Friends of Gonzales
Animal Shelter
P.O. Box 581
Gonzales, Texas 78629
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We are deeply saddened to share that our founder, Mary Anne MacLean, recently passed away.
🌹All of us at FOGAS deeply miss our founder and dear friend, Mary Anne Nelson MacLean. Her compassion and determination built the foundation of our rescue and changed the lives of countless animals. Her spirit continues to guide everything we do.
🌹A visitation to celebrate Mary Anne’s life will be held on Friday, November 21st ~ 5:00PM - 7:00PM ~ Seydler-Hill Funeral Home ~ 906 St Paul Street, Gonzales. We invite all who knew her—or were touched by her kindness—to join us in honoring her remarkable life.
Her obituary is shared via the button below.
Donations may be made in her honor to FOGAS by mailing a check to: PO Box 581, Gonzales, TX 78629, or via PayPal at the link below.
Spring Into Action!
Donations via check only at this time ~ mail to:
FOGAS P.O Box 581 Gonzales, Texas 78629
We are asking for just $5 – for the cost of a cup of coffee – to help cover the cost of spay/neuter surgeries. These lifesaving surgeries range from $100 to nearly double for larger dogs. With almost daily requests for help and with 50+ pets still on our list, your support is urgently needed.
FOGAS covered 30 spay/neuter surgeries last fall, totaling $3,600. We can’t keep offering these services without your help. Spring is the busiest season for shelters, and every donation, no matter how small, is a step toward preventing more unwanted, homeless animals.
If your pet benefited from our program—or if you want to help us tackle the issue of pet overpopulation—please consider chipping in today! We can't do this without you.
It’s KITTEN SEASON! A reminder that babies you find likely have a mom nearby...
Attention Rescuers: When you find baby kittens, rabbits, deer, whatever and you don’t see the mother…..don’t just scoop them up and assume you are rescuing them. Usually Mom is about 10-20 feet away and watching you kidnap her babies. Please be careful: In kitten season (now) we receive kittens about twice a week who are well fed and healthy and clearly had a Mom taking care of them. The best thing to do is to move the babies out of the road if necessary and then check back in an hour. Do not handle the babies or let the kids do so. Mom may reject her babies if they have a “wrong” scent. Let Mom have a chance to get her babies. We do our best to take care of the orphans we receive, but reality is that their survival chances are cut in half when they lose Mom too early. And thanks and congrats to the people who give Mom this chance and then rescue the babies if necessary.
City Updates Cat Regulations
Gonzales City Council voted on March 14 for a new Animal Control ordinance that legitimizes the Community Cats’ role in our city and facilitates retaining our “no kill” status. Here are some highlights:
- Community cat means a member of the domestic species Felis Catus and shall mean a free roaming cat who may be cared for by one or more residents or the immediate area who are known or unknown; a community cat may or may not be feral.
- Community cats are not wildlife.
- Community cat caregiver means a person who, in accordance with a good faith effort to conduct a policy of trap-neuter-return, provides care, including, food, shelter or medical care to a community cat. Community cat caregivers are not the owner, harborer, controller, or keeper of a community cat.
Animal-at-large or stray definition now specifically excludes cats. They are no longer required to be on the owner’s property or be wearing a collar or tags. And that means that the owner/caretaker should be even more diligent about ensuring their cats are “fixed” and have a current rabies shot.
TNVR or Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return now includes ear tipping, removing 3/8 inch of the cat’s left ear, and microchipping. If your cat is scooped up in a TNVR mass trapping, that will probably be the outcome. So, if you know of planned trapping you may want to keep your personal cats inside that night.
Home quarantine is now approved for animals on rabies observation hold. That will be a big help financially for the owner since the pet will not have to be boarded. The home quarantine area must be consistent with public safety as determined by the Animal Control Officer.
Kudos to Kingdom Rescue and their partnership with the City of Gonzales for making these much needed and most appreciated changes!
And remember: If we were all
good neighbors,
we wouldn’t need laws!
Adopting and Caring for a Low Vision or Blind Cat
We believe that every cat deserves a chance at a happy, fulfilling life, even if they have low vision or are blind. With patience, care, and a safe environment, these cats can thrive and enjoy life just as much as any other cat. Check out siblings Price & Pria - they're still looking for their furever home!
