Transcripts
Welcome to Animal Posse, the podcast dedicated to the
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:people and rescues making a
difference in the lives of animals.
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:Thank you Rebecca for joining me today.
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:Rebecca: You're welcome.
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:I'm so excited to be here with you.
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:Dixie: You do TNR
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:Rebecca: I do.
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:Dixie: And what group do you do that for?
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:Rebecca: I do it with the Jefferson SPCA.
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:Dixie: Can you tell us a little
bit about your background and
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:how you became involved in TNR?
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:Rebecca: Yes.
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:So I've always been an animal lover
since day one, since I was little.
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:My mom had probably 15, 20 cats in
and around our house growing up.
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:Huge animal family.
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:I started working with Jefferson Parish
Parks and Recreation in:
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:after 10 years at the same job, it's
like, what can I do to make coming
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:to work something that I love to do?
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:So how can I incorporate
animals into my job?
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:So I've always wanted to volunteer,
but volunteering with different
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:organizations is so stressful because
there's so many requirements and.
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:Applications you have to fill out and
you have to schedule appointments.
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:So I never really did that
'cause that freaked me out.
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:But I was like, okay, with my platform I
can do this, and then I'll open it up to
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:volunteers and people will come to me to
volunteer and I'll do all the scheduling.
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:So now I'm not alone going to volunteer,
and that makes it easier for me.
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:I found Rachel because my mother she has
community cats and she had reached out to
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:Rachel and Rachel did some TNR for her.
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:So my mom was like, you should
reach out to Rachel with the
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:Jefferson SPCA and maybe y'all can
volunteer there with your new group.
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:So the group is called JP Helping
Paws, and this is probably
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:our second or third ish year.
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:So I met Rachel doing all that.
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:And if Rachel, she's very.
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:Loud and outgoing and to
the point, and I love that.
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:So just volunteering there.
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:I started hearing about trapping
cats and something about it always
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:freaked me out a little bit.
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:Just the unknown of it, my fiance works
at Game On Social Hub and the owners,
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:there are big cat people, which we
love, but she had some cats in the
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:back that she wanted help trapping.
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:So Rachel was like, I'm gonna go, I'll
bring the van, come with me and learn.
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:I was like, okay.
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:So we got the big van,
loaded it up with traps.
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:Rachel's showing me how to do it,
setting 'em, and then you just hear
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:'em, clicking and setting off and
she's like, oh, go see what we got.
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:And I'm like okay.
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:And then it's like, oh
look, it's a little one.
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:And so it was just like the
thrill of like, what did we get?
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:That kind of like pulled me in.
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:Once I saw how easy it was, I was
like, okay like this takes no effort.
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:You literally set a metal box and they
walk into it and then you're done.
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:So I was like, I can do this.
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:I can totally do this.
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:So I still hadn't had like a neighborhood
to trap in or anything like that.
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:But where I work, I drive through
airline park neighborhood to get to
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:my job sometimes, and I saw a little
black kitten crossing the street.
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:So immediately, my first instinct
is let me try and grab him.
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:And I saw him run into their backyard.
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:So I tell Rachel and she's
like, come get a door hanger.
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:The door hanger says, we notice there's
community cats in the neighborhood.
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:We wanna trap them, do t and r.
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:Here's my name and number.
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:Contact me.
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:So I put them out on some doors and
then the next day I got a text message.
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:Hey we saw your door hanger and we
would love for you to come trap our cat.
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:And I was like, this is it.
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:Like this is it.
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:I've been trapping there
for over a year now.
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:At the same houses, the people who live
there are like my best friends now.
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:They're probably fifties
and up, but they're the
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:sweetest people ever, but they are
your typical feeders, not fixers.
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:So it's easy for me because it's
right around the corner from my job,
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:so I can drop traps in the morning.
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:They'll keep an eye on 'em.
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:I can pick 'em up after work
and go drop 'em off at the J.
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:It was just so exciting, once you
start setting those traps and grabbing
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:things and then you really feel
it like, I am making a difference.
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:Like I literally took maybe an hour out
of my day and I truly made a difference.
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:I can see that I made a difference.
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:Like these cats will
never get pregnant again.
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:They will never impregnate anyone.
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:I just put a dent even in, this
house, this block community, I
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:myself have put a dent in it.
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:So I, once I saw that, I
was like, this is so cool.
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:I love this.
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:It's so easy and like.
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:Being an animal lover does not save lives.
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:Unfortunately.
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:Just being an animal lover does nothing.
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:How many people do we all know?
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:Like I'm an animal lover.
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:It's like, but what do you do?
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:Like, what are you doing for that?
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:So it's like I just love the
fact that like, no, like I
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:actually am making a difference.
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:I am.
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:Dixie: Absolutely.
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:Yeah.
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:And you're right about all the animal
lovers, like especially on social media.
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:Rebecca: Oh my God.
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:Yeah.
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:Dixie: That is like my
biggest pet peeve ever.
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:When they're like, oh, I need
somebody to come help this kitten.
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:I love animals, but somebody else
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:come do the work.
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:Rebecca: That's one of my pet peeves
too, because once you and your community
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:know that you're a doer, anytime
there's a social media post, you get
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:tagged by everyone and it's like, wait.
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:You're just as capable as I am.
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:Like, are you scared?
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:You have a vehicle, you have free time.
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:Why are you tagging me
to come save the day?
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:Like.
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:I think it's amazing that y'all are,
and I love that y'all think of me like
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:that, but like you are capable too.
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:I love being the person that
people go to solve the problems
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:and I love being able to help.
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:But we all need to be helping.
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:Like the problem is big enough.
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:We all need to be helping Stop
tagging me, tag me to say, Hey
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:Rebecca, I did this myself.
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:Aren't you proud of me?
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:Yes.
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:Absolutely.
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:Dixie: Now you said your group,
JP Helping Paws is different.
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:So can you explain how it is
different from the other groups?
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:Rebecca: So we're a volunteer group.
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:I set everything up and I
basically just let people know.
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:We meet up once a month at a different
organization, wherever, and I'll
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:let them know like, Hey, this month
we're going to help A Tail in Need,
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:do their adoption day at PetSmart.
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:I need you to be here at
this time, this place.
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:This is how long it's gonna be lasting.
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:This is what you're gonna be doing.
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:You let me know if you're coming.
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:And then I'll reach out to that
rescue and I tell them, I've
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:got five volunteers coming.
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:Whatever the case may be.
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:But there is no legwork for
the people in the group.
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:They literally read the email
and tell me I'll be there or
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:I won't, and then that's it.
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:It's so low commitment.
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:It's no work on their part,
and that's what I love, like.
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:It's trouble for me 'cause I'm the
one planning all of it the whole year.
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:But I signed up for it and it's my job.
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:I do that now.
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:But it's just so easy for them.
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:There's just no commitment,
with everything going on.
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:Everyone is so busy.
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:And to just see an email and
be like, yeah, that's cool.
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:I'll be there.
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:Or I'll catch you next month.
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:Like, that's it.
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:They just show up.
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:When we get to the different
organizations and everything, I am
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:the one advocating for our group
saying, Hey, we're JP Helping Paws.
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:What can, what do y'all need today?
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:Are we walking dogs?
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:Are we cleaning cat cages?
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:Do you need your bathrooms cleaned?
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:Are their laundry, do
you need anything folded?
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:What you need?
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:And I'll, I introduce all
the volunteers together.
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:Like I make sure that everyone feels
like safe and included and no one feels
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:shy or uncomfortable with anything.
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:'cause like I know how that
is and I don't like that.
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:I don't like awkwardness, so I try to
make sure that everyone feels included.
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:If someone doesn't want a
big dog, like I'll take it.
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:What do you want?
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:What would you feel comfortable doing?
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:If they need the bathrooms cleaned
and no one's interested, I'll clean
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:your bathrooms, we, and then I'm
like, okay, we got, 10 minutes left.
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:Do y'all need anything else?
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:We're gonna wrap up.
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:Like, it's really just easy.
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:It makes it so easy for these
people to volunteer with us.
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:And I encourage everyone while we're
there, take all the photos and videos.
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:You can send them to me and then I'll
post them and tag the organization so that
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:they can reshare it or just so that more
people can get eyes on their adoptables.
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:'cause that's the name of the game, I
feel like it's so important for us to.
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:Relieve the volunteers or the workers
of these organizations who literally
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:dedicate their lives to this.
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:If they can sit down for an hour
while we're cleaning their bathrooms
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:and sweeping their floors and walking
their dogs, that's all that matters.
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:It's just so important to just
help with that kind of stuff.
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:We've been told we got a
bunch of trash in the back.
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:If y'all could help
bring it to the dumpster.
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:It's been back there a while, and I'm
like, yeah, like we can throw trash away.
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:Absolutely.
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:Like, what do you need?
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:Come on, tell me, what do you need?
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:I love that.
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:I don't know.
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:To my knowledge, I don't know of any
other volunteer groups like that.
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:And to me it's very special.
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:I love our little group.
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:And I hope that it grows and flourishes.
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:Dixie: And how many
people are in your group?
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:Rebecca: So it varies.
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:The first year we did it, we
probably had about 50 people in it.
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:'cause it was new and people
didn't know what to expect of it.
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:Right now I probably have
around 20 out of those 20 I.
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:Definitely have about five diehards that
are there next to me every single time.
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:Some of our volunteers have children
and because of their children's
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:obligations, they might not be able
to come out as often as they'd like.
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:And then some of them ask for their kids
being able to volunteer, which is another
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:threshold challenge in volunteer work.
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:Because you need to be 18
and older for everywhere.
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:There's liability with
animals and all of that.
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:So there's not a lot of opportunity for
children, but there absolutely are at
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:least two rescues that I know of that do
allow children to come help and interact
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:with the animals, which is important
for them to learn at an early age.
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:They grow up to be, beautiful,
intelligent cat women like the rest of us.
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:It's important.
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:Dixie: It's very important.
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:I agree with that.
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:Definitely.
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:I did wanna have you on the show
today because you teach TNR classes.
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:So how long have you been
teaching TNR classes and what
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:inspired you to start that?
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:Rebecca: So we started in January.
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:It is Jefferson Parish is 200th year.
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:So Jefferson Parish has had a huge
push for bicentennial advertisement,
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:branding and all that jazz.
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:Of course, helping animals
is always first on my mind.
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:How can I wrap my job into
helping animals somehow some way.
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:So being someone who does TNRI
know the challenges of it,
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:and I know the need for it.
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:So if it's like, let me make
this a initiative and try to
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:teach 200 people to TNR, even if.
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:Five people end up actually doing it.
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:That's a success.
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:If one person ends up actually
doing it, that's a success.
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:Just people sitting and listening
to the class and hearing about it.
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:Is a success in my book because
now they know a little bit
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:more than when they walked in.
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:Not everyone's a cat person and
that's fine, but just knowing the
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:facts about community cats is huge.
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:Like you don't have to
like cats to do TNR.
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:You don't.
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:You have to.
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:Be compassionate and
wanna make a difference.
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:So I teach that in the class.
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:We started, January was our first class.
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:We do one every single
month for this year.
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:And I think I'm gonna
continue it after:
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:Maybe I'll do two a year or maybe
just a handful of them a year.
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:Right now we started, I wanted to
do a balance between the East Bank
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:and West Bank of Jefferson Parish.
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:'cause there's a need on
both sides of the river.
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:It doesn't matter where
you are, there's a need.
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:So we do back to back.
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:Each month we do one in the East
Bank for two months and then
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:the West Bank for two months.
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:So I've been bouncing back and forth.
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:We haven't reached my goal of
200 yet, but I'm not discouraged.
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:I'm still gonna keep trying
until December of:
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:But a lot of the people who
have been attending, they all
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:obviously have seen community
cats, which is why they signed up.
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:They wanna make a
difference, they wanna help.
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:And they have a lot of
good questions in class.
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:Like they're not just sitting
there like they are interested.
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:I don't know if some of them are going
to do TNR, but I feel confident that
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:if they wanted to, they would know how.
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:I had one woman who I think she lived
on the West Bank, but she attended
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:an East Bank class and her husband
is in the military, so she's gonna be
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:moving outta state, and she was like,
I'm really excited to find a rescue
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:where we move to and do TNR with them.
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:I was likes Amazing.
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:Dixie: That is awesome.
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:Rebecca: I know.
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:I was like, I love that for you.
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:She was like, I hope they
have a program like y'all do.
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:I was like, Ugh, me too.
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:But I told her, no matter where
you go, you're gonna find cats.
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:So it's a good skill to have.
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:Dixie: Definitely.
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:What topics do you cover in the TNR class?
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:Rebecca: I feel like I really
cover the beginning to end what to
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:do when you see a community cat.
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:How to rent the trap.
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:Once you have the trap,
how do you prep the trap?
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:What do you do with it?
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:What do you do with the cat
before and after surgery?
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:How do you make the appointments?
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:Where do you make the appointments?
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:All of the things After the cat is
released, what do you do with the trap?
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:There is so many steps to TNR.
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:As easy as it is, the prep
and the after is so much work.
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:It's rewarding and it's easy work.
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:Like loading and unloading the dishwasher,
like my God, who wants to do that?
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:But it has to be done and it's not hard.
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:It's just annoying.
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:So all of that's in there.
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:I go over all of the things.
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:If there's, babies, what to do
if you get two cats in one trap,
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:if it's pregnant you know how to
look for an ear tip, all of that.
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:I've only been trapping for a little
over a year, so I've learned a lot
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:in a short amount of time, and I
know I have so much more to learn.
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:But every trap trapper traps differently.
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:That's not a good thing or a bad thing.
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:We all have our own little nuances,
our own little things that we do.
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:A couple classes I'll have
another TNR Trapper come to the
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:class to share their experience.
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:If I don't have anyone
coming, no big deal.
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:I can do it myself.
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:I can answer almost all the questions
myself, but if someone wants to
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:come and help me with the class,
they're more than welcome to.
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:It's just, everyone's got their, some
trappers mix up all their food beforehand
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:and bring it prepared in a Tupperware.
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:I'm cracking cans in the street
with a spoon in a bag for my trash.
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:It's just, everyone's got their own
little things, and I don't think
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:anyone's are better and worse.
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:It's all, we are all
learning from each other,
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:Dixie: The target audience,
would that be anybody?
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:Rebecca: Literally anybody,
I say 18 and up just because.
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:I'm not gonna say I've put
myself in dangerous situations.
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:I'm gonna say interesting situations,
so I wouldn't open it to children.
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:Now, if a parent wants to come with their
child and teach them, come on, it's free.
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:I would love for them to learn.
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:I just want them to be at least
18 to start trapping on their own.
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:I was in a very interesting
situation yesterday.
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:I ended up leaving
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:cat less
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:but I had the cats and traps.
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:But that might be a story for another day.
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:Dixie: Maybe we'll get to
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:that one afterwards.
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:Rebecca: Yeah.
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:Yeah.
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:Dixie: We'll go through the class first.
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:Yes.
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:And then you can tell us the story.
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:Rebecca: Yes.
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:Dixie: Does
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:the class include hands-on training?
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:Rebecca: So I tell everyone if they're
interested in doing what I call a ride
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:along, they're welcome to send me an email
and if I'm not trapping on that day,
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:we'll find you a trapper that you can
meet up with and you can see it hands on.
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:I do bring my trap bag with
me and all of the things that
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:come with it, I bring traps.
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:Regular traps.
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:I brought a fat cap trap and I
brought a kitten trap just to
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:show them this is what it is.
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:I show them how it works, how
it's triggered, how you set
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:it, how you clean it, how you
cover it, line it, all of that.
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:So I bring all of the things and
I show them I have a trap fork.
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:I show 'em how all of that's done.
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:But if they wanna go like in the
field and learn on the job experience,
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:they just need to send us an email.
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:Say, Hey, I'm interested in coming out.
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:I've had one person come
out with me and he learned.
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:It's so much to absorb your first time.
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:It's almost overwhelming,
but I promise you it's really
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:not that, it's not that hard.
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:Once you come out a couple times,
you're like, oh, okay, this, the
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:main thing is setting the trap
and get in the cat, and that's it,
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:Dixie: I find a lot of people
are actually scared of the traps.
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:Rebecca: Really
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:, Dixie: and they don't know
how to operate the trap.
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:Rebecca: Yeah.
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:Dixie: And once you show them how
easy it is to just set the trap
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:Rebecca: so easy.
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:Dixie: It's super easy.
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:And pretty much there's a couple
of different traps out there,
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:Rebecca: yeah
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:there are,
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:Dixie: people use the
like the brown traps.
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:I like the brown traps.
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:But then there's the typical,
humane trap that they have, right?
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:With the kind of slide up doors?
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:Yeah, with the hinge.
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:Rebecca: Yeah.
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:No, not
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:a fan.
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:Not a fan.
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:Dixie: Yeah.
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:I'm not either, but all of them,
they all operate on the same premise.
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:So if you learn on one
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:Rebecca: Yeah, you can figure it out.
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:Dixie: You can figure it out on all of
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:' em.
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:Rebecca: Absolutely.
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:That's how the kitten traps are with
the strange littlemouth pinching
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:front door the first time I saw
that I was like, what is this?
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:It's like, it's gotta open some way.
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:There's only a couple ways it
can do it, you figure it out.
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:But they're so easy
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:Dixie: Uhhuh.
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:Rebecca: I know.
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:I think Rachel keeps a nail file with
her so that like, if her trapped doors
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:close into sensitively or something,
she'll just grind that little piece.
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:Rough, rough it up a little bit.
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:So there's tips and trick you learn
along the way from everyone you know.
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:It's like a little hobby.
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:Dixie: What about misconceptions with TNR?
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:How do you address those?
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:Rebecca: So I really try when I am
going out to a house for the first time
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:let's say there are several cats there.
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:So I'm going to meet
the feeder essentially.
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:I try my hardest to make
them feel so comfortable.
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:They cannot tell me no.
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:Because I know that it's scary to
have someone you don't know come
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:onto your property and say, I wanna
take your babies and fix them.
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:I dealt with this yesterday, just the
word trapper in itself sounds aggressive.
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:It doesn't sound helpful,
it doesn't sound good.
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:So I do think there's
a huge stigma with it.
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:I think people think of the shelter from
years ago, and it's like, absolutely not.
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:I want nothing to do with y'all.
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:And it's like, no, we're here to help.
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:Like we are all crazy cat women.
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:We are here to help.
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:So there's a huge stigma
and how do we break that?
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:Is it not referring to
ourselves as trappers?
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:Is there another way that we
could address it to where it
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:isn't as scary and aggressive?
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:That's something I'm navigating through
because my situation yesterday, all of
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:that came up and I was like, you're right.
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:Like.
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:I do understand that there is a huge
stigma, but we are just here to help.
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:Truly, it has nothing to do with you where
you live, what you don't care about you.
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:I just wanna help the cats.
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:Dixie: What advice would you
give somebody who is fearful
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:of feral cats during trapping?
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:, Rebecca: it's interesting because
I know a couple people who really
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:aren't cat people who do trap and.
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:If you're around cats long enough,
they're gonna turn you, but once
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:they're covered, you're fine.
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:They calm down.
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:That's it.
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:You're never handling the cat.
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:You never have to pick the cat up.
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:The cats pretty much run from you.
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:When you go to trap, you set your trap,
you walk away, you come back, they're
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:in it, you cover it, and that's it.
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:They don't get out of the traps.
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:They're good in there.
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:Once you cover 'em, they're quiet.
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:There.
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:I don't think there's anything
to be scared of, honestly.
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:Now I've learned my lesson from
kitten snatching, as I call it.
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:I don't suggest anyone snatch kittens
by their hand from the garden, but
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:listen, we all have to learn on our own
sometimes, and that's what's happened.
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:And I, lessons we're learned but
if you don't have a tendency to
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:grab cats, barehanded, you're fine.
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:Dixie: Yeah.
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:Rebecca: Yeah.
449
:Dixie: What are the biggest challenges
people face when starting TNR and how do
450
:you help them overcome those challenges?
451
:Rebecca: I think a huge challenge
is talking to the feeders, honestly.
452
:Like that can be a scary part, even still.
453
:'cause you don't know who's
front door you're knocking on.
454
:You don't know if it's, an
80-year-old grandma who really wants
455
:the help and loves these kitties.
456
:It's someone who's just ignorant to
the whole idea of fixing animals and
457
:who's gonna be aggressive with you.
458
:So that right there can be scary.
459
:And I go over that in the class.
460
:I say, if you feel uncomfortable
in a neighborhood, have someone
461
:go with you or don't go.
462
:I don't want anyone to be putting
themselves in an unsafe situation to help
463
:cats get a group of us to go with you.
464
:And I always tell people, if you
ever feel unsafe, call the police.
465
:Just call the police.
466
:I don't know why people are
so afraid to call the police.
467
:I'm like, girl, I'll call the police
at least once a month on somebody.
468
:Call the police.
469
:That's what they're there for.
470
:You know the people who threaten you,
I'll call the police if you take my
471
:cats, first of all, they're not your cats.
472
:They might be on your property,
but they're community cats.
473
:They're not collared, they're
not chipped, they're not tipped.
474
:So they're fair game.
475
:You can call the police first if
you're trapping on the sidewalk.
476
:They can't come after you.
477
:But again, if you feel
uncomfortable, I wouldn't want
478
:to put anyone in that situation.
479
:I would just say leave, communicate with
whatever rescue you're communicating
480
:with and let 'em know, like, I truly
don't feel safe trapping at that house.
481
:Maybe there's another trapper who does,
or maybe we can go out as a group.
482
:A lot of the rescues are friends with
a lot of Kenner police and j Jefferson
483
:Parish police officers, and we can give
'em a heads up, Hey, we're trapping here.
484
:If y'all could do some
drive-bys, check on us.
485
:I'm sure they would be
more than happy to do that.
486
:It's just, to me that is like the
scariest part of it is the unknown
487
:of the people, not the cats.
488
:Not the cats.
489
:Dixie: Have you ever had
the police called on you?
490
:Rebecca: Not yet.
491
:I haven't, and I haven't had to call
the police while I was trapping either.
492
:But again, I wouldn't hesitate
to if I felt like I needed to.
493
:I think trapping cats falls under the see
something, say something kind of thing.
494
:Cats that need help, say something
or help them yourself, be
495
:equipped and help them yourself.
496
:If I see something that's not right while
I'm trapping, I'm gonna say something.
497
:I just don't want that to sit with me.
498
:I need to pass that on to
whomever can handle it.
499
:Dixie: How do you address concerns
about catching wildlife in the traps.
500
:Rebecca: So I haven't caught wildlife yet.
501
:Dixie: Really?
502
:Rebecca: I know.
503
:I know.
504
:I envy those who have
My day will come though.
505
:I think because where I
trap it's so heavily catted.
506
:There is no room for any wildlife.
507
:But again, you can easily open a trap
without the creature inside getting you,
508
:unless it's like a raccoon, they do have
tiny hands that can fit through the holes.
509
:So in my trap bag, I carry thick, like.
510
:Bird gloves that go into like my elbows,
511
:Dixie: uhhuh,
512
:Rebecca: so I could absolutely
successfully open my trap and
513
:release whatever it is if needed.
514
:Never been in that situation.
515
:But again, you just open the trap
and you can, lean the door forward
516
:so that you can back up enough.
517
:I haven't heard of a trapper being
reard by a raccoon or possum upon
518
:release, but maybe that's me.
519
:Dixie: I'm jealous though, 'cause
it seems like every time I'm trying
520
:to catch a cat, I get a possum.
521
:Rebecca: Oh
522
:man.
523
:Dixie: And so I have to go let the
possum go and then sometimes the same
524
:possum will go back in the trap again.
525
:Rebecca: Bless his heart yeah.
526
:Dixie: So yeah.
527
:That's pretty good.
528
:You've
529
:never caught wildlife.
530
:Rebecca: I don't know.
531
:I feel like maybe that's what
makes you like an official trapper.
532
:Like you have to be
christened with a possum.
533
:Dixie: I know one time I got a raccoon
and he wasn't in the trap for long.
534
:But that sucker started
like dismantling the trap.
535
:Rebecca: That's what I've heard.
536
:That's what Rachel says.
537
:Dixie: He's just started working at it.
538
:Rebecca: Yeah.
539
:She said they'll burn through 'em.
540
:Uhhuh, he was big.
541
:Dixie: Yeah, he was a big
boy, so how do you measure the
542
:success of your TNR classes?
543
:Rebecca: If one person comes, it's
successful because even one person
544
:just learning about it, I don't
need everyone to go back and trap.
545
:And so my goal is to teach 200 people.
546
:I don't need 200 people trapping,
but if 200 people just come and
547
:sit in this class and listen to me,
it's about an hour and a half, give
548
:or take, depending on questions.
549
:Just to leave with the knowledge
that I can share with them about it.
550
:And now they know like if you
have community cats that are tnr
551
:in your neighborhood, they're
going to protect your neighborhood
552
:from other cats coming in.
553
:They're gonna be territorial and
they're going to prevent other groups
554
:from coming into your neighborhood.
555
:I'm such a cat person, I just
don't see the negative in it, but.
556
:It's just so much knowledge,
I know people who that cat has
557
:three legs, it should be put down.
558
:I'm like, he has three legs.
559
:He's perfectly fine.
560
:Like legs are a luxury.
561
:He's fine.
562
:So just sharing all of
the things about it.
563
:I think as eyeopening to
some people, I love to learn.
564
:I love to find out new things.
565
:And so to me, it's a lot of
information and knowledge that I
566
:think everyone should just know,
again, whether you have intentions
567
:of doing it or not, no big deal.
568
:But so that if someone comes up to
you and says like, that cat has no
569
:home, it should be put to sleep.
570
:You now have the knowledge to say no.
571
:Look, he's got an ear tip.
572
:He's a community cat like
he is being cared for.
573
:He's fine.
574
:Dixie: Yeah.
575
:Education is a big part of it and
I think it is reaching more people.
576
:Because people don't realize
how fast they can reproduce.
577
:Rebecca: I know
578
:Dixie: when you tell 'em four months
old that their baby's having babies.
579
:Yes.
580
:It just like blows their mind.
581
:Rebecca: I know.
582
:Teen moms.
583
:Yeah, absolutely.
584
:Dixie: Do you have any plans of trying
to maybe to reach, say, high schools
585
:about the effect of pet overpopulation?
586
:Rebecca: So my journey.
587
:As a human is to help animals
in any way, shape or form.
588
:And to me, this is just
the beginning of my path.
589
:I don't, like I said, I think my
TNR classes will continue past
590
:2025 in some way, shape or form.
591
:I would love to continue teaching
people and informing people, and I think
592
:my platform with Jefferson Parish is
amazing for me to continue to do that.
593
:I have a lot of ideas in the future.
594
:So this isn't like a one
and done type of thing.
595
:Like I have to incorporate
animals into my job.
596
:That's my purpose
597
:Dixie: Do you have any other
success stories from students?
598
:Rebecca: So one girl, she's
actually in JP Helping Paw.
599
:So she came to the class
to learn how to trap.
600
:She's one of our like day ones,
she's a really loyal volunteer.
601
:She came to the class, she
learned a bunch of stuff.
602
:She trapped a cat that had been
showing up at her house that she
603
:had been feeding for a little while.
604
:So trapped that cat that
cat got fixed, was pregnant.
605
:It was a, I think it
was a stoic pregnancy.
606
:The babies were like
hardened solidified like,
607
:Dixie: oh wow,
608
:Rebecca: weren't alive.
609
:Like, it would've killed her
if she hadn't have been fixed.
610
:100% would've killed her.
611
:So once she found out about
this, she was like, I cannot put
612
:this cat back out on the street.
613
:So that cat lives in her house now.
614
:Dixie: Oh really?
615
:That's amazing.
616
:Rebecca: I know.
617
:She is the one who fed it every day and
the cat's best friends with her husband.
618
:So that's typically how gets,
619
:Dixie: oh, that's Cat.
620
:So that's typical cats.
621
:Rebecca: So like that one story, I'm good.
622
:Like That's amazing.
623
:I love that.
624
:Dixie: Yeah,
625
:that definitely makes it
worthwhile right there.
626
:Rebecca: Absolutely.
627
:Where I do my TNR over a year
now, I try to teach the feeder,
628
:look, this is how the trap works.
629
:This is how you do it.
630
:It's real easy.
631
:So I'm teaching them too, like.
632
:To where if I leave the trap
with them, they can help.
633
:. So I had caught one of their cats that
had been tipped, and he goes, I open the
634
:trap and I let it out, and I reset it.
635
:And I was like, oh yeah, we're learning.
636
:Oh yeah, step one, right?
637
:Dixie: With feeders, do you ever
encounter feeders that when you tell
638
:them, "Hey, I am coming to trap,
the cats don't feed the cats", and
639
:they're putting the food out anyway.
640
:Do you run across that and
how do you handle that?
641
:Rebecca: So I think it's happened
a few times where I trap regularly.
642
:And I just try to reiterate
to them, cats can go, I think
643
:it's 72 hours without food.
644
:They need water every day, but they can go
a very long time without food and be okay.
645
:They're not going to starve.
646
:And that's another huge struggle
is these are their children.
647
:These feeders are very
attached to their cats.
648
:So when all their cats are looking
inside, like, mom, it's been days we're
649
:starving out here, they can't handle it.
650
:A little bit of food won't hurt.
651
:And I'm like, I need them to be starving
so that they'll get into the traps, as
652
:soon as I'm done, you can feed everybody.
653
:So it is a little bit of a struggle.
654
:I'm always like.
655
:Look, if I'm coming on Tuesday,
Sunday night, maybe don't put
656
:much of anything out Monday.
657
:Nothing.
658
:I've been trapping here so long though.
659
:These cats, they know me, they know the
routine, they know when she leaves, we
660
:get fed and that's a whole other issue.
661
:So here and there again, I've been
trapping at the same place for so long.
662
:When I go to new places or like emergency
situations, they get right in the trap.
663
:hit or miss,
664
:Dixie: so I would love to hear more
about the story from yesterday.
665
:Rebecca: Okay.
666
:So once I learned how to TNR, my
favorite thing is people who are on
667
:Facebook, like, this cat is hanging
from a fence that needs help.
668
:I'm like, I'm getting my trap
and I'm going to get that cat.
669
:I've gotten a lot of cats that end
up at the J from like emergency
670
:Facebook situations , but I love that.
671
:I love being able to help.
672
:So someone posts on Facebook a
picture of a cat on the sidewalk
673
:with two kittens, just like nursing.
674
:Dixie: Yep
675
:Rebecca: you saw it?
676
:Dixie: I saw that one, yes.
677
:Rebecca: All right, so it's got,
hundreds of comments at this point
678
:and I went to Jefferson Feed yesterday
and we helped take kitten pictures
679
:because, they have 200 kittens.
680
:And I was like, I'm gonna go
try and trap that cat after.
681
:So I go after.
682
:I pull up at the house and the people
are on the porch and I was like,
683
:Hey, I saw on Facebook , y'all have
some cats, and I see the kittens
684
:climbing up the side of the fence.
685
:And I'm like, oh.
686
:And she was like, we don't
need help with our cats.
687
:I was like, no.
688
:Are they fixed?
689
:Like, I'm just coming to help.
690
:She said, no, we don't need help.
691
:I said, okay.
692
:So I get back in my car and I call
Rachel, and then someone walks up
693
:to my window and they were like,
Hey can you come out and talk to us?
694
:I was like, okay.
695
:And I'm like, Rachel,
just stay on the phone.
696
:I don't know what's happening.
697
:And the lady comes out and she was like,
we do have cats and we do want them fixed.
698
:And I was like, oh, great.
699
:I'm gonna go grab my trap.
700
:So I grabbed two traps and the little
kid, she was probably like eight years
701
:old, just picks up the kittens and starts
walking, puts 'em right in my trap.
702
:Grabs a mama cat puts her in the
trap and I'm like, this is the
703
:easiest thing I've ever done.
704
:And I said, how many kittens are there?
705
:There's six.
706
:And I was like, alright,
we'll go get the other one.
707
:So these kittens were probably
like, I don't know, six weeks
708
:old and they're running around
in a very busy, dangerous area.
709
:So the kid like grabs the cat by the
tail and I'm like, oh, let's be gentle.
710
:So I've got, four kittens or something?
711
:I'm missing two.
712
:They're inside.
713
:We're gonna go get 'em.
714
:And I was like, okay.
715
:So they go get the kittens and then
come out, and then the woman says, mama
716
:said you can't take any of the cats.
717
:I was like I just wanna fix 'em.
718
:Like, can I at least take the mom and
then I'll come back for the kittens?
719
:Mama said, you have to
release all of them.
720
:And I said what if I go run to my car?
721
:What's mama gonna do?
722
:And they were like, she
gonna come after you?
723
:And I was like, okay,
I'm not doing that then.
724
:I said, I just wanna fix 'em.
725
:I don't want your cats.
726
:I promise you I do not want them.
727
:I'm just gonna fix 'em and bring 'em back.
728
:No, finally mom comes out and talks to me.
729
:She was very nice.
730
:But they're not from that neighborhood.
731
:They recently moved there and
apparently they brought Mama Cat
732
:with them, that she was a stray.
733
:From the neighborhood that they
previously lived in and she had
734
:these babies at their new address.
735
:They're indoor, outdoor.
736
:None of them are fixed.
737
:None of them are vaccinated.
738
:I don't see any food
and water bowls outside.
739
:We bring some of them inside at
night and I'm just pleading with this
740
:woman like, what is it gonna take?
741
:I don't want your cats.
742
:This is the process I will.
743
:Bring them to go get fixed.
744
:They get fixed.
745
:I bring them to my house for the night.
746
:I will come back the next
morning and release them.
747
:I send you pictures and text
updates the entire time so that
748
:you know your kitties are safe.
749
:Like this is how it works.
750
:And she's like, no I
feel attacked right now.
751
:I don't know who put that on Facebook.
752
:I don't know these people.
753
:Why would someone see cats and assume
that they're not being taken care of?
754
:They look healthy.
755
:And I said I'm positive.
756
:It was just someone doing
good who sees cats with.
757
:Babies on the sidewalk of a busy
street and they just want help for the
758
:cats 'cause they're not ear tipped.
759
:So that's a giveaway.
760
:Maybe we're lost, maybe
we're not taken care of.
761
:She wouldn't have it.
762
:So she made me release them.
763
:I gave her my card with my phone number
and I said, please, if you change your
764
:mind today, tomorrow, whenever, please
text me I'll just go get 'em fixed myself.
765
:I said, we will do it for free.
766
:For free.
767
:We will fix them.
768
:I plan on putting a letter in her
mailbox, just like reintroducing myself,
769
:letting her know the process of it.
770
:The mama cat, when I released
her, she just slowly walked out.
771
:She let me pet her.
772
:They were the sweetest.
773
:So the positive was these
people are handling these cats.
774
:So if I do go back, I, it's
not a trapping situation.
775
:It's a picking up situation and I I
informed them just to let you know if your
776
:neighbors do call, I can trap on their
property and I can trap on the sidewalk.
777
:Even if you say no, she said
that's fine, we'll keep them in.
778
:It's like, we'll keep 'em in.
779
:That's fine.
780
:But they were covered in fleas and.
781
:The mama, you can see in the
pictures her hair was thinning.
782
:From the fleas.
783
:She's a light cat.
784
:She'll probably end up getting skin
cancer from being out in the sun.
785
:It's like, just let me fix your cats, man.
786
:Dixie: Yeah.
787
:Because we don't need any more babies.
788
:Rebecca: We really don't.
789
:No.
790
:And I told her that, I
said, you've got six now.
791
:They can all reproduce at four months old.
792
:Let's handle it.
793
:Dixie: Do the math.
794
:Rebecca: I told her that,
let's handle it now.
795
:Before I said the vet bills, the
spay and neuter bills, the food.
796
:She was like, I know.
797
:And it's like, oh my God.
798
:But I haven't given up hope on them yet.
799
:But then, you go on Facebook to update,
Hey guys, this is what happened.
800
:And I'm, just giving them
the highlights of it,
801
:Dixie: right
802
:Rebecca: I'm still working with
them and all these people are
803
:coming at me and I'm like no.
804
:Dixie: Yeah,
805
:Rebecca: we're
806
:not doing that.
807
:I understand you're frustrated, as am I.
808
:But guess what?
809
:I went out.
810
:If you wanna go try, go ahead.
811
:Dixie: Yeah.
812
:See
813
:that's what I hate when the people always
criticize the person actually helping.
814
:Anybody can go help too.
815
:And that just drives me
816
:nuts.
817
:Rebecca: It gives me strong
secondhand embarrassment for them.
818
:Like.
819
:You're welcome to go grab them.
820
:You saw 'em.
821
:When I see an animal, my first
thing is if it's a cat ear
822
:tip, and will you come to me?
823
:'cause I'll pick you up right
now and call Rachel and get an
824
:appointment to have you fixed.
825
:I'm not going on Facebook saying,
oh my god guys, I need help.
826
:Like, I'm a problem solver.
827
:Let's fix it.
828
:I guess I'm lucky enough to know who
my people are to solve things before
829
:having to go to Facebook for it.
830
:But.
831
:The person who came at me, it was like
you can go back and pick 'em up yourself.
832
:I said, they told me that mama
was gonna come out and chase me.
833
:And like that wasn't on
yesterday's agenda, that's on you.
834
:I did my best.
835
:It's a work in progress.
836
:Like either it will happen or it won't,
but I'm sure I'll find six more cats
837
:that need to be TNR someplace else.
838
:Like we're all doing our best.
839
:Dixie: Yeah, and it's educating people.
840
:I know a couple of weeks ago.
841
:I found a very friendly, intact male cat.
842
:And so I found the girl
immediately through the lost
843
:and found found pet groups.
844
:And it's the funniest thing too,
because she lives almost right
845
:around the corner from me, but I
found the cat like six blocks away.
846
:Rebecca: Of course you do.
847
:Okay.
848
:He was intact,
849
:Dixie: so Yeah.
850
:, he was intact.
851
:So I got the cat back to her and I I
said I've never seen him in the area.
852
:Do you keep him inside?
853
:And she's like, yeah he ran out.
854
:And I said, he's gonna keep running
out you don't have him neutered?
855
:And so she told me, she goes, yeah, she
had planned on getting him neutered.
856
:And I really don't blame her for this.
857
:She said she had just moved to the
neighborhood, she wasn't aware of
858
:the low cost programs that we have.
859
:But when she had tried to get him
neutered wherever she came from.
860
:First they told her he
needed to be six months old.
861
:Rebecca: Oh my God.
862
:Dixie: Okay.
863
:So then after that it
was $500 to neuter him.
864
:Rebecca: Wow.
865
:Dixie: So I told her, , look,
866
:I can get 'em neutered tomorrow.
867
:Rebecca: Yeah.
868
:Dixie: She gave me the cat,
I was able to go pick him up.
869
:Rebecca: That's amazing.
870
:Dixie: And I told her, look, , if
you see any stray cats in the
871
:the area.
872
:I'm like, let me know.
873
:And I will just come put
up a trap on your property.
874
:Rebecca: Yeah.
875
:Dixie: And so she's like,
oh yeah that's fine.
876
:Rebecca: So that's awesome.
877
:Dixie: Yeah.
878
:So it's a little bit of a win because
. A lot of people aren't open to that.
879
:When you tell 'em that, they just
look at you like you're nuts you
880
:know.
881
:Rebecca: I know.
882
:Absolutely.
883
:The amount of doors I've knocked on, like,
hi, do y'all know who feeds these cats?
884
:You're like, no.
885
:Never seen them.
886
:Like, okay.
887
:Thank you.
888
:That's awesome though.
889
:Dixie: Yeah.
890
:It was a win.
891
:Yeah, a win for sure.
892
:Rebecca: My 2020 year plan is that when
I retire, I would love to run for council
893
:and change all of those laws and make
sure everyone really knows about TNR
894
:because like, hello, we can't all complain
as a parish and do nothing about it.
895
:And that's what we're doing.
896
:We're complaining and we're doing nothing.
897
:If you have problems, come
to me with a solution.
898
:Y'all aren't doing that.
899
:Y'all are complaining and doing nothing.
900
:I could talk about that all day.
901
:Dixie: So before we end the episode, is
there anything else you would like to add?
902
:Rebecca: I think we covered everything.
903
:I just, I wish.
904
:Like you said, people would know
more about TNR, that it's available
905
:to every single Jefferson Parish
resident and that people are capable.
906
:It doesn't matter how old you
are, you're capable to trap.
907
:I know a lot of the TNR people are
older and they're gonna be retiring
908
:from trapping soon, we can start,
there should be a younger generation
909
:of people out there trapping.
910
:I tell people, it's like Pokemon Go in
real life like but they're all meowths.
911
:It's still exciting.
912
:We just need to like let people
know and like challenge each other.
913
:So my goal my first year was to
trap 20 cats and I think I trapped
914
:like 30, but that for me was huge.
915
:If you can compete with your
friends, like I bet Jack can
916
:trap more cats than you like.
917
:It's so fun.
918
:It really is.
919
:Yeah.
920
:And then you get to see 'em
all and it's just so much fun.
921
:Like there's no reason why
everyone isn't trapping at least
922
:one cat a year, which is nothing.
923
:There's just no reason.
924
:Dixie: Yeah.
925
:And it's weird too when you said
something about all the older
926
:people that are doing the trapping.
927
:And why isn't the younger
generation involved?
928
:Because, I remember from, my younger self.
929
:When I was a teenager, I was doing
this stuff, we didn't have the
930
:programs like we have now, if.
931
:I saw an animal that needed help, I
would automatically go and help it.
932
:I got into trapping as soon as we started
having the low cost programs available.
933
:And so it's weird.
934
:I don't know.
935
:Rebecca: It is weird, my mom, when she was
pregnant with me 30 something years ago.
936
:She was always, an animal activist.
937
:She was picketing, stealing
animals, knocking on doors.
938
:She did all of those things.
939
:So I know that's where I got it from, but
I didn't start until I was in my thirties.
940
:I don't know.
941
:We definitely need to get 'em
at a younger age and let them
942
:know just how to handle animals.
943
:That is a huge pet peeve of mine.
944
:We run day camps and my staff.
945
:Let's have a petting zoo come.
946
:And I'm like, absolutely not.
947
:I cannot let that poor lizard be poked
by 500 fingers in a day, not on my watch.
948
:So like just training children
and teaching them like this
949
:is how we handle animals.
950
:And giving them that knowledge that
they grow into being that animal person.
951
:And maybe they do start
trapping right when they're 18
952
:or ride along with their mom.
953
:Like I know for sure.
954
:One day I'll have probably like.
955
:An infant in my backseat
and like a tortie in a trap.
956
:Like it's probably gonna happen one
day and like it should, but Right.
957
:We need to do a better job as a parish
of just getting the information out to
958
:people, getting it out and maybe somehow
some way incentivizing, trapping, maybe
959
:if you trap a hundred cats a year in
Jefferson Parish, you receive like a
960
:little pin or just something you know.
961
:All of these trappers, we do it
from the kindness of our heart.
962
:We get zero back.
963
:We spend our time, effort, money,
and energy on this because we love it
964
:and we don't get anything back, and
we don't need anything back either.
965
:But the parish has a problem and we're
here to solve it, and they should be
966
:backing us up like wholeheartedly.
967
:You know when you call the police
because there's a dog tied up and
968
:they're like, oh I don't care about that.
969
:And it's like, no, it's against the law.
970
:I don't care whether you
personally care about it or not.
971
:Do your job, follow through with it.
972
:We should be backed every way, shape and
from our government so that,:
973
:Dixie: I'm glad you are on the front
lines there, helping all the cats,
974
:and thank you so much for taking
the time to speak with me today.
975
:Rebecca: Absolutely.
976
:Thank you for having me.
977
:Dixie: All right.
978
:You're welcome.
979
:And that's all the time we
have for today's episode.
980
:If you are in animal rescue, or if
you know someone that has a story that
981
:should be told, please contact us.
982
:We would love to have
you or them on the show
983
:. Thanks for listening, and please
join us next week as we continue to
984
:explore the world of animal rescue.
