It's been a long time, but we've been busy with cat rescue!

Joy's website is up--please check it out at http://www.joyofjoyspets.com/.

Last fall Joy rescued a litter of kittens from a trash can in our neighborhood. We took them to PetSmart to buy some kitten formula and bottles, and when we got there we started talking with the people who manage their adoption center. It just happened that they had a queen who was ready to wean her litter, so we tried placing our three kittens with her to see if she would accept them, and she did. They kept them there with their new mom until they grew big enough to place for adoption. Thanks to India Powell of AARF for coaching Joy in how to handle them safely!

However, most feral cats aren't so lucky. Joy has a pet sitting client, Linda Harrison, who feeds some stray cats regularly on her back terrace. Soon some of these cats had litters of their own, and the numbers were getting out of hand. We searched the web and found Catlanta, an organization that helps people trap stray cats, have them spayed or neutered and vaccinated for rabies. They can then be returned to their territory, where they will remain throughout their lives, fending off other more undesirable predators like raccoons, and keeping rodents under control.

So Joy trapped one of Linda's cats, named him Galaxy, and we took him to the Lifeline Shelter in Avondale. He returned to his family a couple of days later, and is happily still part of the group. Later Joy helped Linda trap two more cats, both of whom are also doing well.

And as a extra bonus, if you live in Fulton County, the county will pick up the tab for the surgery and vaccination. All you have to do is trap the cats, take them to Avondale, bring them home and keep them in the cage for a couple of days to recover, then release them back to their home. If you want more information, email Joy and she and Linda will be glad to talk to you about the process.

Optimist Club Presentation

At the invitation of Tony Clarke, Joy presented the first part of her script to the North Perimeter Optimist Club. She was very nervous before the presentation, but did very well, and learned that she is indeed well-prepared!

The website is almost finished, we are putting final changes in now!

Rehearsing at Ferst Center for the Arts

Joy has been really lucky to get a real stage to rehearse on--Doc has been teaching drama at a camp on the Georgia Tech campus, and was able to allow Joy to come after camp and rehearse on the stage at Ferst Center for the Arts. Just being at that venue seemed to help her really expand her stage presence--she's looking really good.

Thanks for new donations from Joe Watson and Gail and Amanda Walker. We couldn't keep going without the wonderful support of friends and family.

Joy's website is coming along, hopefully we will launch in early August.

Moving Along . . .

Joy is rehearsing with Doc twice a week now. He scheduled the third rehearsal at Piedmont Park--she was a bit nonplussed, but he says if you are going to perform in public, you might as well perform in public! After a few furtive glances to see who was watching (no one), she settled in and had a good rehearsal, and some kudos from the mounted police officers!

Catching Up

We're starting out blog today, just wanted to catch everybody up on what we've accomplished so far, and to say THANK YOU to all who have given us so much support!

Last year, Joy promised to create an animal shelter for homeless pets. She decided to name it The Joy of Joy's Pets. Throughout the year, she volunteered with AARF (Atlanta Animal Rescue Friends), creating a Poop-a-thon that cleaned up our neighborhood and raised $250. Now she is creating a school program that will teach elementary school children about animal rescue, and encourage them to think about adopting a rescue pet.

We found a coach who could help her develop a presentation that she could book in the schools. Doc Waller is a teaching and performing artist who specializes in children's programs.

Kate Jackson with Jabula Dog Academy, gave Joy a rescue dog to appear with her in the program. Her name is Twig, and you can see her in action on YouTube under jabuladogs. Kate is teaching Joy how to train Twig so she will be able to perform in front of an audience.

We designed a fund-raising flyer, and asked friends and family to support us. We are so grateful for the financial support we have recieved from Kelly Burton, Chris Kauffman, Carol Walker, and Kathy Harber--Joy is rehearsing now with Doc, and Kate sent the flyer to her database at Jabula.

Lisa McConnell offered to sew Joy's costume, and Michael Johnson of Intrinsic Media is working with us on the website.

Tony Clarke invited Joy to speak to his Optimist group about the project in August.

We met with Dr. Lorraine Reich at Joy's alma mater, Warren T. Jackson Elementary, who helped us understand how to design the program so it would be attractive to schools.

As Joy continues to work on her presentation, Susan will work on fundraising and marketing. Please email her at susanwlongley@gmail.com to ask for more information, to offer to help, or just to say hi! We are intending to create a community of people who care about animals and want to help launch The Joy of Joy's Pets! Please join us!