Free Food
Rescue Pack Chicago (formerly Rescue Bank) distributed a value of over $4 million in food and supplies to local animal welfare organizations in 2019! One of the ways to help them obtain those supplies is to visit The Animal Rescue Site and click to donate. "Click here to Give – It's Free" is as simple as that. Corporate sponsors advertise on the website and in exchange donate food. The Rescue Site also has an online store which donates a portion of the products sold. It should be noted that The Animal Rescue Site is NOT a non-profit organization and does not claim to be one. However, it has helped feed animals in need by raising funds for millions of pounds of much-needed food. The donated funds are then distributed by GreaterGood.org and Rescue Pack Chicago is one of the recipients of donations. The local groups pay for shipping costs at a rate of 12cents per pound. That means that a skid of 1,000lbs of food may cost an organization $120 – many times that is less than a tenth of what it would cost off the shelf with much less handling and damaged product in obtaining. Rescue Pack does a great job on Distribution Day – coordinating 60 to 100 groups with up to two vehicles each, benefitting so many so that funds normally spent on food can be allocated differently. This helps us help so many ferals and adoptables while using those funds towards surgeries! A legitimate program and while a daily email and a few keystrokes every day may seem a very strange way to donate, you can make a difference for the animals of Chicagoland!
New Spay/Neuter Clinic in Joliet
SNIP Society Clinic opened in Joliet in September of this year. Their goal is to provide low-cost spay/neuter for the dogs and cats of the Joliet area. Currently they are open for services on Wednesdays and Thursdays, visit their website for more information. We get many calls for help in the Joliet area, we hope that SNIP Society will assist in reducing the number of cats that end up outside as strays and ferals, further improving the lives of cats all over the Chicago suburbs!
New Tomahawk Trap
Our friends at Tomahawk are always experimenting with new ideas.
Recent Legislation And How It Affects Feral Fixers
There are three new bills signed by the Governor this year that affects Feral Fixers.
The first is Public Act 101-0210, requiring alarm systems, sprinkler systems and staffing of kennels while dogs or cats are on the premises, taking effect January 1, 2020. Our first estimate on a sprinkler system for the building we are looking at is $40,000.
The second is Public Act 101-0295, which includes many definitions, including "shelter", the 'Return' in TNR and fine structures. Took affect 8/9/19.
The third is Public Act 101-0299, requires rabies vaccination for all cats four months of age or older that are companion animals. Takes affect 1/1/20. All feral cats must be vaccinated at sterilization. This affects Feral Fixers as we often neuter at 2.5lbs, which is usually under 3 months, so will impact the feral kittens that we trap that are not yet 4 months, but not expected to become tame. We will be trying to figure how to address this issue.
Many changes, most just common sense, which shows that our legislation is becoming more reflective of current needs.
Changes To Spay/Neuter Trip Schedule
Due to veterinary availability, we may be switching from almost every Thursday to Thursdays and Mondays and not every week. PLEASE contact Feral Fixers to be sure when we are making a trip in, so that cats do not have to remain in traps longer than necessary AND you may be able to trap for a longer number of days = greater success in getting all of the cats in your colony! This may result in larger numbers trapped along with increased down time in between trips so that we are all not as exhausted by the end of the year! We're still working on this, stay posted!
Frosty Claws
Our 2020 Frosty Claws Fundraiser is on Sunday, January 19th from 12 noon to 4pm. Early registration at $10 cut-off is 1/14/20 and $15 on the day of the event. We will have a Silent Auction, raffles, our boutique, food, all to support Feral Fixers for the coming year and more. This event is very popular so be prepared for a crowd of cat-friendly people! If you wish to donate items to our raffles and auctions, please contact us by 1/5/20 so that we can fit them in. Items should be brand-new, collectable – something you would give to a close friend or family member! Perfect opportunity for re-gifting and gift cards you won't use! Please contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 630-881-3977. We have a huge variety of items at this event due to the generosity of our donors! Hope to see you there!!!
Holidays Are Here!
Thank you to all of our donors, caretakers, fellow Rescue partners! Everyone who helps us every day in so many ways! We could not do this without your impact and with your help 2020 is going to be a great year!