Cabaret benefits Oakland’s ‘unadoptable’ cats
on December 14, 2018
In mid-November, the Oakland non-profit Cat Town held a cabaret fundraiser at East Bay Community Space. A night of cat-themed tunes, food and whimsy, the event featured the musical pair Katzenduo, formed by Meghan Dibble and Margaret Fondbertasse, both music instructors at Skyline College.
Founded in 2011 as a foster program, Cat Town works with Oakland Animal Services to give injured and senior cats a home when the shelter cannot find them a family. They provide medical care, emotional support and socialization for the cats—and coordinate adoptions that they lovingly call “matchmaking.” Staffed with 150 volunteers, the organization works to lower euthanasia rates in Oakland. According to statistics from Oakland Animal Services, before Cat Town opened in 2010, 844 cats were euthanized at Oakland Animal Services. That number had dropped to 322 by 2012.
Quinn White, Cat Town’s development director, explains that that’s why events like the cabaret are so important—it costs more to help vulnerable cats, and they depend on community donations as they continue to work to bring down the euthanasia rate.
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