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For more than three decades, Animal Outreach has quietly become one of the region’s most important resources for affordable veterinary care, rescue services, and community animal welfare.

In this episode, I have the pleasure of speaking with Board President Garry Saperstein and Operations Director Vickie Shapleton to talk about the organization’s remarkable growth, the overwhelming need for low-cost veterinary services, and the life-saving work happening every single day behind the scenes.

From trap-neuter-return programs and foster networks to helping unhoused pet owners care for their animals, Animal Outreach is addressing challenges many people never even realize exist. In 2025 alone, the organization completed more than 7,600 spay and neuter surgeries, administered thousands of vaccinations and microchips, and rescued more than 1,600 cats.

We also discuss the organization’s exciting next chapter: a newly purchased 11,000-square-foot facility that will nearly double their capacity and dramatically expand access to affordable veterinary care throughout the region.

This conversation highlights the reality of animal welfare in our communities, the volunteers who make this work possible, and why the need for support has never been greater.

Topics Include:

• The growing demand for low-cost veterinary care
• How Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) programs work
• “Kitten season” and the overwhelming surge in rescues
• Helping unhoused and low-income pet owners
• The role volunteers and foster families play
• Animal Outreach’s major expansion project
• The future of animal welfare services in the Sacramento region

To learn more or support Animal Outreach, visit:
Animal Outreach of the Mother Lode

Chapter Overview

00:00 – Welcome to Animal Outreach
How a conversation nearly a year in the making finally comes together.

03:00 – Affordable Veterinary Care & Community Need
Why low-cost spay, neuter, dental, and wellness services matter more than ever.

05:00 – “Kitten Season” and the Rescue Crisis
The shocking reality behind exploding kitten populations and overwhelmed foster networks.

07:15 – Trap, Neuter, Return (TNR) Explained
How Animal Outreach manages feral cat colonies and prevents uncontrolled growth.

10:00 – Helping Unhoused & Low-Income Pet Owners
Why pets are family — and how the organization supports vulnerable community members.

13:00 – Adoption Centers & Volunteer Power
The partnerships, foster families, and volunteers that keep the mission moving forward.

17:00 – A Major Expansion for the Future
Inside the new 11,000-square-foot facility and what it means for regional animal care.

21:00 – The Fundraising Challenge
Building a $2.5–$3 million expansion through grants, donations, and community support.

24:00 – Measuring the Real Impact
More than 7,600 spay/neuter surgeries and the unseen impact on the region.

28:00 – Personal Stories, Passion & Final Thoughts
The human side of rescue work and why this mission never really stops.

Thank you so much for listening to this nonprofit story! We appreciate you. Please visit the website to sign up for our email updates and newsletter. https://www.nonprofpod.com/ And if you like, leave me a voicemail to comment on the program, leave a question for us to ask in the future or a message for me, Jeff Holden. I may even use your voice mail message in a future episode of one of our incredible local nonprofit organizations. https://www.nonprofpod.com/voicemail. Thanks again for your support in listening, commenting and sharing the great work our local nonprofits are accomplishing.