By Sara Wiercinski
When Becky Audrey moved to Missouri from Connecticut, she swore she would not start another cat rescue. “But being in rural Belton, I saw the need. There are so many cats, an endless cycle.”
Audrey started Feline Fix shortly after, in 2020, with a simple goal to “help people fix their cats”. As a trained veterinary technician, she partners with Columbia-based veterinarian Linda Korn to spay and neuter strays. Feline Fix also provides low-cost sterilization services at “owned cat” clinics.
The need to control pet overbreeding is also urgent some 2,700 miles south, on San Cristóbal Island in the Galapagos.
“Dogs and cats are considered an invasive species there,” said Audrey. “The island’s goal is for 100% of pets to be spayed or neutered, and it’s the law.”
Audrey and Korn, together with their families, traveled to the Galapagos from November 15-22 through World Vets International (WVI). The trip involved working at the veterinary facility in the small town, staffed by traveling veterinarians. The clinic serves all island residents, regardless of their ability to pay.
The team also took beach surveys and monitored for injured wildlife. It was also baby sea lion season.
“It’s amazing what this organization [WVI] has done for animals on the island, both pets and wildlife,” said Audrey.
Back in the northern hemisphere, Feline Fix operates a shelter in downtown Belton and a foster cat system. Partnerships with Whiskers Cat Cafe and PetSmart encourage adoptions. Audrey estimates that she and a few committed volunteers care for around 70 cats at any given time.
Why cats? Audrey says loves all animals but that cats are easier to rescue than dogs.
“We are really seeing the impact, and are finding that most pet owners want to do the right thing.”
Learn more at www.feline-fix.org.
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