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Welcome to The Snip! I’m Deborah Cribbs, founder and leader of the Give Them Ten™ Movement, and I’m thrilled to introduce you to our blog, where we cut to the facts about cats.
The biggest fact of all? Cats deserve to live longer, healthier lives. Since 2013, Give Them Ten has been dedicated to making that a reality. Starting in our hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio, we’ve helped raise the live release rate of shelter cats from a mere 37% to over 95%. How did we do it? By focusing on one simple yet powerful solution: spay and neuter. It’s the most effective, humane way to address feline overpopulation. When we control overpopulation, we reduce the number of homeless cats, relieve shelter overcrowding, and ultimately ensure that every cat has a chance at life, love and a home.
People often ask how this movement began and how I got involved. It all started with Joanie Bernard, an extraordinary woman who left her estate to improve the lives of cats. As an advisor, I, along with fellow board members, was tasked with ensuring her funds were used for that purpose. The Joanie Bernard Foundation was established, and we began by awarding grants to local feline welfare groups and projects. But we soon realized we were only treating the symptoms of a much larger issue. No matter how much funding we provided, shelters were still overcrowded, and too many cats were being euthanized due to lack of space. We knew we had to address the problem at its root. That’s when we realized that changing people’s behaviors around spay and neuter practices was crucial.
And so, the Give Them Ten Movement was born. But why the name Give Them Ten? You’ve probably heard the saying that “cats have nine lives” — well, why not give them one more? Our first campaign featured Scooter the Neutered Cat, showing the world that it’s hip to be snipped. From there, we’ve never looked back. We continue to promote a better world for cats by encouraging adoption and fostering, and by supporting community cat programs. Through our licensee program, we also partner with shelters and nonprofits across the country, providing them with the marketing tools and resources they need to champion feline welfare.
With this blog, our mission continues. Here, you’ll find valuable information on everything from cat behavior and health to the benefits of fostering, adopting and getting involved in your local community.
Thank you for reading, and for everything you do to make the world a better place for cats. We’re excited to have you on this journey with us!
