Elizabeth Abdalla and Melissa Maeker, board members of Wild Cat Foundation, SpayNation, and Krewe des Chien, are here to discuss their mission to reduce dog and cat overpopulation in Acadiana through the operations of these 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations. Both women are passionate spokespersons about their involvement in treating our companion pet population, as well as the feral cat population, humanely and offering high-quality care to these vulnerable, innocent animals.

Wild Cat Foundation was created to support no-kill solutions to the stray cat overpopulation in Lafayette and the surrounding area. It is celebrating its 20^th year of operation in 2023. Since 2010, Wild Cat has supported the operations of SpayNation which offers high-quality, lost-cost spay/neuter surgeries to the public and rescue organizations, and incredibly, over 70,000 animals have been neutered since the organization’s inception. While Wild Cat Foundation is not a rescue organization, they do have adoptable pets at all times. Visit https://wildcatfoundationla.org/ for more information.

In 2018, Wild Cat took over operations of Acadiana’s favorite dog and family parade, Krewe des Chien. All proceeds are dedicated to supporting local animal shelters’ funding for food and care of the rescues.

Krewe des Chien Parade is an annual Mardi Gras Parade celebration open to dogs and their loyal human family members. Please consider signing up for the 2023 parade to be held on February 11, 2023, in Downtown Lafayette! It only costs $25 to register and there are also spots available for dog royalty! And please, dogs only….no cats, pigs, goats, cows, or bunnies! For more information, email krewedeschien@gmail.com or visit https://www.facebook.com/KreweDesChien

Acadiana’s favorite family & dog-friendly parade is back again this year with proceeds benefitting local rescue groups! Established in 1998, Krewe des Chien is a non-profit organization and has been fundraising and distributing funds to the many animal assistance organizations in the Acadiana area in need of financial support. Since the first parade for dogs, Krewe des Chien has raised more than $400,000 in support of its MISSION… to reduce the number of unwanted animals through public education about the benefits of spaying and neutering and to involve the community in an effort to achieve this mission.

Date: Saturday, February 11, 2023, 12 p.m.

Sponsorships & Royal Court Positions are available. Visit the website for PAST opportunities and general information – www.krewedeschiens.org.   The website will be updated soon with 2023 information!

Registration 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. on February 11.

$25.00 fee to participate and join the Krewe – Includes two adult humans (children can walk with their parents for free) and one dog to walk in the 2023 parade. payable by cash or check on the day of the parade. Once the website is updated you may also register for the Krewe and pay via credit card online.

Membership is open to all pet lovers! Parade rules:

• No throwing edible treats
  
• No retractable leashes
  
• DOGS ONLY – No cats, cows, bunnies, goats, etc… please
  
• participants must sign the Liability Waiver “Participant Agreement Release”
  
• Individuals/groups must have a dog(s) to walk in the parade
  

In case of cancellation due to unforeseen circumstances or weather, your participation fee will be considered a donation by the Krewe des Chien to be distributed to local rescue organizations that are registered to participate in the parade.

Many people abandon their cats when they move or are unable to care for their pets. Then, these cat’s offspring are born feral. TNR (Trap, Neuter, and Return) has been proven to be the only humane method to reduce the population of unwanted felines who have never experienced contact with humans. While we may think of them as ‘homeless,’ in fact they exist in colonies and are self-sufficient. There can be anywhere between 10 and 200 cats living in a colony. Wild Cat Foundation trains and advises colony caregivers on how to humanely trap feral cats which are then transported to feral-friendly veterinarians for vetting, then returned to their colonies. It can be difficult to trap feral cats, so please reach out to Wild Cat/SpayNation for assistance.

Some feral cats will never be suitable for adoption but have much to offer our community. A few lucky cats that came into SpayNation’s community cat program are shown above. These fortunate community cats have caregivers that went the extra mile to make sure they were trapped, vaccinated, neutered and returned to their outdoor homes. Some of these community cats live in backyards while others live on the property of local businesses. During the month of November 2023, SpayNation spayed/neutered 272 community cats.

In conjunction with WildCat Foundation/SpayNation, the Lafayette Animal Shelter and Care Center introduces “Cats Clocking In,” Lafayette’s working cat program. A working cat is a domestic cat that is unsuitable for traditional adoption and instead “works” for its food, shelter and care by hunting and deterring rodents from its “employer’s” property. They are commonly employed where pest control is needed such as barns, farms, factories, warehouses, stores, and private property. A benefit of using a working cat is that they alleviate the need for harmful pesticides which can inadvertently harm pets and wildlife such as hawks and owls. https://www.lafayettela.gov/lascc/adopt/working-cats

Executive Director Paula Stude of SpayNation is credited for outstanding leadership of the organization’s outreach. Elizabeth and Melissa both spoke of her successful management of paid staff as well as crew of volunteers who make it all happen. One recent success was the receipt of a grant to pay for pet oxygen recovery masks needed when our fire department is saving dogs and pets trapped in a fire. Petco and PetSmart have been tremendous resources of grants for our region.

For more information, please visit https://spaynation.net/