Ten Thousand Second Chances: SPCA of Texas Transports 10,000th Cat to Waiting Shelter

The SPCA of Texas reached a remarkable milestone on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025, when its Feline Transport Team moved its 10,000th cat—Donner—to a partner shelter in the Northeast.

Since January 2022, the SPCA of Texas team has transported between 80 and 120 cats out of North Texas every other Saturday. Led by Manager of Feline Lifesaving Initiatives Sarah Wateska and Feline Rescue & Transport Coordinators Emily Kim and Kelcie Koerner, the program has grown into one of the organization’s most impactful lifesaving efforts for our community.

The milestone represents more than 10,000 individual animals. Wateska says that it effectively means 20,000 lives were saved—the cats who were transported and the cats who were able to take their places in local shelters.

“In the South, we tend to have an overpopulation of animals, specifically cats and dogs,” Wateska explained. “And the North doesn’t.”

She attributes the imbalance in part to climate. In Texas, warmer temperatures allow cats to breed nearly year-round, and many females have multiple litters annually. In contrast, many northeastern states have higher spay and neuter rates and colder climates, preventing the rapid escalation of unwanted animal populations.

Through a partnership with the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, a transport plane arrives at Texas Jet at Meacham Field in Fort Worth around 7 a.m. every other Saturday to carry the cats north to waiting receiving partners.

Preparing animals for transport is a detailed and demanding process. The SPCA of Texas accepts cats of all ages, sizes and genders from rescues and shelters across Texas and occasionally Louisiana. Organizations typically request assistance when they are overwhelmed by feline intake.

Each cat undergoes a full veterinary exam, receives vaccinations and dewormer, and is evaluated to ensure it is healthy enough to travel. Veterinarian Dr. Gail Bushur Irwin plays a key role in clearing the animals for transport. In rare cases, cats requiring medical attention remain in care until they are well enough to fly, often in time for the next transport two weeks later.

Volunteer support has been critical to the program’s success. Robyn Stevens, who has been involved since its inception three years ago, manages the required health certificates for interstate travel, a time-consuming but essential task. Other volunteers assemble and prepare crates, feed and water the cats, load vehicles, and assist at the airport.

In the program’s early days, 30 to 40 cats were transported biweekly. Even then, local adoptions could not keep pace with intake. Today’s higher transport numbers reflect both growing need and increased capacity.

Transport weeks often involve two to three 16-hour workdays for staff and volunteers. Over time, the team has developed close bonds, celebrating not only each 1,000th cat milestone but also one another’s dedication and hard work.

Each crate is labeled with the cat’s name and health paperwork, and volunteers often decorate the carriers. For foster families and staff members, transport day is bittersweet—bringing joy that the cats are headed toward permanent homes, along with the sadness of saying goodbye.

For Donner and the thousands before him, the journey north represents more than a flight. It marks the beginning of a new chapter—and a second chance at life.