Wenatchee Valley Humane Society Chosen for The Jackson Galaxy Project’s Life-Saving Cat Pawsitive Program
(Wenatchee, WA)— Wenatchee Valley Humane Society (WVHS) has been chosen from a competitive pool by The Jackson Galaxy Project (JGP), a Signature Program of GreaterGood.org, to participate in the 2020 class of Cat Pawsitive, a life-saving initiative that introduces positive-reinforcement training to cats in shelters and rescues. Supported by the Petco Foundation, this innovative training program for cats aims to increase feline adoption rates and maintain cat “mojo.”
Jackson Galaxy (star of the television show My Cat from Hell on Animal Planet, and founder of JGP) developed Cat Pawsitive with a team of feline behavior experts. Highlights of the program include:
Maintaining cat “adoptability” and feline social skills by enriching cats’ day-to-day lives
Increasing adoptions
Decreasing length of stay
Engaging and empowering volunteers and staff
Showing potential adopters that cats are cool and can even be trained!
“As a shelter worker in the early 90s, I found myself frustrated by the lack of resources and know-how afforded to the cats in my care. Unsocialized cats, traumatized cats, adoptable cats whose spirits were dwindling from lack of stimulation - were all being euthanized. Dogs, however, were being saved thanks in part to burgeoning enrichment programs geared towards physical exercise, confidence-building and the bond created with the humans participating in these programs,” said Galaxy. “With the help of a dog trainer, I adapted these clicker-based programs to cats - and the results were immediate and, at least in my eyes, profound. My overwhelming desire at the time was to bring the liberating effects of this approach to as many other shelters and rescues as I could, and in just 4 years we have already helped well over 1,200 cats in 174 shelters find their forever homes, with hundreds more receiving enriching training every day.”
The Cat Pawsitive program is designed to keep adoptable cats mentally and physically active in a shelter or rescue environment. The focus is on fun, positive reinforcement-based training sessions that go beyond playtime-as-usual to help cats maintain their mojo and connect more quickly with potential adopters. From teaching high fives and head bumps to “sit” and “come when called,” caregivers at Cat Pawsitive participating organizations engage with cats in a brand new way to really help cats to “click” with adopters.
“I’ve had the privilege of hearing Jackson Galaxy speak at a few conferences. His approach is fun, inclusive, engaging and effective. He is like a ‘Rock Star’ in the world of cats, so I was excited to hear about the opportunity for WVHS to participate in this program. We applied last fall and are honored to be accepted. The training itself is very intensive and requires a commitment from shelter staff and volunteers,” said Dawn Davies, Executive Director of WVHS, about the shelter’s involvement in the Cat Pawsitive program.
Davies continued, “Although the community has heard a lot about the WVHS comprehensive behavior training for dogs, the reality is cats have also been a part of the enrichment program and socialization. This program will enhance what we provide to cats though, shining a light on our feline friends and help get them out of the shelter and into homes as quickly as possible.”
Since 2016, more than 1,200 cats have been adopted during Cat Pawsitive semesters, with hundreds of more cats benefiting from being in the program and continuing their training on the road to adoption. To date, a total of 174 animal welfare organizations have participated in Cat Pawsitive programs and conducted over 20,000 training sessions, with over 1,100 staff members and volunteers taking part in the training of thousands of cats.
Galaxy will be sharing highlights of the program on The Jackson Galaxy Project Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages.
About WVHS
Founded in 1967, the Wenatchee Valley Humane Society is a private, non-profit organization with a mission to serve Chelan and Douglas Counties through education, protection and pet adoptions. WVHS cares for displaced pets, rescues injured and lost animals, investigates animal cruelties, and finds homes for orphaned animals. WVHS engages in a Pets for Life philosophy by providing low cost spay/neuter programs, periodic vaccination clinics, and hosting pet food assistance banks to income-qualified residents throughout its community. By caring for pets and the people who love them, WVHS is creating a humane society in the Wenatchee Valley. If you would like to volunteer, donate, or more information on how you can help, visit wenatcheehumane.org, email wvhs@wenatcheehumane.org or call (509) 662-9577.
About The Jackson Galaxy Project
The Jackson Galaxy Project is a Signature Program of GreaterGood.org, a public 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Founded in 2014 by leading animal advocate and cat wellness consultant, Jackson Galaxy, host and executive producer of Animal Planet's long running hit show “My Cat From Hell” and New York Times best-selling author, The Jackson Galaxy Project seeks to improve the lives of animals at risk and help the people who care for them through innovative programs that educate, inspire and empower staff, rescuers and adopters to continually raise the bar for animals at risk and reduce the number of animals that end up in shelters. For more information, visit TheJacksonGalaxyProject.org.
About GreaterGood.org
GreaterGood.org is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that works to improve the health and well-being of people, pets, and the planet. Over the last 12 years, GreaterGood.org has given over $250 million in cash and in-kind grants to over 3,000 charitable partners worldwide. To learn more, visit GreaterGood.org or follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
About the Petco Foundation
At the Petco Foundation, we believe that every animal deserves to live its best life. Since 1999, we’ve invested more than $260 million in lifesaving animal welfare work to make that happen. With our more than 4,000 animal welfare partners, we inspire and empower communities to make a difference by investing in adoption and medical care programs, spay and neuter services, pet cancer research, service and therapy animals, and numerous other lifesaving initiatives. Through our Think Adoption First program, we partner with Petco stores and animal welfare organizations across the country to increase pet adoptions. So far, we’ve helped more than 6 million pets find their new loving families, and we’re just getting started. Visit petcofoundation.org to learn more about how you can get involved.
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