Local woman Maddie Oscarson is holding a garage sale to help fund her mission to help stray cats in Becker. 

Oscarson is an animal lover from St. Michael. She and her boyfriend noticed a lot of stray cats in the area when he moved into his house in Becker. So, Oscarson decided to do something about the issue. She launched a TNR program in 2019 to help limit and protect the stray cat population in the area. 

What is TNR?

TNR stands for both Trap-Neuter-Release and Trap-Neuter-Rescue. Live traps are set up in areas with high populations of stray to humanely catch the animals. After being caught, the animals are taken to a vet to be neutered and vaccinated. If the animal is friendly towards humans, then they may find a home with a loving family to spend the rest of their life. 

Of course, not all animals are good fits for homes.

“A lot of these cats have lived their whole lives outside,” said Oscarson. This leads to animals that can never really adapt to using a litter box, interacting with humans, or being confined indoors, and many end up being miserable.

So, if the location the cats came from is deemed a safe environment for them, they are released back into the neighborhood and familiar terrain. If the location is not a safe environment, they find a new home, such as a farm, where they can freely and safely live outside, and even help keep down the rodent population of the area. 

Why TNR is Effective

TNR is an excellent solution for feral populations that would not adapt well to life in a home, and it’s also more effective than limiting the population by killing the animals. Some people may try to shoot or poison the animals in out-of-control populations, but there are downsides to those methods, Oscarson explained. Even if almost all the cats are killed, there will be a few that stay out of sight of humans, and if even one breeding pair survives, the same problems return very quickly. And there is always a risk of hurting an animal who is someone’s beloved pet.

Live trapping the animals ensures that every member of a population is found and neutered. The constraints on the population, as well as the vaccinations, ensure that the cats get to live out the rest of their lives healthy and happy.

Oscarson’s Mission

Oscarson grew up in an animal-loving home. Her parents’ rural home often had rescue and foster animals the family cared for. Oscarson enjoyed helping out at the animal rescue and socializing animals as well.

Oscarson started her mission to help Becker’s cats in 2019, when she started creating cat houses. Around this time, she pursued a TNR certification.

“It’s not necessary to be certified,” she clarified, “but I wanted to learn more about the process.”

Since then, she has been working hard at her project and perfecting her methods.

Fundraising

Oscarson volunteers all her time to helping Becker’s cats, without receiving compensation. From time to time, she holds a fundraiser on Facebook in order to pay for fees associated with TNR.

“Sometimes I’ll post a vet bill, and someone will call the vet and pay for it,” Oscarson offered as an example. She will also occasionally ask for a rescue placement, or may ask for donations to fund her next project. If someone wants to help but doesn’t have the funds, Oscarson also happily accepts supply donations.

This week, on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday (July 29-31) Oscarson is hosting a garage sale, with proceeds going towards her ongoing project. Oscarson advertised on Facebook for donations for the sale and a location to host it. The sale is being held at 12995 Teal St., Becker. Unpurchased items will be donated to Compassion Connection, a local non-profit.

Resources for Pet Owners

There are many resources available for pet owners that are low on funds to have their pets neutered. MN SNAP (Spay/Neuter Assistance Program) (MNSnap.org), and Animal Humane Society Centers (AnimalHumaneSociety.org/vetcenters) are two local resources for those who need assistance paying for their animals’ surgeries.