Cat Protection began in 1958, as a small group of people dedicated to reducing the number of stray cats by desexing and finding loving and responsible homes for street cats.

Our vision remains the same – that every cat has a loving and responsible home – but we now offer a range of feline care services from our purpose-designed, no-kill shelter in Newtown.

We are an independent charity operating only in NSW.

We’re not a subsidiary of any other organisation and we don’t have branches.

Structured as an association under the NSW Associations Incorporation Act, with a Board (committee) elected by the membership, our independently audited accounts are submitted to our AGM and the Director-General of Fair Trading each year.

Our association is a member of Animals Australia, and WSPA.

We’re endorsed by the Australian Tax Office as a Deductible Gift Recipient which means you can claim donations $2 and over as tax deductions – you can check our status on ABN Lookup www.abr.business.gov.au – our ABN is 81 610 951 615.

Cat Protection quick facts:

• 1700 members
• 150 volunteers
• 12.5 full-time equivalent paid staff
• 5,000 human clients each year
• 3,000-4,000 feline clients each year
• $1.3m pa operating expenses
• Caring for cats since 1958

Board

All Board members volunteer their time and skills and receive no remuneration

President – Ms Rhonda House

Rhonda owns and operates her own design and embroidery business. She has a Masters degree in design and has completed the AICD company directors’ course . She has volunteered for Cat Protection for more than a decade, and has been President since November 2007. She is also an experienced volunteer in native bird, mammal and reptile rescue.

Treasurer – Mrs Nita Harvey

Nita became a Life Member of Cat Protection in the 1980s and began volunteering in 1996, after retiring from her role as office manager for a major health fund. She was appointed Treasurer in 1998 and also served as president from 2004 to November 2007.

Secretary – Mrs Angelika Elliott

Angelika was born in Austria and studied design in Vienna, later moving to London where she volunteered for Cats Protection UK. She moved to Australia in 1984 and has volunteered for Cat Protection for more than 20 years. She runs her own French antique import business.

Member – Dr Dagmar Strohmaier

Dagmar is Corporate Counsel in one of Australia's leading food manufacturing companies with responsibilities for the Asia-Pacific region. She has a PhD and Masters in Law and a German law degree. She has been involved with Cat Protection for more than three years and has done work for WIRES as a volunteer. She has a strong interest in animal law and welfare.

Member – Mr Simon Stevenson

Simon is the Head of Strategy at Schroder Investment Management. He has a Bachelor of Commerce with First Class Honours and over 15 years experience working in financial markets. Before joining the Board, he was a regular donor and member.

Member – Mr John Holland

John Holland is a Fellow of the Australian Marketing Institute and a Certified Practising Marketer, with more than 30 years executive management experience. Currently running his own marketing consultancy, he has advised commercial businesses as well as not-for-profits, and has served on the boards of Ad Partners Group and tile company Renditions Corporation. John has a BA (Hons) from Durham University and has been a member of Cat Protection since 1989.

Management team

CEO – Ms Kristina Vesk

CEO since late 2006, Kristina has a BA in Social Science and her career has focused on public policy, public affairs and media, in the government and not-for-profit sectors. For 10 years she served as a layperson on the human research ethics committee of a Sydney teaching hospital. She is responsible for the overall management of Cat Protection, and she reports to the Board.

Feline Services Manager – Ms Nerida Atkin

Nerida has more than 10 years experience working with animals, and joined Cat Protection in 2004. She is a qualified vet nurse, with a Graduate Certificate in Animal Welfare and is currently completing studies in animal science and animal behaviour.

Operations Manager – Ms Mina Volonakis

Mina is a qualified HR professional with more than 20 years experience in businesses, ranging from major corporations to sole traders. Her career has spanned all aspects of business administration including finance, staffing, training, project management and organisation systems.