2. Stacy LeBaron, host of Community Cats Podcast
● Got started in animal rescue in 1994 when she got
involved with a local rescue
Animal Rescue Professionals Association
● Learned how many feral cats were in the area with
no one to feed them or give them shelter
● A TNR (Trap, Neuter, Release) group was formed and
Stacy joined 2 years after it was started
● Became President of the Merrimack River Feline Rescue
Society, started free spay/neuter clinics for anyone,
anywhere to get feral cats spayed and neutered, rabies
vaccine and an ear tip
3. What did Stacy tell us?
● How cats became an important part of
her life
● How her podcast started
● Podcast episodes that stand out
● What she is working on now
● What her vision is for the future
Animal Rescue Professionals Association
4. Have cats always been a part of Stacy’s life?
● Her career with cats happened by chance but
she always had cats, where she learned how
to respect a cat and their personalities
Animal Rescue Professionals Association
● Has a soft spot for the older cats that were
brought into the shelter
● Would feed outdoor cats if she was traveling
around
● Stacy felt like more and more opportunities
came her way and she did not want to stop!
5. How did Stacy’s podcast, Community Cats Podcast, start?
● Stacy used to run a mentor program with the Merrimack River Feline Society
with almost 400 groups on her waitlist
● She was moving out of the Merrimack area and had to decide what was next
● Decided to do something virtual to reach a greater group with a demand for
education, compassion and outreach
● Her son told her it would be easy to start a podcast, not knowing how many
people would listen
Animal Rescue Professionals Association
● Stacy started listening to podcasts and had a hard time finding ones on animal
rescue
6. What are a few podcast episodes that stand out?
● Stacy has done over 200 podcasts and learns something new everyday
Animal Rescue Professionals Association
● Hannah Shaw, the Kitten Lady
● Emma Clifford who works on Animal Balance, spay/neuter clinics in the
Galapagos Islands
● Austin Pets Alive
● HSUS (Humane Society of the United States)
● Maddie’s Fund
● Neighborhood Cats
● Alley Cat Allies
7. What’s next for Stacy?
● Stacy has been working on her Community Cats Grant Program for organizations
that have revenue of $100,000 or less a year
● Foundation money will match the amount fundraised to help support spay/neuter
costs
● Hosting an online conference - 2 ½ days, webinar format, 4 -5 professional presentations
on both days
Animal Rescue Professionals Association
● Organizations have one month to raise $1,000 with the help of mentoring and support
8. What is Stacy’s vision for the future?
● Stacy is focusing on her upcoming conference/webinar in January
● Hoping to create a model of success for
community cat programs all over the country to
maintain great programs
● Create a humane cat community in all
environments
Animal Rescue Professionals Association
● Make TNR a part of our communities through
education and access to programs
9. Animal Rescue Professionals Association
Want to learn more?
Listen to the podcast with Stacy LeBaron at
www.animalrescueprofessionals.org or on iTunes
