CARE and Street Cat Project Team Up to Strengthen Polk County’s Animal Welfare Network
In neighborhoods across Polk County, two dedicated organizations are quietly transforming the future of local animal welfare. The Coalition for Animal Rights and Education in Polk County, known as CARE, and the Street Cat Project of Polk County, known as SCP, are working side by side to bring modern, humane practices to the community, combining policy advocacy and leadership with hands-on care for the county’s free-roaming cats.
CARE, led by Eve Salimbene, a Certified Professional Dog Trainer through Knowledge Assessed, focuses on improving transparency and accountability within Polk County’s sheltering and animal control systems. The organization has become known for its clear, accessible educational materials, standardized candidate questionnaires, and data-driven policy briefs that help residents understand intake trends, euthanasia statistics, and the challenges facing local shelters. CARE’s mission centers on empowering the community with reliable information and advocating for modern, humane animal welfare standards.
The Street Cat Project brings that mission to life with boots on the ground. Through its Trap Neuter Vaccinate Return program, known as TNVR, volunteers humanely trap community cats, provide spay and neuter surgeries, vaccinations, and ear tipping for identification, then return the cats safely to their outdoor homes with a colony caretaker. These efforts reduce the number of kittens entering shelters, lower euthanasia rates, improve colony health, and create more stable neighborhoods for both animals and residents.
Together, CARE and the Street Cat Project are building a stronger Polk County. Their partnership blends education, advocacy, and direct action, giving residents the tools and support they need to help animals thrive. It is a model of community-driven progress, one that shows how local collaboration can create lasting, meaningful change.
Residents can find both groups on social media or reach out directly. CARE can be contacted at 863-271-4279, and the Street Cat Project can be reached at 863-410-0906.
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Frequently Asked Questions:
What is CARE in Polk County?
CARE, the Coalition for Animal Rights and Education in Polk County, is an organization led by Eve Salimbene that focuses on transparency and accountability in Polk County’s sheltering and animal control systems through educational materials and data-driven policy work.
What is the Street Cat Project of Polk County?
The Street Cat Project is an organization that runs a Trap, Neuter, Vaccinate, Return program for free-roaming cats in Polk County, providing spay and neuter surgeries, vaccinations, and ear tipping before returning cats to their outdoor colonies.
What does TNVR mean and how does it help community cats?
TNVR stands for Trap, Neuter, Vaccinate, Return. Volunteers trap community cats, have them spayed or neutered and vaccinated, mark them with an ear tip for identification, and return them to their colony with a caretaker, which reduces kitten births and improves colony health over time.
How can I get involved with CARE or the Street Cat Project?
Both organizations can be found on social media, and residents can reach out directly. CARE can be contacted at 863-271-4279, and the Street Cat Project can be reached at 863-410-0906.
Why are CARE and the Street Cat Project partnering together?
The two organizations say their partnership blends education and policy advocacy with direct, hands-on care for community cats, combining CARE’s transparency work with the Street Cat Project’s on-the-ground TNVR efforts.
