Alley Cat Allies Honored for Saving Cats after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita

Business Wire, August 25, 2008

President Becky Robinson to Receive Key to the City of New Orleans

BETHESDA, Md. -- Becky Robinson, president of the national feral and stray cat advocacy group Alley Cat Allies, will be awarded the Goodwill Key to the City of New Orleans on August 29, in recognition of Alley Cat Allies' work to save the lives of hundreds of cats following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Robinson will receive the award at a luncheon organized by the Humane Society of Louisiana at the Astor Crowne Plaza Hotel. The luncheon will follow the dedication of the first memorial statue honoring animals lost during the tragic 2005 Gulf hurricanes.

In the aftermath of the storms, Alley Cat Allies sent more than 100 specialized volunteers--including veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and trained animal rescue workers--to New Orleans. They established a base camp and an emergency shelter to help hundreds of displaced companion and feral cats in the Gulf region.

Alley Cat Allies also set up command center at its Bethesda, MD headquarters, reassigning most of its staff to work full-time on emergency assistance. Staff responded to round-the-clock phone calls and text messages seeking the organization's guidance on humane trapping for cats and--using Alley Cat Allies' extensive network of feral cat caregivers and other contacts throughout the United States--connected local rescue workers with resources to help evacuate cats to safety throughout Mississippi and Louisiana.

For three months after the storms, volunteers at the base camp also conducted a major spay and neuter drive, providing spay or neuter and vaccination services to more than 1,200 cats.

Becky Robinson will be available for media interviews before and after the unveiling and luncheon.

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To arrange media interviews, contact:


Elizabeth Parowski, eparowski@alleycat.org or (240) 429-0104 (Cell)


Francie Israeli, fisraeli@johnadams.com or (202) 737-8400

About Alley Cat Allies

Alley Cat Allies is dedicated to ending the killing of cats and leading the movement for their humane care. Their web site is www.alleycat.org