We are excited to announce that Fearless Kitty Rescue is currently in the running for a $10,000 grant from Republic Services! FKR provides Fountain Hills residents with a healthier, more beautiful, and environmentally responsible community through the responsible and humane care of the community cat population and is seeking the grant to not only continue to perform this service, but also to expand our program. Funds received would allow us to broaden our scope to 1) assist residents who find lost kittens and cats, 2) vaccinate and spay/neuter cat colonies found in dumpsters and local neighborhoods, 3) assist residents who have lost a cat or kitten or who can no longer care for their cat or kitten, and 4) fund a TNR (trap, neuter/spay, release) program in Fountain Hills. This work will result in fewer homeless cats and kittens, a reduced feral kitten population, and a cleaner environment.

As the primary resource for the housing and placement of cats in our community, we know that we will be uniquely effective in implementing a program like this.

We are vying for this grant on the heels of a very important bill that was recently passed by the Arizona legislature. Senate Bill 1260 paves the way for TNR programs just like the one we are proposing. These types of programs are gaining acceptance across the country as both an effective and humane approach to managing community cat populations.

In the past, community cats were held in a shelter for a mandatory period (usually 72-120 hours), then either put up for adoption or killed, depending on their temperament. If they were well socialized to humans, they’d have a chance of finding a forever home. If they had little contact with people, their futures looked unfortunately bleak.

Thanks to the new bill, if the cat is healthy and lacks any identification, it will be taken into a shelter or rescue. If certain criteria are met, the cat will be exempted from the mandatory standard holding period. It will simply be sterilized, vaccinated and returned to its outdoor home. With the inability to breed, the future population will decrease significantly in time.

Click here for the actual language from the bill.

Why TNR?

  • TNR reduces shelter admissions and operating costs. Also, fewer community cats in shelters increases shelter adoption rates, as more cage space opens up for adoptable cats.
  • These programs create safer communities and promote public health by reducing the number of unvaccinated cats.
  • TNR programs improve the lives of free-roaming cats. When males are neutered, they are no longer compelled to maintain a large territory or fight over mates, and females are no longer forced to endure the physical and mental demands of giving birth and fending for their young.
  • Sterilizing community cats reduces or even eliminates the behaviors that can lead to nuisance complaints.

For more on TNR, go to Best Friends TNR FAQS  

We are competing with four other wonderful local organizations, but only one can receive the grant. We believe that with your help, we can affect positive change in the Fountain Hills community for both humans and felines alike. If we succeed here, others will likely take notice and possibly start their own large-scale TNR programs in their own areas.

Since our inception in 2012, we have rescued over 1000 cats. If you want to help us save more kitty lives, please vote for for Fearless Kitty Rescue.

If you live in Fountain Hills, you may be eligible to vote! For information on how to vote for us, please visit: fearlesskittyrescue.org/grant.

Please share this information and help “grant” us this wish.