Introduce the Topic
Briefly introduce the two organizations in question: Alley Cat Allies and Alley Cat Rescue. Explain that there is sometimes confusion about whether they are the same organization. State the purpose is to clarify the relationship between the two.
Alley Cat Allies and Alley Cat Rescue are two separate non-profit organizations that both advocate for cats, specifically feral and stray cats. There is often confusion about whether these two groups are actually the same organization or not. This article will examine the history and missions of each group in order to clarify the relationship between Alley Cat Allies and Alley Cat Rescue.
History and Missions
Alley Cat Allies was founded in 1990 by Becky Robinson with the mission to “protect and improve the lives of cats” through reforming public policies and institutions (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alley_Cat_Allies). Their motto is “Every Cat Deserves to Live Out Their Life.” According to their website, Alley Cat Allies aims to “transform communities to protect and improve cats’ lives” through a variety of programs and advocacy campaigns.
Alley Cat Rescue was founded in 1997 by Louise Holton, who had previously co-founded Alley Cat Allies. Their mission is “to protect, manage and find homes for stray, abandoned, injured and feral cats” (https://www.saveacat.org/about.html). On their website, Alley Cat Rescue states that their goal is to “change the way communities treat alley cats, feral cats, strays and ferals through rescue, spay/neuter, education and advocacy.”
Key Differences
While Alley Cat Allies and Alley Cat Rescue have similar names and share a focus on caring for stray, feral, and community cats, there are some notable differences between the two organizations (Alley Cat Allies FAQ):
Alley Cat Allies was founded in 1990 by Becky Robinson as a national advocacy organization. Their mission is to “transform and develop communities to protect and improve the lives of cats” through public education, policy advocacy, and helping local organizations. Alley Cat Allies is based in Maryland and engages in nationwide campaigns around trap-neuter-return (TNR) programs and anti-declawing legislation (Alley Cat Rescue About).
Alley Cat Rescue was founded in 1997 by Louise Holton as a hands-on rescue group that carries out TNR for cat colonies in local communities. They directly manage cat colonies and care for sick, injured, abandoned, and abused cats, working to find foster and permanent homes for adoptable cats. Alley Cat Rescue operates locally in Los Angeles, CA and Mt. Rainier, MD (Doris Day Animal Foundation).
While both groups advocate for humane treatment of outdoor and feral cats, Alley Cat Allies focuses on nationwide advocacy and changing policies, while Alley Cat Rescue provides direct care and management of cat colonies in their local communities.
Areas of Collaboration
Alley Cat Allies and Alley Cat Rescue have collaborated on various campaigns and initiatives over the years, united by their shared mission of improving the lives of feral cats. In 2011, the two organizations worked together to launch a community cat care campaign focused on non-lethal management of outdoor cats through trap-neuter-return (TNR) programs. They jointly published educational materials and lobbied local governments to adopt TNR ordinances. According to Alley Cat Allies, this collaborative campaign helped pass over 400 such ordinances across the country.
The two groups also joined forces in 2013 to fight a proposed repeal of the DC Cat Protection Act, which required TNR for community cats in Washington DC. Alley Cat Allies and Alley Cat Rescue successfully mobilized supporters and defeated the repeal, keeping the landmark legislation in place. More recently, they partnered again in 2019 on a social media campaign called #SaveTheKitties to stop roundups of community cats in Conway, Arkansas.
While the organizations take slightly different approaches, they recognize the importance of working together for the benefit of feral and stray cats nationwide. Their collaborative campaigns have led to impactful changes in public policy and public attitudes.
Finances and Leadership
Alley Cat Allies and Alley Cat Rescue have separate financial structures and leadership. According to the organizations’ 990 forms, Alley Cat Allies reported revenue of $6.5 million in 2020, while Alley Cat Rescue reported revenue of $1.8 million (Zoominfo). The groups also have different executive directors, with Becky Robinson leading Alley Cat Allies and Louise Holton leading Alley Cat Rescue.
The two groups maintain separate boards of directors as well. Alley Cat Allies’ board is chaired by George Gibson, while Alley Cat Rescue’s board is chaired by Chris Poole. The separate boards oversee their respective organizations’ budgets, strategic plans, fundraising, and operations.
In summary, while Alley Cat Allies and Alley Cat Rescue collaborate on some initiatives, they remain distinct organizations with separate finances, leadership, and governance structures.
Misconceptions
There is a common misconception that Alley Cat Allies and Alley Cat Rescue are the same organization. This confusion likely stems from the similar names and overlapping missions of the two groups. However, they are distinct organizations with different leadership and operations.
Alley Cat Allies was founded in 1990 by Becky Robinson as the first national advocacy organization dedicated to the protection and humane treatment of cats. Alley Cat Rescue was founded 7 years later in 1997 by Louise Holton, who had previously worked with Robinson at Alley Cat Allies. The organizations have similar philosophies and goals, which contributes to people mistaking them for the same group.
However, Alley Cat Allies focuses on advocacy, education, training, and policy, while Alley Cat Rescue runs hands-on programs for trap-neuter-return and adoption. They collaborate at times, but have distinct areas of focus. Knowing the nuances between the two groups can help supporters better direct their engagement.
Contact Information
Alley Cat Allies and Alley Cat Rescue are two separate organizations with distinct contact information.
To contact Alley Cat Allies, call 1-240-482-1980 or email [email protected]. Their mailing address is 7920 Norfolk Avenue, Suite 600, Bethesda, MD 20814. Alley Cat Allies also has an online contact form on their website at https://www.alleycat.org/contact-us/.
To get in touch with Alley Cat Rescue, call 1-301-277-5595 or email [email protected]. Their mailing address is P.O. Box 585, Mt. Rainier, MD 20712. Alley Cat Rescue has a contact page on their website at https://www.saveacat.org/contact.html with additional ways to get in touch.
Having distinct contact information highlights that Alley Cat Allies and Alley Cat Rescue are separate organizations despite some similarities.
Summary
In summary, while Alley Cat Allies and Alley Cat Rescue share some history and goals, there are key differences between the two organizations. Alley Cat Allies was founded first in 1990 with a focus on Trap-Neuter-Return and changing public policy. Alley Cat Rescue was founded later in 1996 with a broader mission to help all cats, including domestic cats and pets. Both groups advocate for humane treatment of community cats, but Alley Cat Rescue also runs sanctuaries and does direct rescue work. They collaborate at times, but have separate leadership and finances. The two groups are often confused due to their similar names, but serve distinct roles in the cat welfare community.
Further Resources
Readers looking to learn more about Alley Cat Allies and Alley Cat Rescue can explore the following resources:
- Frequently Asked Questions – Alley Cat Allies
- Are Alley Cat Allies and Alley Cat Rescue the same organization? – Alley Cat Allies
- Alley Cat Allies – Wikipedia
These pages provide additional history, context, and details about each organization’s mission and work.
Conclusion
To conclude, the main goal of this article was to explain and highlight the distinction between the two largest cat welfare organizations in the United States – Alley Cat Allies and Alley Cat Rescue. While these two nonprofits share some similarities in their missions to support community cats, they have important differences when it comes to their areas of focus, programs, leadership, and finances. Alley Cat Allies concentrates on advocating for humane public policy and providing educational resources, while Alley Cat Rescue is more hands-on with traps-neuter-return programs and assisting individual colonies. Both play vital roles in improving cats’ lives and reducing euthanasia across the country. It is helpful for those interested in community cat welfare to understand what sets these prominent organizations apart, so they can determine how to best support them.