September 09, 2025

From Founder to Ambassador: Building Sustainable Community Cat Programs Featuring Joy Smith, Founder and Ambassador, FieldHaven Feline Center

38 minutes

"We want to turn cat haters into cat toleraters, and that has worked so well. Even the people who say 'I hate cats.' Okay, that's fine if you hate cats. But don't wish them dead. We're gonna work to keep them out of your yard."

This episode is sponsored-in-part by Maddie's Fund and 6 Degrees of Cats.

In this inspiring episode, host Stacy LeBaron welcomes Joy Smith, founder of FieldHaven Feline Center in Lincoln, California, who shares her remarkable journey from accidentally rescuing a few cats on her street to building a $1.5 million organization that has transformed entire communities. Joy's story begins in 2003 when a simple call to help with trapping led to raising kittens in her barn's tack room, selling them at a local farmer's market, and ultimately creating one of California's most innovative community cat programs. Her evolution from reluctant rescuer to strategic leader offers valuable lessons about growing sustainable, community-focused programs.

Joy details FieldHaven's groundbreaking partnership with the Marysville Police Department, which began in 2018 with a goal to spay and neuter every cat in the city. She explains how they overcame initial community resistance through education, implemented a feeding ordinance to address business owner concerns, and created a comprehensive system that includes mobile spay/neuter clinics, vaccine and microchip services, and community resource centers. The program's success demonstrates how strategic thinking, community engagement, and municipal support can transform a city overrun with cats into one operating in maintenance mode with occasional weeks where they can't fill their spay/neuter quota.

The conversation also explores Joy's recent transition from executive director to founder and ambassador, sharing the challenges and rewards of succession planning in animal welfare organizations. Her insights about treating nonprofits as businesses, paying competitive salaries to attract talent, and the cultural shift toward recognizing pets as family members offer valuable perspective for leaders navigating organizational growth and sustainability in today's evolving animal welfare landscape.

Press Play Now For:

Joy's accidental entry into cat rescue and the organic growth from tack room to multi-location organization
Strategic expansion philosophy: starting with your backyard and expanding community by community
The Marysville Police Department partnership and how municipal support transforms TNR efforts
Community education strategies for turning resistance into acceptance and "cat haters into cat toleraters"
Implementation of feeding ordinances and how addressing business owner concerns solved community conflicts
Mobile spay/neuter clinics, vaccine programs, and resource centers as comprehensive community solutions
Training animal control officers in TNR methods and creating internal advocates
The importance of microchipping for tracking outcomes and addressing dumping issues
Four-year succession planning process and the challenges of transitioning founder leadership
Running nonprofits as businesses while maintaining mission focus and community trust
Salary competitiveness in animal welfare and attracting career professionals to the field
Cultural shifts in spay/neuter acceptance and the exciting future of animal welfare careers
Innovative programs like "Kitten Sitters" that engage community members as part of the solution
FieldHaven's expansion to four locations and disaster response work including the Camp Fire recovery

Resources Mentioned:

FieldHaven Feline Center website (https://fieldhaven.com/)
FieldHaven Feline Center Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/FieldHaven/)
FieldHaven Marketplace - thrift store and adoption center (https://www.fieldhavenmarketplace.com/)
Animal Spay and Neuter - Auburn, California (https://animalspayneuter.com/)
Animal Spay and Neuter Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/p/Animal-Spay-and-Neuter-Auburn-100063466875709/)
Dan Pallotta TED Talk: "The way we think about charity is dead wrong"(https://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pallotta_the_way_we_think_about_charity_is_dead_wrong)
Dan Pallotta's official website (https://www.danpallotta.com/)
"The Fire Cats: Save Something Small" documentary - Camp Fire recovery (https://www.thefirecatsfilm.com/)
FieldHaven's Kitten Sitters program (https://fieldhaven.com/programs/kitten-sitters/)

Sponsor Links:

Maddie's Fund (https://www.communitycatspodcast.com/maddies623)
Six Degrees of Cats (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/6-degrees-of-cats/id1669849217)

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