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HISTORY OF CARE FELINE RESCUE, INC.
Diane Jones founded CARE Feline Rescue, Inc. in the fall of 1995. She has dedicated an incredible amount of her time, energy and personal resources to help the animals of Orange County, Florida. Diane managed to gain approval of our county commission to open one of the first taxpayer funded low cost spay/neuter clinics in the U.S. Why? Because more and more tax dollars were being used to house and euthanize an ever-increasing number of unwanted cats, kittens, dogs and puppies each year. The most logical, humane and cost effective way to solve this "government" problem, was to stem the flow of animals by providing affordable and accessible spay and neuter for the animals of Orange County residents. The Clinic opened in 1989.
After that, Diane pursued getting a more animal friendly animal control ordinance approved and made law. The ordinance was approved in late 1990. Although some additional changes were made to the law in 1995, Orange County has a much-improved law on the books dealing with the animals in our county. (NOTE: Orange County Animal Services code was revised again in 2005)
Following the approval of the changes in 1995, Diane then approached Animal Services manager, Linda Haller, with a plan to help the most neglected and in peril group of animals in our county, the feral and abandoned cats living on our streets. CARE Feline Rescue, Inc. was born. Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) would reduce the number of homeless cats who were needlessly and indiscriminately euthanized each year by Orange County Animal Services. To our knowledge, CARE was the first TNR program that worked in conjunction with a local animal control department. Up to that time, animal control agencies across the country stood firmly in opposition to TNR, favoring catch and kill methods instead. Times have changed since then, and more and more agencies across the country have begun to support this method. There are, unfortunately, still too many animal control agencies that object, but there are individuals and groups around the country working diligently to change that.
Since 1995, CARE Feline Rescue, Inc. has facilitated the spay/neuter and vaccination of over 12,000 cats and kittens. We've worked with individuals, homeowners' associations, business owners and/or employees, schools, hotels, resorts and other concerned groups. Not everyone has been convinced of the value and success of this method, but we are successful more often than not. CARE owes its success to each and every person who has taken the time and extended their compassion to help provide a chance at a better life to each of these cats and kittens.
Diane Jones, founder of CARE Feline Rescue, Inc., a local TNR group, passed away late August 2006. She was fearless, tireless and fought all odds to bring a TNR program that works to Orange County. I've heard wonderful stories of Diane's rescues, the endless meetings she endured to see her dream come true, especially at a time when the only solution was to kill the stray cats that roamed local neighborhoods. We have a free TNR program in Orange County that can help prevent unwanted kittens from being born - thank you, Diane, you will be remembered and missed by those who knew you or of you. Thank you for your hard work.
If you want to help us continue this important work, please go to our volunteer link.
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