Please HELP ME!

Okay I live in Gary/Merrillville/Hobart/Hammond area of Indiana. There are so few No-Kill shelters, or low/no cost spay/nueter shelters. Cats and dogs run around the city of Gary like crazy and I want to help. I am just an average ordinary mom. My house isn't that big, I don't make tons and tons of dollars but I want to do SOMETHING! I want to become a part of a foster care program and find out what else I can do to help. For a city like mine, where the animals are over flowing and the responsiblity is being put off on EVERYONE but NO ONE is doing something what can I do? If I had a basment and a fenced in back yard I would start a small rescue center myself! People around here don't love animals that way. They can barely feed their own children let alone a pet. I have seen the cruel things done to strays. The shelters just kill them. I'm sick of seeing so many beautiful cats put to sleep, doused with hot grease, firecrackers put up their butts, run over, what can I, ME, OUR FAMILY! do?

Someone help me. I have looked up a list of no-kill shelters in my area. There are little to none! I have looked up the places that offer low/no cost spay and nueter, I found none. If anyone has any information on where to start, please, please, please help me. I have a beautiful cat, she is going to have kittens soon, I am keepin ALL of them, and they are ALL getting altered! But what about the rest. What about the boy cat that got her pregnant? I know cats will be around and outside forever, but if you knew my city and saw the hoardes of cats, dogs, and the cruel things done to them I know you would be concerned as well. Please help me.

You could contact your local paper and ask them to run a story about the stray/un altered animals in your town. You might be able to get some donations to start a small tnr charity.

You can buy a humane trap quite cheaply from ebay or a feed store. If you only trap and alter one cat, it's still a start.

Good luck

Thankyou for caring out these kitties - thats a wonderful start

You could contact local papers and get them to run a story on the situations. Speak to the no kill shelters in your area and see what advise they can give you.

I can not give you much personal information as I am on the other side of the world but you will get some great advise from members here. But it would be a good idea to contact a TNR team that is based in your area (or surrounds). They will then help you to begin the process.

One of our members Katie (TNR1) will be able to help you more. I am going to send her a pm and alert her to your post

thankyou again

Thank you. I know this is a stupid question but what does TNR stand for and how do I research it. Do I need to work on getting a licensce?
And thank you all for responding so quickly. I feel so desperate about this. So much so that I told my husband today that I am sure I wanted to get a bigger house. I don't want something that is just cages outside either. I want to have a cat jungle where there is a great big enclosure outside for the cats to play in, in the daytime with trees and foilage and lots of space where they could get fresh air, and somewhere with enough room for them to return inside when it gets cold, rains, or at night. I know this sounds like a pipe dream but I feel in my spirit that this is a MUST! I HAVE TO DO IT!

Trap Neuter Release

It's when you trap the feral/stray cat, neuter then, then when they are fit again, release them back where they came from.

Yo'll find loads more info if you google the term or use the search engine here

Trap Neuter Return.

What that means is they trap the strays, neuter/spay them and then will return them to the outdoors. This way their days of populating are over. As a previous poster said, even if you can trap and alter one cat your doing something which is wonderful.

No you dont need a license but there are many TNR groups out there that would be more than willing to help you

Originally Posted by huggles

Trap Neuter Return.

What that means is they trap the strays, neuter/spay them and then will return them to the outdoors. This way their days of populating are over. As a previous poster said, even if you can trap and alter one cat your doing something which is wonderful.

No you dont need a license but there are many TNR groups out there that would be more than willing to help you

Click to expand...

jinx! lol!!

I would check your local bylaws though, as there might be some loophole that means if you neuter the cat you are deemed legally responsible for it or something. I agree with trying to find a local group to join or too help you as they will be more clued up on the legal side of things.

okay. I will google it right now while I wait on other responses. I will also look up how to get started opening a rescue shelter, and foster caring for cats. I know that there isn't much that I could do about opening up a shelter right now but I know with a lot of plan and hard work I can get it done!

Originally Posted by maverick_kitten

jinx! lol!!

Click to expand...

yes I forgot about laws. Since I am on the other side of the world I am not aware of those things.

Originally Posted by ms_joshica

okay. I will google it right now while I wait on other responses. I will also look up how to get started opening a rescue shelter, and foster caring for cats. I know that there isn't much that I could do about opening up a shelter right now but I know with a lot of plan and hard work I can get it done!

Click to expand...

and you have a big heart to even begin to enquire about this. Thankyou

Anything you do is a step in the right direction and lot more than most people do

You could organise a pet food drive to collect pet food for a local shelter too

(I am idea rich but time poor )

Thank you. I will have to buff up on the laws, of course I didn't think of that But I will not let that stop me! I WILL find a way to help these poor babies out.

Originally Posted by ms_joshica

I have a beautiful cat, she is going to have kittens soon, I am keepin ALL of them, and they are ALL getting altered!

Click to expand...

I hate to be a wet blanket...but I wanted to remind you that rescue involves giving up cats, lots and lots of cats. Each will be almost as precious to you as your current cats.

I suggest you look for a local rescue and see if you can foster for them. That way they already have a fundraising capability, and vets they can work with, etc. But just know that if you keep your current litter, you greatly reduce the number of cats you can foster.

Most rescues are in desperate need of foster homes. Many families have several litters of kittens at one time, because there just aren't enough people to help out. My rescue ends up turning cats away due to the lack of foster homes.

My rescue adopts out at Petsmart. (You will see Second Chance Pet Adoption from Elk Grove Village IL on this list...that's who I foster for. ) I live over an hour away from the rescue, which is a pain, but mostly I just foster preggers cats, then turn the kittens over to someone else to take to adoption shows when they are old enough.

See if you find any rescues fairly close to you on this list. By the way, my rescue workers are aware of multiple rescues in our area, so if you don't find one close enough, call them anyhow to see if they know of someone closer to you who needs help!

http://www.petsmart.com/adoptions/partner_i_l.shtml

Here's more found on another search...
http://worldanimalnet.org/new.asp?co...U&prov=in&cat=

Holiday Cat Sanctuary
2008 W. Lincoln Highway, # 560
MERRILLVILLE, IN 46410

and

NOAH A No-kill Organization for the Adoption of Homeless Animals
P.O. Box 4363
HAMMOND, IN 46324


Petfinder also has a listing of rescues.

http://www.petfinder.com/pet.cgi?action=4

With determination, you can really help the situation!

Hey there.....it's WONDERFUL you want to help. Below is a list of TNR groups in Indiana:

http://www.alleycat.org/orgs.html#in

Also...it looks like the neuter scooter will be in Hammond on the 25th of August.

http://www.neuterscooter.com/index.c...clinicstate=IN

They only charge $20 per cat for ferals...so you may want to try to arrange to get a large TNR session together and bring these cats to the neuter scooter....or you could simply let the community know about this wonderful service that is offered (they charge $40 if you pay in advance or $50 on the day of the clinic).

To learn more about TNR go here:

http://www.alleycat.org/visitor.html

Katie

Beckiboo I do understand what you are saying and all sides have to be accounted for when going into a thing so thank you, and no, you aren't a wet blanket, but in my city we have one animal shelter. ONE and that part of the city is trying to break away from the rest of the city and become a town in itself. It is the nicer, well, used to be nicer part of town. Anyhow, the city so desperately needs rescues. Gary has NONE. Zero, Ziltch. If I foster, which I am looking into btw, I wouldn't even be fostering kittens, cats and such from my own city. Why, because they simple don't do that here. So you have thousands of animals with absolutely NO where to go that get euthanised and never even have a chance. Most of them so desperately want you to help.
I am realistic. I know that it will be so hard letting them go and saying goodbye, but I also have to remember the purpose and that is giving these animals a figting chance in my city. I've never seen a city like mine. It is poverished beyond belief, therefore stakes are high and resources low. God is the only reason I have fallen victim to a lot of what is happening.
I am however taking the advice and going to volunteer for a while at an animal shelter and foster first to get the feel for what I'm doing. Unfortunately, this is something that has to be let go.
I know it is expensive and time consuming and a lot of work, but if I don't I don't think anyone else will. I have seen the one "rescue" place in Gary, and it is so darn SAD. The humane society should come and shut them down, but just as I said it, they closed anyway! Animals run in the middle of our streets and lay dead for days or even until they are totally run over into nothing, or eaten by scavengers. I reported a dog wandering the city. It was a beautiful black dog, and guess what, it never got picked up, a week later, my husband came home pissed off because someone poured hot grease on her, and she was pregnant!
I am not being funny, and Beci I am in no way disrearading what you have to say, I really am taking all of it into consideration, but for the city I live in we need something that is worth having, and these animals need some hope. Cats are imbreeding so terribly in abandoned houses and buildings. It is chaos and the city doesn't have time to care because if you think it is bad for the animals, you should listen to the stories of the people!
This is why I HAVE to do something. I am giving myself a year. A year to foster, volunteer, apply for grants, do whatever is necessary some that SOME animals don't have to go around hurting.

I went to petfinder today. They are how I found out that there are NO places that foster in Gary, IN, or no kill shelters in Gary Indiana. It is so sad! Thanks for the information on the neuter scooter I will def. look into that. I don't have a car right now. I know it sounds crazy me wanting to do this with no car and all. I just want to do something for the pets in my city is all. I def. want to get involved with a TNR in my immediate area. I know Gary doesn't have any, but what about Hammond, Merrillville, East Chicago perhaps? I can tell that Hammond, Merrillville, and all of that have good places because you rarely see loose animals in their city.

Originally Posted by ms_joshica

I went to petfinder today. They are how I found out that there are NO places that foster in Gary, IN, or no kill shelters in Gary Indiana. It is so sad! Thanks for the information on the neuter scooter I will def. look into that. I don't have a car right now. I know it sounds crazy me wanting to do this with no car and all. I just want to do something for the pets in my city is all.

Click to expand...

There are lots of things you can do that do NOT require that you have a car. For instance....contacting the neuter scooter and arranging for them to come to your city and then contacting the local paper to let people know that they CAN have their cats fixed via this service.

You may also want to join the Best Friends Network:

http://network.bestfriends.org/indiana/news/

Post a message that you would like to help in your city (under the forum section) and see if others are in your area.

Also, you can join this group:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/feral_cats/

Ask if there is anyone in your location.

Katie

I will thanks. My husband just got back on his feet from being laid off from a good job for almost three years. I was just a full time student and I have been blessed with two good jobs that are WAH, so the car will be here shortly I just know it! Thaks everyone I will take all suggestions and I am looking at all the links you all gave now. I hope you don't think I'm some crazy lady I just love animals, esp. cats

Sweetheart, there is nothing that prevents you from crossing state lines and looking into any of the numerous orgs in Chicago. You can't be very far away if you're near Gary. I wouldn't have thought of it either, until I thought about driving through Gary. I'm not saying they'll be willing to drive out and help you extensively, but it's better than the apparent nothing you have in that part of IN.Not only will the Chicago ones be bigger, and have more resources, but they might have more experience and suggestions about starting your own.

That's really all I have to add. I really want to start a rescue too! To bad I will have a one-br shoebox no yard and little money, so it will be awhile.

Here is a link to a rescue in my town, Animal Outreach Society. Somehow, they have partnered with an unwilling high kill shelter to try to change it to no-kill. They also have partnered with other rescues to start a huge TNR campaign, with county funding.

Although they are closer to home for me, I stayed with my rescue because I adore the people. But I have volunteered for the spay/neuter clinics with Animal Outreach...they speuter ferals for $15 each. I am sure they are leaps and bounds ahead of where you can start...but I'm also pretty sure there are people who can kind of help mentor you on how to start a TNR program without going broke.

http://animaloutreachsociety.org/

Worth a look, anyhow. Remember, every rescue started with one person who really cared. And the rescues who are not close to you may help you foster local kitties, too.