An Animal Care Guide for Passionate Community Members
Make a positive impact in your neighborhood and city, one animal at a time.
FOUR WAYS YOU CAN HELP ANIMALS
1) IDENTIFY LOCAL GROUPS & RESOURCES
Learn the differences between government funded shelters and private rescue groups, how they function and when to reach out.
2) SEE SOMETHING? SAY SOMETHING!
Be the voice for the voiceless. Report animal cruelty or an abandoned, injured or sick animal.
3) LEARN THE DETAILS OF SAFE KITTEN RESCUE AND TNR
Learn when and when not to interfere with outdoor kittens, the ins-and-outs of kitten care and how to help outdoor feral cats.
4) STRENGTHEN YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF ANIMAL PROTECTION POLICIES
Join our political partner, Animal Wellness Action, to help animals at a legislative level.
1) IDENTIFY RESOURCES NEAR YOU
Identify animal agencies, rescue groups & organizations in your area.
CITY SHELTERS /GOVERNMENT AGENCIES
There are government agencies set up to help animals in your county or city. Research which agencies handle animal cruelty reports verses injured/stray animal pick-up. It may differ depending on your location.
Cruelty divisions will deal with legalities and can lawfully remove an animal from a dangerous situation. Animal services and physical city shelters are normally set up to take in and care for surrendered or found animals.
Shelters can provide basic medical care as well and may have a free or low-cost spay and neuter programs in place to ensure each animal adopted receives surgery.
Los Angeles households are eligible for up to 3 free spay/neuter voucher at participating veterinarian clinics. Visit here.
NON PROFIT GROUPS
There are also non profit rescue groups that can offer help for strays/injured/abandoned animals. These groups will have their own policies and services. They may specialize in certain types of animals and have limits to ways they can help. Some may help rescue an animal and offer temporary boarding, while others take on full medical and foster care until finding a new home. Contact the groups in your area and get a sense of what their focus and capacity is. Offering to volunteer or foster is a great way to gain hands on experience! Reach out to us if you’re interested in volunteering or fostering with Animal Wellness Foundation.
Rescue groups rely on donations to do their work. They may require a donation when surrendering an animal. Do your research for the most reputable and resourceful groups who have a positive history with their community and nearby veterinarians. Their 501c3 registration should be in good standing with the IRS.
VETERINARY HOSPITALS
Certain veterinary hospitals offer low-cost services for animals. Some clinics work with government agencies to provide discounted or free care for eligible animals.
Call your local vet clinics to find out is they provide low-cost medical services to the public.
Sometimes, veterinary clinics may be set up to take on a small number of homeless animals. Animals could receive medical care and boarding at the veterinary clinic until the animal is homed. They may require your cooperation to help promote the animal to potential adopters.
Reach out to each type of group, visit their websites and learn how each group differs in their functioning and resources. Keep their contact information handy when needed.
Find ways to volunteer when you can!
2) SEE SOMETHING? SAY SOMETHING!
REPORT ANIMAL CRUELTY
Animal cruelty includes a range of behaviors harmful to animals, from knowingly depriving an animal of food, water, shelter, socialization or veterinary care to maliciously torturing, maiming, mutilating or killing an animal.
In the U.S., animal protection laws can be enacted and enforced at every level of government.
Most animal protection legislation happens at the state level. There are also a handful of federal animal protection laws. Additionally, some cities and counties pass ordinances to protect animals.
Make your report by phone and by email to your local animal cruelty division. Take videos and photos to clearly portray the situation.
ANIMAL CRUELTY TASK FORCE
24-hour notification hotline 213-486-0450
actf@lapd.lacity.org
If you’re unsure about a situation, reach out anyway. The sooner you contact someone who can help, the better chances for the animal.
For the city of Los Angeles California:
REPORT A SICK, INJURED OR STRAY ANIMAL.
SHELTERS VS RESCUE GROUPS
City shelters as well as some private rescue groups are able to take on lost, found or injured animals. Shelters and veterinarian hospitals can scan the found animal for a microchip. If the chip is registered to a current owner, the animal can be reunited.
Reporting to Shelters:
Animal control officers affiliated with your local shelter will respond to the call and pick up an injured or visibly sick animal and transport to the nearest shelter. Birds, dogs, cats, rabbits and other animals may be accepted.
If you are able to transport the found animal to the shelter during operating hours, this may get the animal to safety sooner. Do not attempt to transport an aggressive animal.
SICK OR INJURED INTAKE:
If an animal is brought to a shelter in extreme condition and greatly suffering beyond the means the shelter can assist, they may decide to humanely euthanize the animal to end his or her suffering.
HEALTHY INTAKE:
Intake of healthy dogs, puppies and kittens that appear lost or abandoned are eligible for pick up or drop off through your local shelter. Adult cat pick-up policies will vary from shelter to shelter since healthy adult felines are not commonly considered endangered on the streets. If an owner is dropping off to surrender ownership, all animals will be accepted.
Shelters may also take in birds, rabbits, possums and other types of animals.
Animals will receive care, food and shelter until healthy and adopted. Most shelters have loyal volunteers who work to promote and socialize healthy animals. You can usually get the animal’s assigned shelter ID and check on his or her status by calling or watching their website updates.
Los Angeles Animal Services: https://www.laanimalservices.com
Reporting to Rescue Groups:
In other cases, a rescue group or veterinary hospital may board and provide care to homeless animals.
Each rescue group will differ in capacity and policy. Some may rely on foster homes because they do not have one physical location, so keep this in mind when doing your research.
If there is a local rescue group able to help, they may have a medical team and resources to fund treatments that a city shelter would not; and they may have a more in depth adoption process to ensure the animal has the best possible forever home.
Donations are the means by which all non profit rescue groups function and their assistance may depend on whether there is a foster in place for the rescued animal.
Search for rescue groups near you: https://www.adoptapet.com/animal-shelters.
Wildlife rescue groups and sanctuaries specialize in helping non-domestic animals, such as seals, seagulls, coyotes, deer and more.
3) SAFE KITTEN RESCUE AND TNR
FINDING KITTENS OUTSIDE
Baby kittens can not survive on their own. They depend on their mother to nurse them and provide warmth up until a certain age.
Never remove baby kittens without confirmation that mom is not coming back. Mom may have gone to eat for herself and left kittens in a safe place. Mom cats usually return within a few hours but sometimes up to six or more. It is best to keep kittens with their mother until at least 5-6 weeks of age when they can begin eating kitten wet food and move around on their own.
Helpful Guide about when and how to help found kittens (mom may be near by)
If you are certain the kittens are abandoned or struggling to survive, find out if your local shelter or rescue groups have space for the kittens. They will need proper care immediately. If you or a friend can foster them until adoption, or until a group can receive them, you will be saving a life!
Read on for details about kitten care below.
Courtesy of Woods Humane Society
CARING FOR FOUND KITTENS
If you see sickly or injured kittens, bring them to the nearest shelter, rescue group (if available) or veterinarian (if you are willing to pay for their care).
If the kittens are healthy and you have confirmed that their mom is not coming back (see the above guide), carefully take the kittens home into a blanketed enclosed carrier and consult a shelter or rescue group on their care. There are guides below to help you foster kittens successfully! READ CAREFULLY.
Baby kittens whose mother has abandoned them will need to be kept safe in a small, warm enclosed space at all times and be bottle-fed multiple times a day in order to survive. Young kittens also need help to pee and defecate.
Here is a bottle feeding & full care guide for kitten fosters.
Nutmeg was rescued by Animal Wellness Foundation from a property where he and his siblings were struggling to survive upper respiratory infections and stay nourished on their own. This photo shows Nutmeg before and after his rescue.
Kittens are at risk of URI (Upper Respiratory Infections). Runny noses, sneezing, hacking and eye discharge are all initial symptoms. If untreated, the infection can become extreme causing pneumonia which can be fatal. Further infection of the eyes and ears, sometimes causing vision loss, can also be the outcome of an untreated infection. If a kitten cannot eat or drink they may become severely dehydrated which can also be fatal.
If you spot a stray kitten suffering from an URI, find immediate medical and foster care for that kitten by contacting a shelter, rescue group or going straight to a veterinary clinic for care.
If you are equipped and up for the challenges and rewards of kitten fostering, you can make a huge impact!
TRAP - NEUTER - RELEASE
Adult cats who have only lived independently outdoors are known as feral. They will generally look clean and fed since they’ve learned to hunt and care for themselves without humans. Some ferals learn that humans will feed them and cat groups or ‘colonies’ will form around these food sources. These animals may still face suffering from lack of any medical care and are in danger of wildlife, cars, poison, and extreme weather. Some colony feeders have developed TNR strategies to offer medical services to the cats they feed.
Trap Neuter & Release, known as TNR, is the act of humanely trapping, then setting up spay or neuter surgeries, vaccines and other medical care before re-releasing the cat back into it’s familiar territory. TNR cats are spotted by a subtle clipping of one ear.
Here are some of the important ways TNR creates a better life for outdoor cats and the communities they live:
Prevents suffering of newborn kittens in uncontrolled environments
Removes the physical stress from female heat cycles and mating
Eliminates territory marking and aggression
Lowers the risk of developing cancer
Protects from the spread of disease (rabies, feline leukemia virus, feline immunodeficiency virus and more)
Shelters will not accept feral cats nor would a feral benefit from shelter life. That is why TNR is a great option to assist non-adoptable cats. You may notice some homeless outdoor cats in groups may not be feral and can be approached and handled. It is likely they lived with people in the past and have the chance of being adopted. Acclimation to indoor living for certain social cats should be thought out keeping the cat’s best interest in mind.
Guides from Feral Cat Initiative
Recommended webinars that focus on TNR practice and teamwork here.
Food & Shelter for Community Cats from Feral Cat Initiative
TNR must be performed responsibly with experienced handlers, short-term fosters and a professional veterinary clinic appointment for surgery and vaccines. If you’d like to learn more about this process please email info@animalwellnessfoundation.org.
4) GET INFORMED ON ANIMAL PROTECTION POLICIES
Learn about animal protection laws and the legal enforcements against animal cruelty in your city, county, state and nationwide. Our partner, Animal Wellness Action, works with policy makers and government agencies to improve the lives of both domestic and wild animals..
Visit www.animalwellnessaction.org for current campaigns and animal protection news.
COMMUNITY RESCUE SUCCESS STORIES
Pregnant Mom rescued to birth adoptable kittens
A community member, Linda, discovered a female cat in her backyard who was visibly pregnant. She knew mom needed safety and shelter to give birth. She developed a feeding schedule with her and responsibly set and supervised her humane trapping.
Mom was carefully transferred into a large blanketed dog crate with food water and a bed. Linda spent time with her without encroaching her physical space until trust was built. She could then set her up in her enclosed patio.
Mom cat gave birth to two kittens. She could safely nurse her kittens in the rescuers care. Food, water and warmth were provided.
The kittens were slowly separated from mom and weaned onto wet food at about 6-8 weeks. They enjoyed playing together while getting attention from Linda. Since the kittens had ongoing human interaction, they were not feral, making them very adoptable.
Linda used a local low cost clinic to make their spay and neuter surgery appointments as well as making sure they received their vaccines and preventative care medicine (dewormer, flea medicine).
She worked to network online to find adopters for the kittens - she interviewed and home-visited as well! Linda is a one woman rescue! This photo is of Mickey & Mustache in their forever home.
Outdoor cat safely and thoughtfully relocated to new home
Janet was an experienced feral cat feeder who set up food, water and some comfortable items for the neighborhood ferals, right in her backyard.
A particularly outgoing new cat arrived one day. Janet welcomed him. She built a rapport with him and then humanely trapped him when she had an appointment for his veterinary care and neuter the next day. She knew that spaying and neutering promotes a healthier, longer life, prevents future suffering and ends conflict with other animals (and neighbors).
Big boy liked human affection, so he wasn’t fully feral, but he didn’t get on as smoothly with the other animals she was caring for. Janet hoped to move him to a cat sanctuary. She had no luck and little time with her own baby on the way. Big boy was too smart for the usual trapping.
We connected her with someone who was looking for an outdoor-indoor cat. This adopter was so handy, he built a custom outdoor home for their soon-to-be cat. Within one meeting, Big boy was easily transported to his new home. He began acclimating in the new owners temperature controlled garage while building trust and routine. He’s now doing well and learning to be friends with the other animals in his new family!