Greensboro Reporter

The late Betty White would undoubtedly be proud of what one Greensboro woman is doing to help animals — generally feral cats — that have been roaming her neighborhood.

Jo Hall, a professor at Greensboro College, has been trapping the cats humanely, then taking them to various vet clinics to have them spayed or neutered.

"We've just got to stop the incessant breeding," Hall told ABC 45 News after she was named the station's recipient of an award given to people who do good for the community. "It helps the cats that are around (because) it helps them find homes; it helps the wildlife, because there's less feral cats killing the wildlife, let's be honest. So everybody benefits." 

To offset the cost, she collects or accepts donations of aluminum cans, which she then takes to a recycling center that pays for the metal.

Hall took her effort online, publishing a notice on the Nextdoor social media outlet for her neighborhood. It was intended to raise awareness and hopefully persuade other people to do their part in trying to get the feral cat population under control. It could be considered successful in that it prompted people to donate aluminum cans or money to the cause.

It's about more than getting the feral cat population under control, the news report said. Hall gets the felines vaccinated while they're being fixed.

The need for the additional aspect of care is very real, as the shots tamp down the incidence of infectious diseases among the animals.

"It's very important (to slow) the spread of infectious disease, especially rabies," Christine Hunt, owner of University Animal Hospital, told ABC 45. "These feral cats co-mingle with other feral animals like raccoons and foxes, and we have rabid racoons and foxes here in this area. So getting them vaccinated (along) with the spay and neuter process is very important."