Latest News

We wanted to let you know that Amazon is discontinuing the Amazon Smile program.

We really appreciate all of the monetary donations we have received from your shopping on Amazon and naming TANKS, Inc. as your non-profit to support.

We still have a shopping wish list on Amazon for items we use at TANKS, Inc. We also have our Sponsorship Program available for a great way to support our feline friends.

We thought TANKS was going to miss a hit from Hurricane Ian but he changed his route and did heavy damage in the Naples/Fort Meyers area first. When the news came that we were in Ian's path we made sure that the hurricane shutters were up and in place on the house and that all of our residents were accounted for before the storm started to come in. Then Ian dropped from a Cat 4 to a Cat 1 before heading inland.

TANKS is located in Myakka City so we were now in Ian's path. Rain started and the wind gusts picked up. We have five acres and lots of trees. Branches start to break off and then because of the heavy rain and flooding of the property many of our big trees were knocked down.

The winds blew at the back of our barn where our senior and special need cats are housed. We heard some loud banging noises and saw the front roll down door of the barn flapping in the wind. The winds had hit so strongly at the back roll down door of the barn that it ripped it almost all of the way off of the opening.

Tarps were ripped off the outside cat patio and other colony areas. A large tree fell right on the front gate of the property. It completely blocked the entrance. The back roll down barn hit one of our washer and ripped the cabinet off of the washer.

Flooding occurred on the property but no water in the house. The wind blew rain into the barn once the back roll down door was ripped off most of the way. Power was off but the wonderful generator was doing its job. No phones. No internet. Just rain and gusty winds through the night.

The best news the next morning was all of TANKS' cats were safe and accounted for. Our three young steers were safe in their stalls. Water was working on some of the hoses but not on all of them or the big sink. Our own dogs were happy to run around in their yard and play and bark. Oh one more thing, everyone was ready for breakfast to be served and litter boxes to be cleaned!!

So power is back up and we are all safe. Got some minor repairs and some major repairs to be done including the front gate, the roll doors (front and back) on the barn, tarps to be replaced or fortunately some were not damaged so we will be reinstalling them. The washer will definitely have to be replaced but one of the two was not damaged.

We are asking for your help so we can make the necessary repairs and continue with our mission of helping the senior and special need cats here at TANKS Sanctuary. Demands for food, litter, and cleaning supplies will be great all over the area because of Hurricane Ian but we know with your support and our determination we will doing what we do best and be there for those wonderful felines in need.

TANKS would like to say thank you to our good friend Dave at Marshall Arts! We love it and we hope you do too!

Things are getting tougher at the rescues and shelters for space to bring in animals needing a place to go.

TANKS is a sanctuary for senior and special needs cats. We are at capacity for our facility. We are not available for animal surrenders.

If you need to find a place for your pet please don't wait until the last minute as so many of the rescues and shelters have waiting lists. Check with your local shelters first i.e. County Animal Services, Humane Societies and Animal Shelters in your area, and Animal Rescues. Even check with your veterinarian as they may know of someone looking for a new pet. We suggest you have up-to-date medical records including rabies vaccination, spayed or neutered, and if they are micro-chipped notify the company that you are surrendering your pet.

We encourage you to make every effort to keep your pet. Waiting lists can be several weeks long. You are their family and they have come to depend on you for their love and care. We understand this is never an easy decision to have to make for anyone.

Please don't leave your pets behind.

Thank you,

Wink

We are so happy to announce that our buddy Ace now has his own sponsor! A very big THANK YOU for making a difference in our pal's daily, monthly, and annual needs.

Food, litter, treats, toys, monthly preventatives, and annual vaccinations are all taken care of by this wonderful sponsorship donation.

Congratulations to Ace he has a sponsor! Thank you to his new sponsor for helping to provide with his day-to-day care!

Thank you for your generous donations through the 2022 Giving Challenge. Your donation will go towards the continued care of our senior and special needs cats here at TANKS, Incorporated.

During the pandemic we are glad to be able to say that TANKS, Inc. has continued our mission in the caring of senior and special needs cats and kittens. We are proud to have been there to support our local shelters and other rescues with the care needed for our feline friends. The excellent support of our veterinarians has been very special to TANKS, Inc. Our goal is to keep them safe and give them the special care they may need during their time with TANKS. The support of our veterinarians and your donations has made this possible for us.

With donations such as yours, TANKS will be able to continue the work we love being able to do for the cat rescue needs. We thank you again for your generous donation. Together we will make 2022 an even better year for our senior and special needs cats and kittens of TANKS, Incorporated.

We are very excited to announce that TANKS, Incorporated will be participating in the Giving Challenge 2022. The Challenge begins on Tuesday, April 26, 2022 at 12:00 pm noon and continues through Wednesday, April 27, 2022 until 12:00 pm noon.

Take Part in the 2022 Giving Challenge!

The Giving Challenge is an exciting 24-hour online giving event that connects 700+ nonprofit organizations with passionate donors and community members to support diverse causes and create enduring impact in Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte, and DeSoto counties.

Since 2012, the Giving Challenge has acted as a catalyst for connection and provided more than $59 million in unrestricted funding over seven challenges. During the 2020 Giving Challenge, in a time of unprecedented need, our community reached out with a remarkable outpouring of support, raising $19.1 million in just 24 hours.

Being a part of the Giving Challenge can transform nonprofit organizations through meaningful relationships and partnerships, all while strengthening their potential reach.

The Giving Challenge is hosted by the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, with giving strengthened by The Patterson Foundation.

We are very excited to be a participant in this year's challenge. We look forward to your support during the 24 hour Challenge.

We are looking forward to participating in the Giving Challenge 2022 presented by the Community Foundation of Sarasota County. This amazing online event is happening April 26-27 Noon to Noon.

As we all know, due to the Pandemic, the last two years have been difficult for all of us. Our area animal rescues and shelters have also had to deal with the effects of the pandemic.

TANKS, Incorporated Senior and Special Needs Cat Sanctuary has been assisting many of the local animal shelters to help keep things moving in the right direction. Since late 2020, we have been focusing on our sanctuary efforts for the seniors and special needs cats and kittens and our sponsorship program.

We also invite you to visit the Giving Challenge and their Philanthropic Partner: The Patterson Foundation, to learn of the wonderful work they have done since the first Giving Challenge in 2012. Please visit their web page at https://www.givingchallenge.org/info/history.

TANKS hopes to have your support again this year to continue our work. One by one until the job is done.

We are happy to let you know that TANKS, Inc. will begin adoptions again very soon. Please stay tuned and we will post it here on our website and on our facebook.

We are really looking forward to helping our senior and special needs cats find their furever homes!!!

Due to the current COVID-9 restrictions, TANKS has suspended our Adoption Program at this time.

Our Sponsorship program is available. Sponsorships assists with food, litter, monthly preventatives, and annual vaccinations for our senior and special needs cats here TANKS.

Please visit our website at https://tanks.rescuegroups.org/info/sponsorship.

Thank you for your continued support of TANKS.

The 2020 Giving Challenge is presented by the Community Foundation of Sarasota County with giving strengthened by The Patterson Foundation.

The Challenge begins online at noon on Tuesday, April 28 and ends at noon on Wednesday, April 29. All donations from $25 to $100 are matched by The Patterson Foundation.

Visit our Giving Challenge page today to learn what your donation will do for TANKS Incorporated. Remember, donating begins on Tuesday, April 28 at noon.

Thank you to all of our donors participating in the 2020 Giving Challenge. So far 33 donors have contributed $2255 and this does not include the matching donations from The Patterson Foundation. Wow - 11 hours to go! So excited! #GivingChallenge2020 #BeTheOne

Life as we knew it has been turned upside down and completely rearranged due to COVID-19. However, even amidst a pandemic the mission of TANKS Incorporated remains the same. We are still a small non-profit offering rescue and sanctuary for senior and special needs cats.

That being said, we want to assure you that we are taking all of the necessary steps to operate within the guidelines that have been set for all of us.

TANKS has temporarily suspended adoptions at this time. Our volunteers are following safe distancing practices. Donors are making arrangements to have supplies delivered directly to us or picked up at local stores. Our veterinarians are working with us to address any medical needs that may arise for our residents during this quarantine.

It’s a scary time and new information regarding Covid-19 is being presented every day. We already knew that seniors and those with special needs are exceptionally vulnerable to other illnesses. This has made us extra cautious and concerned for the senior and special needs felines in our care.

We have all been affected by the empty shelves at the stores, but, fortunately, things are getting better for TANKS. We have been able to purchase our cleaning supplies, including bleach and laundry detergent, along with cat litter on-line. Initially we were challenged with procuring enough food to feed everyone, but that too has improved.

TANKS is an Amazon Smile non-profit, so when friends and donors shop on-line through Amazon Smile we receive a small percentage of each order placed. Visit amazon.com to learn more about this great program for non-profit organizations.

We are keeping our Facebook page active as we prepare for the 2020 Giving Challenge. The Giving Challenge is an amazing 24-hour online program by the Community Foundations of Sarasota and Manatee counties. It begins Tuesday, April 28 at noon and runs through Wednesday, April 29 until noon. Donations from $25 to $100 will be matched by The Patterson Foundation. Here is the link to our web page for this year’s Challenge,

In times like these, it is how we care for those who are the most vulnerable that reflects who we are as a society. You can be the one that changes how future generations will remember this period of time. The Egyptians are remembered for their cat worship, we might not be that extreme, but it would nice to be remembered for our compassion, as being a light in a dark time. When this period in history is reflected upon, how do you want to be remembered?

Please know TANKS success has been in part to your support. Our team appreciates all you do for our cats and for our volunteers. It is a team effort and we are so proud to have you as a member of our team.

TANKS, Inc. is a registered 501c3 with the Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service and with the Florida Department of Revenue #85-8015502145C-2. A copy of the official registration and financial information may be obtained by the Division of Consumer Affairs by calling toll free 800-435-7352, within the State or visiting: www.800helpfla.com Registration does not imply endorsement, approval or recommendation by the State.

We received this great update today from Lulu's mom and we wanted to share it with all of you!

Brought this little girl into my heart ❤️ the first time I laid eyes on her. Cindy, from TANK’s inc. cat rescue, asked me to meet her at the vet so I could meet a Persian cat in need of a home. I was hesitant. I already was owned by a rescued Persian male and I didn’t know how they would get along.

One look at the cat and I was totally smitten. I named her Lulu on the spot and promised her right then that she would be forever safe.

She spent the first few weeks in my guest bathroom recouping from a URI and some other issues. She was scared but slowly came around. Adopting Lulu was one of the best things I’ve done. No regrets!!

Thanks Cindy McCollough at TANK’s inc. rescue for all you do and for bringing Lulu and me together ❤️

A special thank you to Nancy Ferraro and The Landings for sharing this article about the program in their community! Well done!!!

It’s nighttime in the Landings. You are out for a walk on Starling Drive or driving home from a dinner party. Suddenly, your headlights catch the phosphorescent gleam of an animal’s eyes. Is it a raccoon or a possum? Perhaps, but just as likely, you’re seeing one of The Landings’ feral cats – cats that belong to all of us and none of us. Once they spy you, they may give you a curious look, but then they scurry into the underbrush or slink around the corner of a building. They don’t want to meet you or hurt you.

For several years, Patricia Decker, Landings South IV, and George Khuen-Kryk, Landings South VII, have tirelessly and compassionately maintained a program to manage the feral cat population in their neighborhood. Their efforts have gone a long way to keeping the numbers of these cats contained, and as a bonus, keeping down our population of unwanted rodents.

Feral cats have never known human contact. A feral cat is typically born in the wild or outdoors with little to no human interaction. They can rarely be domesticated enough to become pets. They may tolerate some petting once they get used to the person who feeds their colony, but generally cannot be picked up and held. They are distinguished from stray cats which are pets that have been lost or abandoned and are used to people and touch. Unlike a cat who has been raised with humans, feral cats do not raise their tails in friendly hello, but usually carry their tails down and slightly hunch their backs.

Humans who have abandoned and discarded their pets, leaving them to fend for themselves are the cause of the problem. Their abandoned cats multiply, and ultimately give birth to feral kittens. Most are ill-equipped to survive, and if they do, their lives aren't easy without human caretakers. Females may become pregnant as young as 5 months of age and may have two to three litters a year. Within less than a year and a half, one cat can bear 36 kitties or more.

Being pregnant so young and so often, and having and nursing kittens, is even more stressful on female cats who are struggling to survive. More than half of the kittens are likely to die without human intervention. Unneutered males roam and fight to find mates and defend their territories.

Feral cats are a nation-wide epidemic. It is estimated there are more then 69 million feral cats nation-wide. In Sarasota County alone it is estimated there are 60,000-80,000 feral cats. In The Landings you can see them around Heron, Pintail, Starling, the Carriage Houses, and the Tree Houses to mention a few.

Managed feral cat colonies are a distinct advantage to their communities. First, they keep unneutered ferals from moving into the area. To move or displace managed colonies only opens the door for new feral cats to move in. And the new ones that move in will be more of a nuisance since they are not neutered and will have fights as they seek to mate. Managed colonies keep away vermin. Uninformed opponents of managed colonies who argue that ferals are despoiling their walkways or patios simply show their ignorance of cat behavior since cats cover their waste in order to not attract predators. It's a matter of survival. Droppings in open spaces are more likely to be from raccoons or possums.

The humane approach to addressing community cat populations known as “TNVR” works. The acronym stands for (T)rap, (N)euter, (V)accinate and (R)eturn to the colony and this is the approach used here by George and Patricia. Locally several organizations, including Cat Depot, Animal Rescue Coalition, and Buddy's Feral Cat Program in conjunction with Ashton Animal Clinic provide advice, guidance, traps and free spay/neuter. Once a colony has been neutered it will no longer continue to multiply and will eventually die out, for feral cats have short lives compared to the indoor, domestic cat. (see Cat Depot website http://www.catdepot.org/rescue/maintain-a-colony.aspx.) Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return is a non-lethal strategy to reduce the number of feral cats and improve the quality of life for cats, birds, wildlife, and people.

Eartipping is the universal sign of an altered feral cat. When the cat is sedated for the spay or neuter surgery, a quarter of an inch is removed from the tip of the left ear in a straight line cut. The procedure is swift and painless and healing is rapid. A tipped ear lets you easily recognize a feral cat that has already been neutered.

In 2007 Karin Friend Dempsy wrote an article in the Eagle alerting residents about the growing feral cat issue in the Tree House area alerting residents of the growing problem.

Then, several years ago, in response to the growing population of ferals and explosion of kitten births in the Starling area, Patricia and George embarked on a tireless effort to manage the feral cats in their neighborhood by implementing TNVR. Eventually and through compassion and perseverance they were able to trap and neuter the feral cats in their neighborhood and establish a model TNVR program right here in the Landings. This task was no simple matter. Under Sarasota County Code, Sec. 14-41, people who are recognized as caring for a feral cat colony are responsible for providing food, water, medical care and if possible shelter on a regular basis and maintain a record of the number of cats in the colony and monitor the cats’ health. Under the County Ordinance, the Animal Services Director has the power to maintain a TNVR program, but given the scarce finances, it’s much better if local residents can do it. The ordinance uses the word "humane" throughout.

It took time, patience and effort but George and Patricia finally did it. The cats in their colony keep out unneutered ferals that will have territorial fights. George continues to maintain the peaceful colony and is happy to share information about setting up a TNVR program in their area.

If you would like to set up a TNVR program in your Sarasota community please feel free to contact any of these resources:

Ashton Animal Clinic http://ashtonanimalclinic.com/services/feral-cat-program.html

Meet our little pal Star. He is around four weeks old and he arrived at TANKS with a fractured pelvis. A very special thank you to our friends at West Coast Veterinary for seeing him urgently. He has begun his road to recovery and with good crate rest and the TLC he is receiving from West Coast he should recover and lead a full life!

Please help TANKS help those who cannot help themselves and donate today to Star's medical expenses. Donations made be made through PayPal or by mail to 8466 Lockwood Ridge Road #123, Sarasota FL 34243.