The Cattery’s Catalyst

How a dream became reality

By: KATHLEEN NADERER // Photos by: TWINS Media

Samantha Person has always been drawn to animals. As a little girl, she dreamed of becoming a veterinarian. However, working at Oso Creek Animal Hospital during high school convinced her that she didn’t have the stomach for surgery.

Thinking that her dream of helping animals was over, Samantha pursued other studies and career possibilities before settling on a corporate training job. But she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was missing. “I loved that job and the people that I worked with, but I just didn’t feel fulfilled,” she said.

Her job also required frequent travel, which meant she missed time with her loved ones, particularly Scott Person. Samantha and Scott had met in 1997, and she recalled his endless support as she sought her true calling.

During a dinner conversation in 2007, they talked about what they would do if they won the lottery and money was not an object. Her response: Create a cagefree animal shelter, designed especially for cats. “Shelters across the country have focused primarily on dogs,” she explained. “I wanted to bring a spotlight to cats.”

At the time, Samantha had no idea that such facilities existed. After some research, she learned about a cagefree shelter in Atlanta run by two employees with community volunteers. She told herself, “If they can do it, then I can do it,” and set a goal of opening her shelter within a year. Her strength and determination transformed her dream into reality.

Her mother had been a wonderful role model for Samantha, teaching her the value of hard work and perseverance in the face of disadvantages. Her mother was a single parent with a hearing impairment and tight finances; nevertheless, she put herself through college and gave Samantha the best life possible.

With the inspiration and encouragement of her family and friends, Samantha began the challenging process of creating a nonprofit. Although she didn’t have funding or community contacts at the time, she was able to kick-start the grassroots organization with her personal savings.

As others learned of her unique shelter idea, community support grew. “It was like every time we needed something, someone would show up,” she said with a smile. Thus, The Cattery was born.

October marks the 12-year anniversary of The Cattery, as well as Samantha and Scott’s wedding. The couple married just two weeks before her shelter opened its doors. “I wouldn’t have done any of this without my husband believing in me,” Samantha said.

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”We believe that everyone who has pets loves their pets, regardless of income.”

In 2008, she was invited to join the Animal Care Board. During her first month on the board, she realized that despite The Cattery adopting out 128 cats to loving homes the previous year, the Coastal Bend had still had to euthanize 300 cats in that month alone due to overpopulation.

Shocked by this high number, Samantha researched the best way to fix this problem. She concluded that the best way to combat pet overpopulation is offering affordable or no-cost spay/ neuter programs. Although fixing an animal is the most effective way to reduce overpopulation, some pet owners cannot afford the cost.

Securing funds for such a massive undertaking was challenging, but The Cattery proudly introduced the first low-cost mobile clinic to Corpus Christi in January 2012. Other shelter and rescue organizations soon recognized the significant impact of this program and followed suit. “We believe that everyone who has pets loves their pets, regardless of income,” Samantha said. “Taking care of a pet may look different between families, but that doesn’t diminish their love for that pet.”

The first six months of the mobile clinic were extremely stressful. Not only did they struggle to spread the word about their new services, but Samantha was also diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) that May. She persevered, however, and now The Cattery’s mobile clinic spays/neuters approximately 90 cats and dogs a week. That’s close to 30,000 animals throughout the Coastal Bend since 2012!

Because The Cattery is both a no-kill shelter and a nonprofit, two of the biggest challenges they face are space and funding. As heartbreaking as it is, they can’t always help as many cats or people as they wish they could. There are many ways to help support The Cattery. They depend heavily on individuals for both monetary and physical donations. Supporters can donate in person or online via The Cattery website, make purchases at their nonprofit thrift stores, Retail Therapy and Vintage Vibe (formerly Betty’s Trash to Treasures), or participate in their fundraisers. There is also a donation jar at the mobile clinic.

“Even though somebody might be getting reduced or free spay/neuter, they still put money in the donation jar because they want to help somebody else, too,” Samantha said.

Every day, Samantha is grateful that she can follow her passion, make a difference in the community and help the animals she loves. Currently, The Cattery has 112 cats at the shelter with an additional 80 in foster care and about 14 adoptions each week.

She believes The Cattery has a bright future ahead. They will soon move locations, and the new shelter will have even more space for the felines. They also hope to set up a new stationary clinic in Corpus Christi while maintaining their mobile clinic to serve surrounding areas.

Visit www.thecatterycc.org or like their Facebook page for more information and updates.

TSA PreCheck Enrollment Event Coming Soon to CCIA!

Still a great deal if you plan to travel soon

By: KIM BRIDGER-HUNT

All indications are that more and more of you are making plans to travel by air again. At Corpus Christi International Airport (CCIA), traffic continues to steadily increase. During March, the couple weeks of Spring Break brought a noticeably higher number of people into the terminal. There were lots of families and groups here to catch flights. And this is an encouraging sign when you consider that one year ago, when the pandemic hit, air travel came to a virtual standstill.

As more people get vaccinated and feel comfortable traveling, some of the typical travel related experiences will begin to crop up again. Even though you’ll rarely see a long line or big crowd at CCIA, if you are traveling to a larger city and will have to depart out of that larger airport, you’ll likely begin to experience some lines again, particularly at the TSA Security Checkpoint. That’s where the TSA PreCheck designation can really help make your experience better and maybe even safer. Once you become a TSA PreChecker, you are eligible to go through a shorter security line, allowed to keep your shoes and jackets on, and may even be allowed to keep your liquids and electronics in your carry-on bag during screening. Just keep in mind that the exact protocols can vary from airport to airport.

CCIA TO HOST A TSA PRECHECK ENROLLMENT EVENT

During the week of May 10th, CCIA will once again host a TSA PreCheck Enrollment event. The goal is to make it easy for travelers to get through the enrollment process so they can enjoy the perks of PreCheck when they travel. To guarantee participation in the event, travelers will need to register ahead of time for an appointment. Walk-ins are accepted as time allows, although there may be a longer wait for you if you show up without an appointment.

There are several steps to take to assure a smooth enrollment on the day you arrive:

• Go on to our website at corpuschristiairport.com and click on the TSA PreCheck button. Follow the instructions for filling out the PreCheck application before the day of your appointment.

• Once you complete the application, the system will prompt you to choose an appointment location and time. The CCIA location will be added to the choices in mid-April.

• Once you have made your appointment, please pay attention to the required items you will need to bring with you: photo ID,

Certified copy of Birth Certificate or your

Passport, acceptable form of payment which is Credit/Debit Card or Business check. The fee is $85 and gives you the

PreCheck status for 5 years. No personal checks or cash will be accepted.

• Each applicant will be fingerprinted for the background check. It typically takes 2-3 weeks to hear back. If you are approved for the PreCheck designation, you will not receive a card, but rather a letter from the TSA which will include your KTN,

Known Traveler Number. This number will be used from now on when you book travel on a participating airline.