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Lionhearts TNR needs help in feral cat mission

Volunteers gather to build winter cat shelters as part of Lionhearts TNR’s annual effort to protect strays from the cold. The nonprofit is seeking more volunteers to expand its impact. Photo courtesy of James Tiemann

A Highland Lakes nonprofit is seeking volunteers for its trap-neuter-return program to help curb the area’s stray cat population and take care of the existing felines.

Lionhearts TNR, a nonprofit based in Burnet’s Deer Springs neighborhood, traps feral and stray cats, gets them sterilized and vaccinated at local clinics, and then returns them to managed cat colonies with dedicated caretakers. The organization was recently forced to relinquish several slots at this month’s Pet PALS spay and neuter clinic due to a lack of volunteers.

“I was out of town. Normally, we (bring the cats to the clinic) ourselves, but if we had more volunteers, we could have filled those 20 slots,” Lionhearts founder James Tiemann told DailyTrib.com. “I’m more than happy to offer service hours or community service opportunities to anyone willing to help. We just need more hands to keep up with the demand.”

Lionhearts TNR needs help for:

Trapping and transporting—Training provided; traps available for loan.

Fundraising and grant writing—Online and in-person opportunities.

Handyman work—Building feeding stations and cat shelters.

Sewing and crafting—Making trap covers and crochet cat toys for fundraising.

Adoption coordination—Helping place socialized cats into homes.

Tiemann also builds winter cat shelters from upcycled coolers, a project that began after the 2018 Lake LBJ flood, when discarded coolers piled up. Each winter, volunteers gather to construct the shelters to protect outdoor cats from teh cold. This year, they built 48. They have a goal of 100 for next winter.

“If we don’t step up, who will?” Tiemann said. “These cats didn’t ask to be abandoned or born into the wild. We’re here to give them a chance: to stop the endless cycle of suffering, to keep communities from being overrun, and to show people that these animals deserve care just like any other.”

The organization, run by Tiemann and fiancée Niki Spencer, has already sterilized over 1,800 cats in the area and helped neighboring communities such as Granite Shoals and Cottonwood Shores with their feral issues.

“We get requests for help from Kingsland to Llano to Marble Falls,” Tiemann said. “The more trained trappers and volunteers we have, the more cats we can help.”

For more information or to volunteer, contact Lionhearts TNR on Facebook or via text at 512-227-0029.

elizabeth@thepicayune.com

2 thoughts on “Lionhearts TNR needs help in feral cat mission

  1. They should be putting them down, not saving them. The birds, lizards, etc. would all appreciate it. Feral animals don’t belong in the wild.

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