TNR Support Mentor!

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TNR Support Mentor!

Milwaukee Pets Alive isn’t just another rescue. We are here to shape rescue. Join us as a TNR Support Mentor! There’s never been a better time to volunteer with us if you are looking to be a part of something bigger than yourself - help us as we move towards building a sanctuary so we can serve even MORE special animals and make SE WI No Kill! This is a monumental undertaking and we are looking for TEAMMATES to make this vision a reality!

As we work towards building our sanctuary and making SE WI No Kill once and for all, making sure all components of the No Kill Equation are in play is key - and TNR (Trap, Neuter, Return) is one of them! Trap, Neuter, Return prevents litters of kittens from being born (who will grow up fast and they themselves can start becoming pregnant and impregnating other cats at just 6 months of age!), improves the cats’ being TNR’d health and safety, reduces or eliminates nuisance behaviors like yowling from females in heat and males fighting, it eliminates the vacuum effect (when a colony is cared for and established in an area, that becomes their territory and others don’t usually come in. When people try to remove cats from an area, doing so creates a vacuum and other cats "move into" that territory and take it over), and without those hormones coursing through their veins it makes it easier to tame some of these kitties giving them an opportunity at an indoor-only home!

We get many requests from the public in helping them care for cats in their yard or neighborhood. The story is usually the same - they’ve contacted many organizations and they don’t even get a reply! We LOVE to help those that are trying to help the animals we share this world with so we always step in to help them. As our volunteers in different roles have been helping in this effort, and as these same volunteers are also taking on new tasks as we work to create our sanctuary, we thought it time to create dedicated volunteer positions, specific to supporting and mentoring members of our community in TNR.

Our philosophy for many things including with TNR support is give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime. If we do all the work for everyone, we could only help a finite number of cats and people (as many as we have volunteers to help which would be a slow process as people and cats wait and continue to reproduce!), but when we share our knowledge and teach others how to TNR, not only do we help those people with the cat(s) they are contacting us in need of help for, but should they need to TNR more cats in the future, they know how AND they can take what they learned from us and help others TNR - our reach is increased exponentially and the number of people and cats we can help is infinite!

What our TNR Support Mentors will do is provide instruction, information, resources, guidance, and support on

• How to build feral cat shelters.
• The best placement of the trap to conduct trapping.
• How to condition cats to a trap.
• How to set a trap.
• Places that perform TNR surgeries and services and their contact information so community members can contact each and decide which fits best for them to have their cats’ that they are caring for surgeries performed at.
• How to care for their community cats post-surgery and upon release.

Our volunteers are NOT doing the actual trapping nor are they transporting cats to have their surgeries. These are all the things we want our community members to get hands-on experience doing...so they themselves can teach others. MPA does not pay for spay/neuter surgery/services for members of the public. MPA will loan traps to caring community members for the purpose of TNR. Our TNR Support Mentors will bring the traps to the community member (at which point our TNR Support Mentor can assess the area to offer advice on best placement of the trap(s) and can demonstrate to the person they are helping how to set the trap and can have them demonstrate back for understanding). Our TNR Support Mentors will also pick up the traps from the person they are helping when they are finished TNR-ing.

It is so rewarding to know YOU played a direct role in controlling the cat population and prevented births of more cats (many of which would have lead a difficult and short life out in the world) and to see the confidence build in the community member they are mentoring and their pride after they complete their first TNR - as well as the joy and comradery from seeing someone else that cares enough to care about a single cat, or a whole colony! These are our people! And many stay connected to us and become supporters of our organization in other ways. Relationships are built.

Volunteer tasks are done around the volunteer’s own schedule - when it’s convenient for you - morning, day, or night - though some tasks will involve the coordination of your schedule with the schedule of others (such as for meetings, phone calls, etc.).

We are looking for 10 TNR Support Mentors so there is always someone available to help community members who want to help cats all over SE WI whenever there is a request for help. Prior experience TNR-ing a plus though will train the right candidate that possesses a strong passion/interest in TNR.

The right individuals will strongly believe in our mission, vision, and core values and have a sincere interest in elevating our organization, extending our reach, and growing with us (so commitment and dedication are important).

We are an entirely volunteer-run rescue. Everything you see was created and accomplished by a volunteer! We have no employees, so all volunteers should be self-motivated, be a self-starter with initiative, drive, ambition, and are able to work independently. How our organization is structured requires that all volunteers be able to accept direction to produce cohesive messaging, vision, results, and practices consistent with that of the overall organization as a whole and then take that direction to lead in the execution of their piece of the organization. Individual must be able to follow through on their commitments. The TNR Support Mentors should also be outgoing, personable, love people, and love to teach! MPA is looking for a volunteer to fill this role who recognizes the importance of working on behalf of the special animals we serve and will work hard for them as they are counting on us to save their lives!

When every person does a little to make a difference, together, we make change. Reaching as many people as possible to let them know we’re here and the important work we are doing for an important population of animals that have no one else but us is directly proportionate to what we can achieve, and the number of animals we can save. The more volunteer help we have, the more animals we can help. It’s that simple. Will YOU help? If you want to help and can fulfill the needs we are looking for in a volunteer for this role, please email volunteer@milwaukeepetsalive.org or reply to this posting.

Please help us do more for the animals of this community! Thank you.

Milwaukee Pets Alive (MPA) is an all-volunteer, No Kill, 501c3 special needs and considerations rescue that focuses on saving those local animals that have been passed over by, would not be accepted into, or would be killed by other rescues and shelters because of their needs and considerations and would have no other option for life except for through our organization. These animals may be shy, scared, under-socialized, injured, aged, differently-abled, have medical needs, or need extra resources - all deserve the chance to be loved and cherished. And all deserve time, understanding, patience, and good, comprehensive veterinary care to help them get happy, healthy, and reach their highest potential. Their lives are important.

Our mission, through our work aforementioned and through comprehensive programs and resources to educate and help community members help the animals in their own lives (thereby preventing more animals from entering the shelter system), is to end the killing of homeless companion animals in southeast WI. The population we rescue comprises those that continue to die in the greatest numbers in our community.

Our vision is for southeast WI to be one of the safest communities in the United States for companion animals.

We couldn’t help these special animals of our community that we do if not for the wonderful people who volunteer their time and talents!

Are you ready to do more for the animals of YOUR community? Become a part of our team! Reach out to us today!