Ottawa Stray Cat Rescue Board of Directors
Sara Collins
Director
I have been volunteering with OSCatR since 2012. Over the years, I have assumed many different roles and undertaken a variety of tasks including acting as the volunteer coordinator, fostering, setting-up and running the barn program, organizing large scale multi-rescue fundraisers, organizing and administering online auctions, volunteering at events, and other odds and ends such as picking-up donations and baking for bake sales. I am the co-owner of two local animal hospitals that support many local rescues, including OSCatR, through the provision of veterinary care at substantially reduced prices. The hospitals also regularly foster OSCatR cats and support the rescue in many other ways. Professionally, I work as a lawyer, having been licenced to practice law since 2007. It is an honour to serve as a Director for an organization that reflects my values and saves lives every single day.
Mary Jo Latour
Director
I first adopted from OSCATR in 2012. I started fostering in 2013 and have since fostered over 160 cats from the Adoption and TNR programs . I have volunteered with OSCATR in different ways over these past 8 years. I currently have 3 cats of my own, all “foster- fails” , Harley, Quinn and Bandit. I am a retired elementary school teacher.
Katie Jones
President
After volunteering with a few different rescue organizations as a young adult, I founded OSCatR in 2011. My objective was to create an organization that would focus on the most vulnerable cats – those living out in the elements without homes. In the early days, rescue tasks consumed my day-to-day life. Fortunately, over the years the organization grew to the point where it is now made up of team of dedicated coordinators and volunteers, each managing different responsibilities. I currently manage daily operations for the rescue as part of this incredible team. Professionally, I have been a veterinarian since 2004 and currently own two local hospitals which are both highly supportive of OSCatR. In my spare time, I enjoy providing pro-bono services to rescue organizations like OSCatR. I feel immensely proud to serve as the Vice President for an organization I have been with since its inception.
Organizational Flow Chart
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Accept Applications in the database and process them
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Match make applicants with cats
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Work with Fosters for Adoption visits
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Accept or Decline adoptions
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Work with Social Media people to keep pages relevant
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Answer Adopters emails
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Work with the Adopters FB page group
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Oversee a team to do the following:
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Ensure foster applications are being received in the database and processed for possible fostering
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Ensure home visits are being done, fosters are receiving supplies
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Keeping a list of needed supplies for the Donations Coordinator
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Medical invoices are being inputted into the database
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Fosters have support
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Check in on stagnant cats and promote adoption
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Help generate foster cat adoption albums
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Answer foster emails and questions
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Work with intake coordinator to intake cats into the appropriate foster homes
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Update microchip information
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Manage the number of foster homes and cats for adoption and help intake coordinator with accepting cats
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Advertising for fosters when needed with Marketing/Promotion Coordinator
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Work with TNR Coordinator for Lost Foster Cats
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Answer emails about intaking cats
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Promote lost and found sites
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Work with foster team to intake cats
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Work with TNR Coordinator with friendly colony cats
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Input applications and cat information into the database
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Work with volunteers to trap cats as needed
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Working with a team to make sure:
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Soliciting for donations as needed, including raffle/basket items
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Working with TNR coordinator and Foster coordinator to obtain food and supplies for the cats
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Managing the Storage locker and keeping lists of equipment and supplies
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Managing Amazon Wish List and promoting this on social media sites regularly
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Working with Stores for expired, open or returned product
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Soliciting stores like grocery, larger supermarket types etc. for supplies and product
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Answering emails from the public who wish to donate
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Keeping an updated list of drop off locations for donators to drop off products/supplies
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Making sure that supplies at drop off locations are being used by appropriate people and not forgotten
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Working with volunteers to request items off Freecycle, Buy Nothing type sites etc.
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Creating a list of donated items that would have a monetary value and sending list to the Treasurer annually for CRA (items like unopened non expired food, new toys in packaging, new cat litter, etc.)
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Working with a team to:
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Manage, help promote and advertise individual fundraising ventures such as:
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Cookies Help Cats, Purrfect Pick, and other smaller but amazing fundraisers
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Help promote and manage Catjiji
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Work with the treasurer to update on fundraisers and monetary donations coming in so e-transfers can be more easily managed
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Work with Bottle Returns for Cats and promote this as well as bottle drives. Keeping bottle drop off locations current
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Working with volunteers to arrange Store Events and having a Store Event team for this
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Keeping event kits restocked and updated
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Working with the Crafting Committee to make toys and supplies
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Being a cheerleader to motivate people
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Liaison for the Wine 4 Whiskers group
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Promoting the United Way Campaign
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Always working with the Marketing/Promotions Coordinator to make sure all activities are advertised and successful
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Engaging teams for larger events when they return (Cat Show, Pet Expo etc)
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Merchandise sales
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Working with the Fundraising Coordinator and Donations Coordinator to make sure all events are advertised and promoted
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Keep cats available for adoption current
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Promote cats who have been in care the longest
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Working with the treasurer to send Thank you Cards sent for larger donations
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Possibly arrange Donations – Wedding favours
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Managing brochures, business cards, banners, and other propaganda materials
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Newsletter for the webpage, FB page and for sponsorships
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Sponsor a cat event – working with the foster team for this
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Managing the Instagram, Twitter, Facebook accounts
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Managing the webpage
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Promoting OSCATR, Colony Cat Care
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Media relations (TV, radio, other when needed)
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Help Coordinators find volunteers to do tasks and roles
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Updating general coordination page when roles/ positions are available and working with the team to fill them
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Motivating volunteers on the Volunteer Facebook page
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Keeping the volunteer page current with upcoming activities, help needed, events
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Answer emails and messages about volunteering
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Making sure applicants are inputted into the database and added to the appropriate Facebook groups
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Keeping a survey of volunteer interests and possibly contact them when opportunities are available
Members' Roles
Financials
Jan 1 2023 - Dec 31 2023
Q&A
Thank you to those of you who took the time to submit a survey monkey feedback form. We have included below answers to some questions we received and links to a few resources that you may find beneficial.
Do you have a question, comment or concern and want to address the board of directors? Send us an
e-mail to oscatrbod@gmail.com.
Would you prefer to remain anonymous? We have created a Survey Monkey link that will allow you to submit your comments in a confidential manner. The board of directors will review all submissions and address concerns and answer questions.
Resources
Vet Partners
OSCatR Constitution
Foster Manual and Q&A
Volunteers
Attention Fosters!
Need food or litter for your foster cat? We can order items through Pet Science at a discounted rate!!
(20-40% less than stores).
Please check out
www.petscience.ca and let us know what you need. Please send an email with name and item code to rescue@oscatr.ca
Attention Fosters!
Are you paying for foster food and litter out of pocket? Submit your receipts, along with the attached log sheet for an in-kind donation tax receipt.
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Log Sheets must be submitted along with copies of your receipts to treasurer@oscatr.ca
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One submission per foster please (consolidate all expenses to one log sheet)
Thank you!
Thank You to all of our volunteers for the hard work you do everyday. We truly couldn’t do it without you. We look forward to hearing from you.