The Animal Welfare Association (AWA) recently hosted a spay/neuter clinic for feral cats in Voorhees as part of the 2025 Global Feral Fix Challenge.
This initiative is led by Alley Cat Rescue, a world-wide cat advocacy organization, to provide humane population control and veterinary care for community felines.
Pet owners bringing their animals in for spay or neuter procedures were required to provide proof that their pets were current on distemper (DAPPv/FVRCP) and rabies vaccinations. Rabies vaccination proof had to be in certificate form, as a rabies tag alone was not considered sufficient.
To ensure the safety of all animals, specific handling guidelines were in place. All cats had to be brought in secure carriers, with only one per carrier. Dogs were required to be on non-retractable leashes. Medium, large, or aggressive dogs had to have a training collar or loop lead, and owners were advised to bring assistance if they were unable to handle their pet alone.
“Every cat deserves compassion and care, no matter where they were born,” said Laura Houston, AWA’s executive director. “By participating in the Global Feral Fix Challenge, we are taking action to reduce the number of homeless cats in our community while promoting humane, effective solutions.”
Feral cats – often referred to as “community cats” – live outdoors and are not socialized to humans. The clinic focused on the trap-neuter-return (TNR) method, where cats are humanely trapped, spayed or neutered, vaccinated, ear-tipped for identification and returned to their outdoor homes.
“TNR makes a real difference, not just for the cats, but for the neighborhoods they live in,” explained Ryan Castoral, AWA’s clinic manager. “It prevents behaviors associated with mating, like yowling, spraying and fighting, while also improving the health of the cats themselves.”
Since its inception in 2010, the Global Feral Fix Challenge has helped spay and neuter more than 320,000 feral cats worldwide, working with more than 1,750 veterinary clinics. AWA’s efforts were supported by organizations such as Save The Animals Foundation, Brodsky Foundation, Bernice Barbour Foundation and the M. Edward Morris Foundation.
“This work wouldn’t be possible without our incredible supporters,” Houston emphasized. “From sponsors to community members who care about these cats, it’s truly a team effort to create a more compassionate world.”
AWA is South Jersey’s largest low-cost pet clinic, adoption center and no-kill shelter. For more information on its programs, visit www.awanj.org.
