"Rescue and adoption actually don't scale. It doesn't matter how many you do—you're not preventing more from showing up."

This episode is sponsored-in-part by Maddie's Fund, OcuTrap, and The Community Cat Clinic.

In this compelling episode of the Community Cats Podcast, host Stacey LeBaron sits down with Will Zweigart, the visionary behind Flatbush Cats and creator of the investigative podcast Underfoot. Together, they unpack the "hidden cat crisis" affecting urban communities—particularly in New York City—and explore why traditional approaches to rescue and adoption fall short of creating lasting change.

Will shares how his background in strategy and communications shaped a systems-level approach to animal welfare, leading to a bold realization: rescue alone doesn't scale. Instead, sustainable impact lies in increasing access to affordable veterinary care, particularly high-volume spay/neuter services. The conversation dives into the evolution from grassroots rescue work to launching a full-scale clinic, Flatbush Vet, which performed over 7,000 surgeries in a single year.

This episode goes beyond storytelling—it's a blueprint for change. From addressing volunteer burnout to building scalable teams, advocating for municipal accountability, and reimagining the role of cities in animal welfare, Will outlines a transformative vision for 2035. Listeners will gain insight into how policy, funding, and public awareness intersect—and why nonprofits must often lead the charge in both service delivery and media storytelling.

Whether you're a seasoned rescuer, nonprofit leader, or passionate advocate, this episode challenges you to think bigger, act strategically, and embrace solutions that create lasting impact for cats and communities alike.

Press Play Now For:

• Why rescue and adoption alone cannot solve cat overpopulation
• The concept of the "hidden cat crisis" and why it lacks media coverage
• How scaling spay/neuter services creates measurable, long-term impact
• The transition from volunteer rescue work to building a veterinary clinic
• Practical strategies to prevent volunteer burnout through delegation and systems
• The role of municipalities—and why policy inaction is a key barrier
• A bold 2035 vision for animal welfare infrastructure in major cities
• How storytelling and media can drive awareness and systemic change

Resources & Links

• Flatbush Cats
• Flatbush on Instagram
• Flatbush on Facebook
• Flatbush on TikTok
• Flatbush on YouTube
• Underfoot
• Flatbush Vet

"What's better than bringing home a life you saved instead of a souvenir that just sits on a shelf?"

This episode is sponsored-in-part by Maddie's Fund, OcuTrap, and The Community Cat Clinic.

What does it take to transform a country's approach to stray animal care? In this inspiring episode of the Community Cats Podcast, host Stacy LeBaron reconnects with Julie Kelley—entrepreneur, philanthropist, and founder of Let's Be Smart Greece—to explore how one vision is reshaping feline welfare across borders.

Julie shares the story behind her move from the United States to Greece and how witnessing widespread stray populations sparked a mission rooted in education, community collaboration, and sustainable solutions. Through Let's Be Smart, Julie has developed a multifaceted model that blends Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR), municipality partnerships, and innovative "Smart Yards" to create safer, more structured environments for community cats.

Listeners will get an inside look at Julie's unique shelter concept—a home-like villa where cats live freely alongside volunteers from around the world. This approach not only improves feline well-being but also accelerates socialization and adoption success. Julie also discusses the organization's growing "adoption vacation" initiative, helping tourists responsibly bring Greek cats home after proper medical preparation.

The conversation dives into recent legislative progress in Greece, the importance of youth education, and the evolving role of municipalities in animal welfare. Julie's long-term vision? A global shift toward more humane, integrated shelter models that treat animals as family—not inventory.

Whether you're involved in rescue, advocacy, or simply love cats, this episode offers a powerful reminder: meaningful change happens when compassion meets strategy.

Press Play Now For:

• How Let's Be Smart Greece is tackling the stray cat crisis through education and community partnerships
• The concept of "Smart Yards" and why structured feeding stations matter
• A behind-the-scenes look at a villa-style, home-based cat shelter model
• How international volunteers contribute to animal welfare efforts in Greece
• The rise of "adoption vacations" and how tourists can responsibly adopt abroad
• Why municipalities play a critical role in scaling TNR and veterinary access
• Julie Kelley's long-term vision for transforming global shelter standards

Resources & Links

• Let's Be Smart Greece
• Julie Kelley at the Online Cat Conference 2022
• Workaway Volunteer Program
• Nine Lives Greece (Acropolis Cat Initiative)

"Community cats — it's really about the community. It brings the community together."

This episode is sponsored-in-part by Maddie's Fund, OcuTrap, and the Feline Behavior Summit 2026.

What does it take to build a community cat program from scratch in a rural, under-resourced area where nearly everyone — officers, residents, and administrators alike — is convinced it won't work? In this episode of the Community Cats Podcast, host Stacy LeBaron sits down with TyAnn Sumpter, Manager of Shelter Support at Charleston Animal Society, to walk through one of the most compelling TNR success stories in recent memory. TyAnn came to animal welfare from the business world, and it was that entrepreneurial mindset that helped her see past the resistance and build something lasting in Florence County, South Carolina.

TyAnn shares how she designed and launched the region's first TNR initiative using existing call log data, enthusiastic volunteers, and animal control officers who already knew which neighborhoods needed help. What started as a one-year, grant-funded pilot ended up spaying and neutering 1,700 cats in year one alone. By year two, the shelter that had previously taken in roughly a thousand cats annually had dropped its intake to just 73.

The ripple effects are just as remarkable. Neighboring Darlington County started calling to ask why they didn't have a program, and TyAnn helped them get set up. Florence County eventually hired its own dedicated community cat coordinator, purchased its own transport van, and secured permanent budget funding — all things that would have seemed unimaginable when TyAnn first walked through that shelter door. She also makes a compelling case for using complaint call reductions and cost savings to win over skeptical municipal administrators.

Press Play Now For:

• How TyAnn built Florence County's first TNR program with no roadmap and no buy-in
• Why mining call log data was the key to finding the community's hidden cat advocates
• The dramatic shelter intake drop — from 1,000 cats per year to just 73
• How the program expanded into neighboring counties and became permanently self-funded
• The role animal control officers played in identifying colonies and building community trust
• Making the financial case to county administrators using complaint call metrics
• How Charleston Animal Society handles high-volume TNR surgeries two hours away
• Why a nonjudgmental, community-first approach is the most powerful tool in TNR
• The unexpected expansions: pet pantries, low-cost owned-cat spay/neuter, and more

Resources & Links:

• Charleston Animal Society
• TyAnn Sumpter on LinkedIn
• Best Friends Animal Society
• United Spay Alliance