city to move forward as expeditiously as possible to create a comprehensive TNR program in collaboration with private partners that satisfies CEQA requirements while supporting the humane, non-lethal, management of stray and feral cat populations in Los Angeles.

The Community Cat Coalition of Los Angeles is comprised of representatives from respected animal welfare organizations such as Actors & Others for Animals, Best Friends Animal Society, Feral Cat Caretakers’ Coalition, FixNation, Found Animals Foundation, Kitten Rescue and Stray Cat Alliance.

Sign the Coalition Petition and Show Your Support

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View FixNation’s original petition, launched in December 2009, to show support for TNR in Los Angeles. Read the many comments from caregivers across the city, the state, the country… and even the world!

View and Sign FixNation Original Petition

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Community Cat Coalition of Los Angeles

Throughout the month of February, Found Animals will be donating $1 to FixNation for every new Facebook fan who signs up with them… up to $10,000 total. They will be granting these “celebration donations” to three lucky spay/neuter organizations:  FixNation, Clinico and AngelDogs Foundation.

All YOU have to do to help us earn this money is click here to invite your friends, family and neighbors to become a fan of Found Animals on Facebook. As their fan base grows, Found Animals donates more money to us for free spay/neuter and YOU help save more lives… it’s that simple!