Who: Lauren Merge, the Communications and Events Manager of Greenhill Humane Society.
Where: Lauren works at Greenhill Humane Society.
What it/they do/does: Greenhill runs a Trap Neuter Return, or TNR, program that partners with community volunteers to find, trap, and spay and neuter feral cats. Lauren works with an outreach team to find volunteers for this program and get grants and community funding.
Impact: Local feral cat colonies are healthier than in the past and more stable than colonies in areas without TNR programs. The program has prevented population explosions and vaccinations administered during sterilization surgeries have slowed the spread of major epidemics.
Funding: The program is funded entirely through donations and grants. Further research showed that the top donors to Greenhill are Fred Meyer, Inn at the 5th, LifeSlice Photography, Emma Lou’s Homemade Kitchen, Suds ‘Em Yourself, Claim 52 Brewing, and Beaudet Jewelry.[1]
Success story: One volunteer has been involved in the program for many years and helps others perform trap operations in major colonies and cat hoarding situations. Last February he brought in a cat that had an arrow sticking out of her body, and in the process of removing the arrow and neutering her, the medical team ended up naming her “Katniss” after the bow and arrow wielding Hunger Games character. This kind of bond between feral cats and TNR volunteers is relatively common, as they often find that even animals living in overpopulated colonies are sociable and friendly.
Parting words: “It’s really nice to be part of a community and part of an organization that cares so deeply about animals going into better living situations rather than having to do something because of space or because of time. So it’s really just nice to know that we’re here and we really can help these animals and because of our community support we’re able to help these animals.”
[1] “Help Shelter Pets, While Promoting Your Business.” Greenhill Humane Society. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Oct 2015. <http://www.green-hill.org/ways_to_help_business_partnerships.html>.