Alley Cat Advocates, a Louisville-based, nationally recognized non-profit organization, held a ceremony today to celebrate its move to a new state-of-the-art facility. The new location will allow the group to expand and improve services as they help stabilize and lower Louisville’s stray cat population. The 21-year-old organization utilizes the accepted and proven method of Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR). Alley Cat Advocates joins numerous animal welfare organizations in taking a humane and efficient approach to managing the challenging number of outdoor cats living in Louisville.
The new facility will be named The Karen and Hoyt Little Community Cat Complex, after the organization’s current director and founders.
“This is a critical next step in the evolution of Alley Cat Advocates,” said Karen Little, executive director. “We are proud of our work as well as the broad community support that helped make this happen. This will improve the quality of life for these animals as well as the overall quality of life in Louisville. It’s a win-win for everyone.”
The new facility, located at 3524 Newburg Road on the Louisville Metro Animal Services campus, will allow Alley Cat Advocates to improve services and efficiencies by consolidating all operations in one building. A spay/neuter clinic, a medical rehabilitation space, special needs/hospice foster rooms and administrative offices will be all housed under one roof for the first time in the group’s 21-year history. The move will enable the organization to provide assistance to more cats. The solidification of its longtime partnership with Louisville Metro Animal Services will create opportunities and unlimited possibilities for Alley Cat Advocates’ work.
In some cases, cats who cannot be returned to their environment due to permanent injuries, illness or age, as doing so would be inhumane. The new facility will have a designated space to house these cats in a pair of “special needs/hospice foster rooms” so they are available for adoption or can live out their lives in comfort. The organization is not a pet adoption agency but frequently works with local groups that do provide those services.
“Alley Cat Advocates provides an incredibly valuable service to our community,” said Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer. “As a result of their hard work, the financial savings they create results in increased investment in Louisville through the many services the city provides on a daily basis.”
Trap-Neuter-Return is a widely accepted and proven method in the animal welfare community. This method supports the improvement of cats’ lives, and also promotes the humane treatment of community cats. Cats that are not returned to their environment are more likely to spend the remainder of their lives in a shelter cage, only to be euthanized at a relatively young age. Alley Cat Advocates was among the earliest organizations in the United States to adopt the Trap-Neuter-Return method, and many communities have followed their example. To learn more about Alley Cat Advocates, visit alleycatadvocates.org.