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University students combatting stray cat problem

Newswatch 16's Mackenzie Aucker introduces us to Bucknell's Animal Rescue Club.

LEWISBURG, Pa. — Two tiny, furry four-legged friends have taken over an apartment at Bucknell University. They are exploring every square inch of the new and unfamiliar place, hoping one day to go to a loving and caring home.

"I have always loved animals been a big animal person since I was little. When I was five, I like begged my parents to get a cat," said Evelyn Pierce, president of Bucknell University Animal Rescue Club.

Bucknell students noticed there are a lot of stray cats roaming around campus. Which led them to form the animal rescue club. Since starting in 2022, club members have rescued anywhere from 60 to 70 cats. 

"Set up feeding stations, shelters all around campus, and they would set up cameras and monitor each of the stations to see what cats were coming so that they could trap them, get them spayed and neutered, and then re-release them back outside," explained Pierce. 

Community members will contact club members when they see a stray cat roaming around. Cherished Cats Rescue Alliance taught students how to trap cats and care for kittens.

"We do have a huge stray problem on campus, and it's fairly obvious if you spend some time here, and it just kind of hurts to see these poor cats like out and about kind of freezing," said Alison Bouchard, vice president of Bucknell University Animal Rescue Club. 

Some of the kittens and cats the club has rescued are now available for adoption. Club members will set up a meeting with anyone interested in adopting. From there, they'll receive an application. If they're a perfect match, the adopter will sign a contract.  

"When we get them adopted, or they get approved for adoption, it's really nice cause we're like, they finally get a chance to like get out there cause we've had a cat that was out there and they're just—we didn't know what happened, it was like abandoned or something, and then we got it back, and then we found her a new home," said Sarah Jordan, Bucknell University Animal Rescue Club co-president.

For more information on Bucknell University's Animal Rescue Club or if you're interested in adopting, click here.

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