The Community Cats Podcast

"What's better than bringing home a life you saved instead of a souvenir that just sits on a shelf?"
This episode is sponsored-in-part by Maddie's Fund, OcuTrap, and The Community Cat Clinic.
What does it take to transform a country's approach to stray animal care? In this inspiring episode of the Community Cats Podcast, host Stacy LeBaron reconnects with Julie Kelley—entrepreneur, philanthropist, and founder of Let's Be Smart Greece—to explore how one vision is reshaping feline welfare across borders.
Julie shares the story behind her move from the United States to Greece and how witnessing widespread stray populations sparked a mission rooted in education, community collaboration, and sustainable solutions. Through Let's Be Smart, Julie has developed a multifaceted model that blends Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR), municipality partnerships, and innovative "Smart Yards" to create safer, more structured environments for community cats.
Listeners will get an inside look at Julie's unique shelter concept—a home-like villa where cats live freely alongside volunteers from around the world. This approach not only improves feline well-being but also accelerates socialization and adoption success. Julie also discusses the organization's growing "adoption vacation" initiative, helping tourists responsibly bring Greek cats home after proper medical preparation.
The conversation dives into recent legislative progress in Greece, the importance of youth education, and the evolving role of municipalities in animal welfare. Julie's long-term vision? A global shift toward more humane, integrated shelter models that treat animals as family—not inventory.
Whether you're involved in rescue, advocacy, or simply love cats, this episode offers a powerful reminder: meaningful change happens when compassion meets strategy.
Press Play Now For:
How Let's Be Smart Greece is tackling the stray cat crisis through education and community partnerships
The concept of "Smart Yards" and why structured feeding stations matter
A behind-the-scenes look at a villa-style, home-based cat shelter model
How international volunteers contribute to animal welfare efforts in Greece
The rise of "adoption vacations" and how tourists can responsibly adopt abroad
Why municipalities play a critical role in scaling TNR and veterinary access
Julie Kelley's long-term vision for transforming global shelter standards
Resources & Links
Let's Be Smart Greece
Julie Kelley at the Online Cat Conference 2022
Workaway Volunteer Program
Nine Lives Greece (Acropolis Cat Initiative)

"Community cats — it's really about the community. It brings the community together."
This episode is sponsored-in-part by Maddie's Fund, OcuTrap, and the Feline Behavior Summit 2026.
What does it take to build a community cat program from scratch in a rural, under-resourced area where nearly everyone — officers, residents, and administrators alike — is convinced it won't work? In this episode of the Community Cats Podcast, host Stacy LeBaron sits down with TyAnn Sumpter, Manager of Shelter Support at Charleston Animal Society, to walk through one of the most compelling TNR success stories in recent memory. TyAnn came to animal welfare from the business world, and it was that entrepreneurial mindset that helped her see past the resistance and build something lasting in Florence County, South Carolina.
TyAnn shares how she designed and launched the region's first TNR initiative using existing call log data, enthusiastic volunteers, and animal control officers who already knew which neighborhoods needed help. What started as a one-year, grant-funded pilot ended up spaying and neutering 1,700 cats in year one alone. By year two, the shelter that had previously taken in roughly a thousand cats annually had dropped its intake to just 73.
The ripple effects are just as remarkable. Neighboring Darlington County started calling to ask why they didn't have a program, and TyAnn helped them get set up. Florence County eventually hired its own dedicated community cat coordinator, purchased its own transport van, and secured permanent budget funding — all things that would have seemed unimaginable when TyAnn first walked through that shelter door. She also makes a compelling case for using complaint call reductions and cost savings to win over skeptical municipal administrators.
Press Play Now For:
How TyAnn built Florence County's first TNR program with no roadmap and no buy-in
Why mining call log data was the key to finding the community's hidden cat advocates
The dramatic shelter intake drop — from 1,000 cats per year to just 73
How the program expanded into neighboring counties and became permanently self-funded
The role animal control officers played in identifying colonies and building community trust
Making the financial case to county administrators using complaint call metrics
How Charleston Animal Society handles high-volume TNR surgeries two hours away
Why a nonjudgmental, community-first approach is the most powerful tool in TNR
The unexpected expansions: pet pantries, low-cost owned-cat spay/neuter, and more
Resources & Links:
Charleston Animal Society
TyAnn Sumpter on LinkedIn
Best Friends Animal Society
United Spay Alliance

"We might think access to veterinary care is just an issue for low-income families—but the reality is, it affects people across income levels, for very different reasons."
This episode is sponsored-in-part by Maddie's Fund, OcuTrap, and the Feline Behavior Summit 2026.
Access to veterinary care is one of the most pressing—and complex—issues facing pet families today. In this episode of the Community Cats Podcast, host Stacy LeBaron sits down with researcher Claire Shuch, PhD, to unpack the latest findings from a groundbreaking national study on barriers to veterinary care.
Drawing from her work with the University of Tennessee Knoxville's Program for Pet Health Equity, Claire shares insights from the updated Access to Veterinary Care: Barriers and Insights from Pet Families report. This research builds on the foundational 2018 study and reveals how economic pressures, workforce shortages, and lingering pandemic effects continue to shape how—and whether—families can care for their pets.
Listeners will discover surprising truths about who struggles to access care (hint: it's not just low-income households), why many cats remain unspayed or unvaccinated, and how logistical challenges like scheduling and clinic availability play a major role. The conversation also explores the broader "One Health" framework, highlighting how human, animal, and environmental health are deeply interconnected.
For community cat advocates, this episode offers valuable context on intake trends, stray adoption patterns, and opportunities for intervention through education and accessible services. Claire also paints a compelling vision of a more integrated future—where human and animal healthcare services are co-located or mobile, reaching underserved communities more effectively.
Whether you're a rescuer, veterinarian, policymaker, or passionate cat lover, this episode provides both data-driven insights and hopeful possibilities for improving care access nationwide.
Press Play Now For:
Key findings from the latest national veterinary care access study
Why affordability is only part of the access problem
Insights into cat ownership trends and stray intake patterns
The real reasons cats aren't always spayed or neutered
How COVID-19 reshaped pet ownership and care challenges
The growing impact of veterinary workforce shortages
A practical introduction to the "One Health" model
Innovative ideas for co-located and mobile care services
How community programs can better support both pets and people
Resources & Links
Access to Veterinary Care: Barriers and Insights from Pet Families
University of Tennessee Knoxville – Program for Pet Health Equity (PPHE)
One Health Community Forum (Maddie's Fund)
Original 2018 Access to Veterinary Care Study (AVCC)
Episode Update!
Since the recording of this episode, The Program for Pet Health Equity (PPHE) is now the Center for Pet Family Well-Being (CPFW). The links listed above and mentioned in the episode should forward you to the new, relevant information, but you can check out this article for all the details about the change.

"I'm announcing that FIP is no longer considered fatal… and I looked up to see tears in the eyes of veterinarians around the world."
This episode is sponsored-in-part by Maddie's Fund, OcuTrap, the Feline Behavior Summit 2026, and the TNR Certification Workshop.
In this powerful and emotional episode of the Community Cats Podcast, host Stacy LeBaron sits down with renowned animal behavior expert and advocate Steve Dale to explore groundbreaking advancements in feline health that are changing—and saving—lives.
Steve shares the deeply personal story of his cat Ricky, whose diagnosis with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) sparked a decades-long mission to fund critical research through the EveryCat Health Foundation. What began as heartbreak has led to hope, including the development of a promising drug that can reverse heart enlargement in cats when caught early.
The conversation then turns to one of the most historically devastating feline diseases: FIP (feline infectious peritonitis). Once considered a death sentence, FIP is now treatable thanks to years of persistence, research funding, and global collaboration. Steve walks us through the science, the setbacks, and the stunning breakthrough that has saved countless kittens—and even contributed to antiviral treatments used during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Beyond the science, this episode highlights the evolving human-cat bond, the importance of understanding feline behavior, and why we are truly living in the "era of the cat." Whether you're a shelter professional, foster caregiver, or devoted cat owner, this conversation will leave you informed, inspired, and hopeful about the future of feline welfare.
Press Play Now For:
The surprising origin story of a piano-playing cat that changed everything
How one cat's diagnosis led to life-saving HCM research
A clear, accessible explanation of FIP and why it was once always fatal
The breakthrough antiviral treatments now curing FIP in kittens
How feline research contributed to human COVID-19 treatment
Why understanding animal behavior can prevent bites and build trust
The growing momentum behind "The Year (and Decade) of the Cat"
Resources & Links
EveryCat Health Foundation
Steve Dale's Blog & Newsletter
Ask the Dog by Steve Dale
FIP Warriors
Zen By Cat

"No cat should be euthanized because it tests positive for a virus—period."
This episode is sponsored-in-part by Maddie's Fund, The Animal Rights Foundation, Reduce Surrenders with Feline Behavior Support Certification Workshop, and The Community Cat Clinic.
Feline leukemia (FeLV) has long been one of the most misunderstood—and often feared—diagnoses in the cat world. In this eye-opening episode of the Community Cats Podcast, host Stacy LeBaron welcomes feline leukemia advocate and expert Margaret Tompkins to break down the myths, realities, and latest advancements surrounding this complex virus.
Margaret shares her personal journey into the world of FeLV advocacy, sparked by a group of rescue kittens that changed her life. From there, she dives into the science behind feline leukemia, explaining how it differs from FIV, how it spreads, and why today's understanding of the disease is far more hopeful than it was just a few decades ago.
Listeners will gain clarity on key topics such as progressive vs. regressive infections, the importance of spay/neuter in disease prevention, and whether testing is always necessary—especially in TNR (trap-neuter-return) programs. Margaret also tackles one of the most emotional questions caregivers face: what to do when a cat tests positive, and why euthanasia should not be the default response.
The conversation also explores managing mixed households, vaccine advancements (including promising new mRNA technology), and how strong immune systems play a critical role in outcomes for FeLV-positive cats.
Whether you're a rescuer, foster, veterinarian, or cat lover, this episode offers practical guidance, science-backed insights, and a much-needed shift in perspective. Feline leukemia is no longer a guaranteed death sentence—and with education, compassion, and proactive care, these cats can live meaningful, happy lives.
Press Play Now For:
The critical difference between FeLV and FIV—and why it matters
How feline leukemia is actually transmitted (and common misconceptions)
Why spay/neuter is the most powerful tool for disease prevention
When testing is essential—and when it's not worth the cost
Understanding progressive vs. regressive FeLV infections
What to do if your vet suggests euthanasia after a positive test
How to safely manage mixed households with FeLV-positive cats
The latest breakthroughs in FeLV vaccines, including mRNA technology
Why many FeLV-positive cats can live long, healthy lives
Resources & Links
Community Cats Podcast YouTube Library (FeLV Playlist)
FIV/FeLV Positive Cats Facebook Group