This episode is sponsored in part by Humane Network, Doobert.com, and Maddie's Fund.

Stacy connects with documentary Filmmaker Aaron Hancox to discuss how he came to find inspiration from his early documentary Catwalk: Tales from the Cat Show Circuit that lead him to his latest documentary, Running Wild: The Cats of Cornwall. Aaron confides that he initially expected the plight of cats in Cornwall to be a unique occurrence. Through his filmmaking, he has since learned that it is a story playing out in rural and underfunded communities all around the world.

Aaron discusses the film’s main characters as they try to reduce the number of un-owned cats in Cornwall. He relates that telling their story looked like a David v. Goliath fight, but yielded insight into possible solutions and community needs in Cornwall and beyond. Much of the progress made was impacted by COVID-19 and the constant need for accessible spay and neuter

Arron touches on municipal support, academic support, and private citizen support as being factors in the lives of community cats, as well as the importance of resources and financial support for education and community buy-in.

“Sometimes it might feel like you are chasing your own tail when you are doing this kind of work, and I hope that is a wake-up call to people who don’t understand this world.”

Watch Running Wild: The Cats of Cornwall now on iTunes, Prime Video, Google Play, Microsoft Xbox, VUDU, YouTube, and other VOD platforms. Follow Running Wild: The Cats of Cornwall on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Notes:

• Visit Tiny but Mighty Cat Rescue in Cornwall, to connect with Mellissa Alepins
• Visit Cattrap to connect with Mary Jane Proulx
• Learn more about Markum Street Films