Divine Feline, Inc.
Mission: To promote the health and welfare of all cats by providing quality and accessible spay/neuter services.
Vision: A Colorado where all cats are cared for and valued.
Executive Summary
In 2012, Divine Feline acquired Rocky Mountain Alley Cat Alliance by way of merger to become Colorado’s leading spay/neuter source for free roaming (“community”) cats and a significant provider of spay/neuter services for pet cats. The two groups have spayed and neutered more than 22,000 cats over the last several years. The combined entity, which operates under the trade name, The Feline Fix™, is continuing to expand upon this important work.
The Challenge
More than 24,000 cats are euthanized annually in Colorado simply because there aren’t enough homes. Unfortunately, we can’t simply adopt our way out of this problem. An unaltered female cat may become pregnant as early as five months of age and bear two to three litters per year for her entire life. Spay/neuter is currently the best way to humanely solve the cat overpopulation problem.
Though progress has been made in reducing community cat numbers there are still as many as 100,000 homeless felines on the streets of metropolitan Denver. This situation leads to inhumane living conditions, spread of life-threatening diseases, and is costly to local governments attempting to manage the situation with limited resources and in some cases, less than ideal approaches.
According to the Humane Society of the United States, there are an estimated 50 million community cats in the United States. Controlling the community cat population through spay/neuter efforts is considered key in reducing euthanasia numbers through humane population management.
The Solution
The purpose of Divine Feline is to reduce the number of unwanted and homeless cats, and to promote the health and welfare of community cat populations through the practice of spay/neuter. Our specific activities include:
- Promotion and practice of trap-neuter-return (“TNR”), which has been demonstrated to be the most effective and humane method of reducing community cat populations;
- Promotion and provision of low-cost spay/neuter services for pet cats;
- Promotion of these services in the metropolitan Denver area, as well as in surrounding rural communities, though our high-volume stationary clinic and mobile surgical van.
We support the health and quality of life of every cat released from our clinics. In addition to spay/neuter services, we also provide routine medical services such as: abscess treatment, umbilical hernia repair, tail amputation, flea and tick treatment, ear mite treatment, deworming, vaccines (distemper and rabies), testing for infectious viral diseases (Feline Leukemia Virus and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus), and minor dental extractions. Microchipping and soft paws are offered for pet cats. Cats with infectious diseases or illnesses requiring extensive veterinary care are evaluated on a case-by-case basis and may be humanely euthanized with owner or colony caretaker consent rather than released. Community kittens under the age of eight weeks are removed from their colonies and placed in rescues or shelters for adoption.
Rocky Mountain Alley Cat Alliance and Divine Feline have led the way in the practice of trap, neuter, return (TNR) in metropolitan Denver for more than two decades. The combined operation is more efficient in terms of its ability to treat more cats with a lower administrative burden.
Company Overview
Divine Feline Legal Status and History
Divine Feline, Inc. is a Colorado charitable corporation and nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization established in April, 2003, by Colorado veterinarians, Dr. Susanna Russo and Dr. Erica Rambus.
Rocky Mountain Alley Cat Alliance was founded in 1991, and operated as a Colorado charitable corporation and nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization until its merger into Divine Feline in May of 2012.
The Board of Directors
The Divine Feline Board of Directors is committed to the mission, vision, and goals of the organization. Members are dedicated to ensuring that business is conducted effectively and efficiently by taking responsibility for Divine Feline’s policies, development, fundraising, and strategic planning, and by overseeing personnel and management practices. Each member invests in the success of the organization through monetary and in-kind contributions. Board members include representatives from the veterinary, business, and animal welfare community.
The Management & Staff
The staff of Divine Feline works under the general direction of the Board of Directors.
Erica Rambus, DVM, Medical Director, oversees medical operations. Dr. Rambus has been involved in the sterilization of community cats for almost twenty years, conducting excellent, high volume surgeries at both stationary and mobile locations.
Sherri Leggett, Operations Director, has managed our general operations since 2010. She is a primary staff supervisor who also manages work flow and other administrative duties. Her role ensures the clinic conducts business effectively and efficiently. Sherri has been a manager in animal welfare for over 20 years.
Certified Veterinary Technicians: We currently have two certified veterinary technicians who are responsible for patient care, anesthesia, pre- and post-operative patient assessment, surgical preparation, drug inventory, and management and administration of vaccinations.
Clinic Assistant: We currently have one additional administrative position. This individual is critical in scheduling appointments, performing patient intake and release, trap maintenance, surgical pack management, data entry, customer service work, and general office duties.
Trap-Neuter-Return Coordinator: We have one individual responding to the general public regarding community cat concerns and coordinating mobile surgical clinics.
Public Relations & Outreach Coordinator: We have a team member responsible for coordination of marketing, grant writing, outreach events, and volunteer activities. This individual also provides the board with fundraising assistance.
Strategic Relationships
Divine Feline collaborates with the broader animal welfare community to accomplish our goals. Our partners include members of the Metro Denver Shelter Alliance and Colorado Federation of Animal Welfare Agencies (including but not limited to, the Dumb Friends League, Humane Society of Boulder Valley, Cat Care Society, and Denver Animal Shelter). By working together, we improve accessibility of services to the community cat population to help strengthen our spay/neuter efforts. Divine Feline also serves as a resource to the community helping resolve a wide variety of obstacles that could otherwise threaten the safety and welfare of the community cats.
