Portia De Rossi Kicks Off Campaign To Help Feral Cats - And The People Who Care For Them

Portia De Rossi Kicks Off Campaign To Help Feral Cats - And The People Who Care For Them



TV star to be featured in national PSAs; declares “I’m an Alley Cat Ally”



(Vocus) March 25, 2010



Alley Cat Allies (http://www. allecat. org), the national advocate for stray and feral cats, today launched a print Public Service Announcement (PSA) campaign (http://www. alleycat. org/PSA) featuring Portia de Rossi, star of the ABC comedy “Better Off Ted.”



In the ad, De Rossi declares herself an “Alley Cat Ally,” and a supporter of Alley Cat Allies’ major campaign to raise awareness about the millions of Americans who care for stray and feral cats in their communities.



“We are delighted to have Portia de Rossi on board to represent the individuals from all walks of life who share compassion for these cats,” said Becky Robinson, president of Alley Cat Allies, the recognized authority on feral cats and Trap-Neuter-Return.



“I’m very happy to be involved with Alley Cat Allies and their efforts to help stray and feral cats,” said De Rossi. “The Trap-Neuter-Return approach is the only way to help contain the populations and save their lives.”



“Millions of Americans have opened their hearts and wallets to stray and feral cats. A national survey by the respected research organization Harris Interactive found that over 40 percent of Americans have fed a stray cat in their lives, and one out of five has done so in the past year,” Robinson said.



Feral cats are the same species as domestic cats, but they are not socialized to people and prefer to live in family groups called colonies. Because they are not adoptable, they are almost always killed in animal shelters.



Robinson noted that many progressive communities across the country have adopted a lifesaving program called Trap-Neuter-Return, in which feral cats are humanely trapped, brought to a veterinarian to be neutered and vaccinated and returned to their outdoor home. Trap-Neuter-Return is the best course of action for feral cats because it ends the breeding cycle, stabilizes populations and improves the cats’ health, Robinson said.



For more information about the “Alley Cat Ally” campaign, visit www. alleycat. org/PSA (http://www. alleycat. org/PSA).



About Alley Cat Allies

Alley Cat Allies is the nation’s leading advocate for stray and feral cats. Their web site is www. alleycat. org.



About Portia de Rossi

Portia de Rossi recently starred as a fifth season series regular on the FX popular original drama series “Nip/Tuck,” and starred as ‘Lindsay Bluth Funke’ in the critically acclaimed Fox comedy “Arrested Development.” De Rossi is best known for her portrayal of the enigmatic lawyer ‘Nelle Porter’ on Fox’s hugely successful “Ally McBeal.”



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