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Animal Rescue - Where to go, what to do, how to help!
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| September 27, 2007 |
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Whiskers and Tails - Feral Cat & Animal Rescue (with lots of resource links!) (Missouri)
Whiskers and Tails is a Missouri registered 501©3 tax exempt non-profit organization whose goals stem around four major points in humane activity. The first is to actively rescue any animal that is being abused, has been abandoned or dumped, or that is sitting on death row in shelters forgotten by the very humans that swore to love them. Our second is to promote spay/neutering for all of the obvious reasons such as saving lives and decreasing overpopulation and decreasing the numbers of animals that are born into the situation of becoming unwanted. Our third is to promote humane education at every possible opportunity and our fourth is to share any and all humane resources and information with the public to ensure the safety, health and welfare of all animals.
Since September 11, 2001 we have rescued or assisted over 1000 animals. We have developed an environment that provides a loving home-like environment and ongoing health and welfare for feral and stray cats that would have otherwise died. We rehabilitate them and after we are able to gain their trust and their love we can move on to form that familial bond that animals live for.
Our programs include child, adult and senior community service fulfillment and volunteerism activities, humane education and resource seminars and printed materials. We provide adoption assistance and referrals for low cost or free spay/neuter, children’s literacy and humane education and of course animal rehabilitation. We also provide free listings for lost and found animals, animals needing immediate assistance and animals that need help finding new homes.
Please visit our Whiskers and Tails website for lots of resource links on animal rescue around the country, including how to write grant proposals, where to go for help with animal medical bills, etc.
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Episode Segments:
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How did you, as one person, decide to make a difference and start Whiskers and Tails? What are feral cats, and how do you trap them?
Whiskers and Tails started on 9/11/01, and they have since rescued or assisted over 1,000 animals. They concentrate on feral cats, but help all animals and networks with other rescues as well. Feral cats are stray cats, ones that are unwanted or abandoned. Often they are very malnourished or sick. There are huge numbers of them in every community. She started Whiskers and Tails as a way to feed them, trap them and spay or neuter them. She gives them medical help, rehabilitates them and gets many adopted. That's a picture of Stanley on the right - who collapsed in her driveway at only two pounds, and is now a member of her family. She works with her local vet and has created low-cost spay-neuter clinics that they call "Tom Kat Tuesdays" for the general public.
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There are over 6.8 million feral cats in the U.S. alone. Check out the Whiskers and Tails website for resources in your area so you can help!
They are feral because they have been abandoned and then they breed, and don't have human handling. One way you can help is using the system called Trap, Neuter, Return. SPCA has tons of different programs that will accept feral cats and do the surgery, and then you can release them back. The Humane Society has many resources for feral cats, including Webinars that you can take online. Go to the Whiskers and Tails website to find links to many resources you can use to educate yourself about how you can help in your area.
She talks about rehabbing feral cats and how they are now wonderful pets with incredible personalities.
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Whiskers and Tails has developed incredible resources for people to use if they are interested in any kind of animal rescue - check their website and sign up for their newsletter.
Whiskers and Tails is a non-profit, so donations are tax-deductible. They have four main goals. The first is to make sure that any animal in need gets help. Second is to make sure that there are humane resources for everyone, and the Whiskers and Tails website is full of links and resources for people to use. They also put out a newsletter to share news with people. Their humane education program is geared towards kids, and she has written children's books using real-life animal characters that she takes into the classroom when she reads the animal rescue books to the classes. One of the kids' favorites is her cat "Boog Boog Leo".
Everyone has a talent they can use to work with animals and help with rescue.
If you can't keep an animal, it's important not to give away an animal for free. Make it have a value, and it will be treated better. Also, if you think your child is allergic to an animal, ReGina tells you what you should do before deciding that you must get rid of the animal. There are many things to try!
ReGina lists many resources on her website where people can go to find help with animal medical bills. Many places can help you with donations and sponsors!
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What are the four biggest myths about animals that people still believe today?
It's not safe for animals to roam free, even in a rural area. It is completely deadly, especially for feral cats, either through disease, weather, getting hit by cars, coyotes and chicken hawks, etc. Many people think animals don't have feelings, and that they don't feel cold and heat. People don't realize that animals get diabetes, cancers, lupus, dementia, depression, eating disorders and many other things that humans get. People (especially farmers near where she lives) don't want to neuter their animals because they think it will hurt their masculinity. On the contrary, it makes them better animals.
One person can make a difference - remember one person started the Humane Society! There are so many ways you can make a change in your little corner of the world!
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| Guest(s) Appearing on this Episode |
ReGina Edmondson - Whiskers and Tails Feral Cat Rescue (Missouri)
 ReGina Edmondson has been an animal rescuer all of her life. The 11th child of two warm and loving parents she learned early on that all living things need time, patience, love and a good home. As she grew up she turned her gift of writing into a tool to use to help animals. Her articles can usually be found in various local news papers or other forms of media. She often visits children's groups, organizations and clubs in the hopes of teaching children to not only be responsible and caring towards all animals but to help each other as well. Her visits to various women's groups will often find her discussing the kinship between animal abuse and domestic violence. There are warning signs to look out for and there are numbers to call for help.
Her husband of 23 years Tommy and her 21 year-old son TJ support her efforts whole heatedly. They have spent many hours building cat apartments for the special needs cats that she works with and helping her to clean, feed and care for and rehabilitate them.
She is the Founder and Director of a very small non profit organization called Whiskers and Tails and she is now writing several capital campaign grants to gain the funding to build the first ever in her area all-inclusive animal and human assistance facility that will house not only the special needs animals but a thrift store, museum and a low cost spay/neuter and health care clinic, as well as an event area.
She also plans to publish the 500 children's, adult fiction and humane information books that she has written over the last several years to raise the ongoing funds that will be needed to support her future humane efforts.
You can reach ReGina at angeliqu40@aol.com or you can visit the Whiskers and Tails web site at Whiskers and Tails website Their address is PO Box 83 Peculiar, MO. 64078
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| ReGina Edmondson founded Whiskers and Tails as a non-profit dedicated to saving animals and giving them a second chance. Learn how you can help rescue animals too! Remember to spay and neuter your pet!
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