This Ties That Bind Us is sponsored by Matt The Carpet Guy.
GEORGETOWN, Del. - The sound of meowing fills the room as cats in crates line the halls of the Brandywine Valley SPCA building, each one waiting for a chance at a healthier life.
So far in 2026, 113 cats have been spayed or neutered through the program, including 107 feral cats that were neutered and released.
But this is not an SPCA-run clinic.
Instead, the weekly effort is organized by the nonprofit Just Us, which uses the SPCA facility and partners with its veterinary team to carry out surgeries aimed at reducing the overpopulation of feral and stray cats across Sussex County.
Each Wednesday, Just Us brings in dozens of community cats to be spayed or neutered a key step in controlling population growth. “We’re affiliated with the Brandywine Valley SPCA. They do all the surgery for us every Wednesday,” said Bob Harrison, president of Just Us. “We have 45 spots to fill for surgery for community cats.”
On clinic days, residents arrive with cats they’ve trapped from neighborhoods throughout Sussex County.
Just Us is celebrating 20 years in 2026, with longtime volunteers like Judy Kane helping lead the effort. Kane has volunteered for more than 18 years after first turning to the group for help. “I see the good that we do in the community, and I see how important it is,” Kane said. “I started off feeding a colony of cats, and I needed help getting them fixed. And I found Just Us they helped me.”
On clinic days, residents arrive with cats they’ve trapped from neighborhoods throughout Sussex County. Harrison said “community cats” can include feral, stray and abandoned animals. “They can be anything from a feral cat or a wild cat,” he said. “They can also be stray or abandoned cats that we could hopefully get fixed and then put up for adoption.”
After surgery, cats are sent home for adoption, foster care or release.
Amy Walls is a regular at Just Us, the program fills a critical gap by making care more accessible. “I’ve been trapping in Georgetown, Seaford and the surrounding areas for a few years now,” Wells said. “Before I found this program, it was just wildly expensive to take care of cats that really needed to be spayed or neutered.”
So far in 2026, 113 cats have been spayed or neutered through the program, including 107 feral cats that were neutered and released. In 2025, both figures were in the 900s.
But this is not an SPCA-run clinic. Instead, the weekly effort is organized by the nonprofit Just Us, which uses the SPCA facility and partners with its veterinary team to carry out surgeries aimed at reducing the overpopulation of feral and stray cats across Sussex County.
Walter Fenstermacher with the Brandywine Valley SPCA said the partnership allows groups like Just Us to expand their impact. “Just Us is its own organization, but we’re happy to partner with them and other organizations throughout the state to curb the overpopulation of feral cats,” he said.
After surgery, cats are sent home for adoption, foster care or release.