Nominees

Dr. Joanna Reen — Veterinarian

Heath, Ohio

Dr. Joanna Reen is the heart and soul of the TNVR effort that has spayed/neutered and provided medical care for more than two thousand cats in Licking County over the past four years. More than 800 cats received care through the program last year alone. Through her efforts, Licking County TNR became a 501 (c) (3) in October 2018. She’s organized those who care for community cats, colony caregivers, volunteers who help trap, hold and/or transport cats for TNVR, and volunteers who help care for the cats at scheduled clinics. One or two Sundays a month are spent providing spay/neuter, rabies vaccine, parasite treatment and other essential medical care such as limb amputations or antibiotics for upper respiratory issues as indicated in their assessment, even holding cats in her own home for foster or follow-up care in unique situations. She receives no compensation for any of this. Colony assessments, organizing the administrative functions, medical paperwork, emergency medical care for community cats and coordinating TNVR clinics are all done on her own time. Somehow, she has managed to accomplish this while keeping the effort donation-only so that those caring for the cats are able to afford to get their colonies fixed. She has even pulled together the resources to launch a mobile spay/neuter surgical unit, “the Tipmobile,” this summer, doing the renovation of the RV mostly on her own. She is truly an amazing woman without whom there would be no TNR program in Licking County, Ohio.

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