Beltsville Community Cats (BCC), an all-volunteer nonprofit organization, is funded by private donations and small grants from the Maryland Department of Agriculture and Prince George’s County. BCC also received $1,000 from the Petco Foundation in July to support our primary mission of using humane methods to manage and reduce the growing population of free-roaming cats in Beltsville.
The COVID pandemic has presented some significant challenges to BCC.
· All in-person fund-raising and adoption events are on hold.
· Private contributions are down.
· When a 2-month ban on spay/neuter surgeries produced a bumper crop of kittens, BCC expanded its rescue efforts, removing over 135 kittens from their feral environments, socializing them in foster homes, and working to place them in adoptive homes. Our foster volunteers assume financial responsibility for food, kitty litter, and general caregiving.
· BCC has had to identify new options for affordable spay/neuter surgeries as our normal resources are booked into the fall.
· BCC manages an increasing number of industrial and commercial colonies, feeding approximately 150 community cats daily. Our volunteer caregivers reach into their own pockets to feed these cats and develop trust so they can identify, trap, neuter, vaccinate, and return (TNVR) unaltered ferals and dumped house cats.
Since BCC relies 100% on YOUR donations to continue our efforts, we’ve set up new ways for the community to help.
· Donate with PayPal or Venmo, or shop our Amazon wish list at beltsvillecats.net/donate.
· Mail donations to BCC, PO Box 942, Beltsville, MD 20704.
· Drop off donations of cat/kitten food, kitten formula, kitty litter, and toys at 11445 Running Bear Court or 11808 Wandering Oak Way in Beltsville.
Email inquiries to hello@beltsvillecats.net or submit them online at beltsvillecats.net/contact, where you may also apply to foster or adopt. View available kittens/cats on Petfinder at beltsvillecats.net/rescue. Interested in volunteering? Check out beltsvillecats.net/volunteer for details and an application. And, stay up to date with our Instagram page @beltsville_cats.