Long Beach Animal Care Services (LBACS) and nonprofit The Little Lion Foundation are teaming up to offer free sterilization surgeries and animal care resources as part of the new Long Beach Community Cat Project.
This initiative is intended to diminish the overpopulation of free-roaming stray cats that reproduce in Long Beach, as well as nearby Cerritos, Los Alamitos and Signal Hill, by providing various accessible services.
“Our partnership with The Little Lion Foundation is a testament to the power of community-driven action and innovative solutions,” said Mayor Rex Richardson in a public statement. “The Community Cat Project underscores our commitment to the Compassion Saves service model and strengthens our efforts in improving the welfare of community cats and reducing animal overpopulation in the communities we serve.”
Community cats are defined as free-roaming cats that live outdoors, typically cared for by one or more people and ranging from friendly to feral cats. The overpopulation of community cats leads to a strain on animal shelter systems and resources. The Long Beach Community Cat Project aims to humanely reduce the number of cats and kittens entering the city’s shelter system. The program has an annual goal to spay and neuter 2,500 free-roaming cats in 2025.
The headquarters of The Little Lion Foundation will be the center of operations for the project, and LBACS will support its mission by providing payment vouchers and working with community partners to address high breeding areas of community cats.
Those who participate will be given a $100 spay/neuter voucher form LBACS to help cover surgery costs, with the remaining amount funded by donations received by The Little Lion Foundation. Through this project, community cats will be able to receive a spay or neuter surgery, vaccines, flea medication and an ear tip all for free. These procedures will be operated within a new sterilization clinic at The Little Lion Foundation headquarters.
“This initiative underscores the importance of a forward-thinking and collaborative approach to reducing the free-roaming cat population while enhancing the overall wellbeing of our community,” said Melanie Wagner, Bureau Manager of LBACS, in a public statement.
According to the City of Long Beach, benefits of the spay and neuter program include:
- Providing affordable community access to spaying and neutering for free roaming cats on a large scale.
- Improving the overall quality of life for community cats.
- Demonstrating the effectiveness of collaboration between nonprofit organizations and municipal agencies.
- Providing a scalable, innovative model for other cities seeking sustainable solutions to free-roaming cat populations.
- Decreasing shelter intake costs and optimizing city resources.
Community members and animal serving organizations with community cats are invited to volunteer to help the City’s goal of reducing community cat overpopulation. Anyone who is interested is encouraged to submit an application online or call LBACS at 562-570-7387 for more information.
“We’re excited to be part of such a transformative program,” said Claudia Otis, Executive Director of The Little Lion Foundation, in a public statement. “By working together, we can make a meaningful impact not only in Long Beach but also in neighboring communities, setting a new standard for how cities approach animal welfare.”
This project was created through funding by Partners of Parks, Found Animals and Friends of Long Beach Animals.
To commemorate this project, the City and The Little Lion Foundation are hosting a community grand opening and ribbon-cutting event on Saturday, March 29 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at The Little Lion Foundation headquarters (1179 E. Wardlow Road).
The event will feature free food and beverages, remarks from local leaders and City partners, a tour of the new clinic and facility, and a chance to learn more about the program’s mission and future goals.
To learn more about the Long Beach Community Cat Project, visit The Little Lion Foundation at littlelionfoundation.org/lbccp.
