advoCATS, Inc - Helping Hawaii's
Abandoned and Homeless Felines

In an exciting program on the Big Island, 60 feral cats from public parks and shopping centers, from Waikoloa to Pahoa, were trapped, neutered and released in a 2 day spay/neuter clinic recently in Kona. Kona Veterinary Services hosted the clinic. Veterinarians; Doctors Robert Jordan, Jenny Chartier, Bob Magnus and Jim Gressard donated their time and made this clinic possible. The clinic, in conjunction with advoCATS, Inc. all volunteered their services and supplies in a humane effort to reduce the feral and abandoned cat population.

The seed was planted when Dr. Michael Stoskopf, a teaching veterinarian from the North Carolina State University was visiting his parents here in Kona. His parents requested his help with feral cats on their property. Dr. Stoskopf contacted advoCATS, Inc. to borrow traps and get the animals neutered. He attended a meeting of advoCATS, Inc. that summer and agreed to solicit veterinarians for the surgeries if advoCATS could provide the surgical space and support staff.

Dr. Stoskopf procured the help of teaching colleagues Drs. Susan Jones and Kelli Ferris. They operate a mobile surgery in North Carolina, funded by public grants, private donations and the university for teaching students of veterinary medicine. Their surgical unit travels the state with six surgery tables and often neuters 150 cats a day. Drs. Jones and Ferris paid their own travel expenses to Hawaii and volunteered their valuable experience in the organization of spay/neuter surgery on a "mass production" scale, an event unknown on the Big Island, and possibly in the State of Hawaii.

This year advoCATS, Inc. again approached Drs. Robert Jordan and Jenny Chartier for the use of their clinic space, being ideally centrally located and roomy enough for the various phases from registration and preparation to recovery. They and Drs. Bob Magnus, and Jim Gressard veterinarians from Hilo and Waimea respectively, also volunteered their surgical skills and instruments.The volunteer support staff included dedicated members of advoCATS, and other animal welfare groups on the island.

On behalf of advoCATS, Inc. our fondest purrs and meows of thanks to all who participated and donated the goods and services to make this mass spay/neuter clinic such a cooperative success. Donations for the continuance of such programs are urgently needed as well as funds for a no kill sanctuary to help abandoned and unadoptable cats! If anyone wishes to help and participate in future events please contact advoCATS at 327-3724.

advoCATS supports the Trap-Neuter-Return Program to control over-population as well as to maintain good health among the colonies. Once trapped, the cat is transported to a local veterinary hospital. After examination, healthy cats are then neutered, ear tipped (R-female/L-male), allowed to recuperate from surgery and then returned to their colonies where the advoCATS volunteer monitors their recovery. The advoCATS caregiver reserves the right and assumes responsibility for any testing or further medical care for an animal if he/she so chooses.