Meet Our Board
Sally Merritt-Braciak
PRESIDENT
Sally Merritt-Braciak has dedicated her life to helping animals. She is passionate about helping cats in need and has had vast and diverse experiences working with animals.
Her career began as an applied Animal Behavior Specialist with a veterinary hospital in Western New York while simultaneously working on her Master’s Degree in Counseling. She soon realized what her passion was and began to focus on animal rescue and shelter medicine. She acted as the Cat Shelter Manager for Pets Alive WNY for five years. She then decided to accept a position working for Best Friends Animal Society in Kanab, UT as a Veterinary Technician. She returned to Western New York determined to help improve the lives of Community Cats and to link Caregivers to low cost Spay/Neuter Services. She also teaches them how to safely trap a cat and how to properly care for free roaming cats.
Sally obtained her Bachelor’s Degree from Medaille College, and earned her Master’s Degree in Counseling from Canisius College. Sally has been a lifelong educator and loves to teach the Community about everything cat and cat related. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband, experiencing wines from around the world, and loving on her cats.
Jon Braciak
VICE PRESIDENT
Jon was appointed as the inaugural Vice President of Cat by Cat Inc. in June of 2020.
With over 25 years of sales experience, Jon brings a history of successful business growth and financial oversight to the organization. He has a positive attitude and willingness to do whatever is necessary to help Cat by Cat Inc. with the everyday tasks that need to get done.
Jon has also been instrumental with assisting with many of the TNVR projects that have occurred over the last 15 years. One of his many skills include the ability to safely contain cats who have mysteriously escaped from their crates.
Jon holds a BA in History from SUNY at Buffalo, and is currently pursuing his Associates Degree in Nursing from Niagara County Community College.
In his spare time, you can find Jon riding his Peloton and spending time outdoors.
Elisa Foschio
BOARD MEMBER
A native of Buffalo, NY, Elisa has been involved in TNVR locally since 2009. It began when she discovered a number of stray cats taking shelter in the abandoned building beside her then office. After attempting to pet and catch a few of the cats by hand, Elisa got a crash course in Trap Neuter Vaccinate Return from a groundskeeper. He had discovered the cats a few weeks prior and was also trying to rescue them. She made an appointment for a feral spay/neuter with a willing private vet, borrowed a trap from Feral Cat Focus, and the rest is history.
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Though she has fostered adoptable cats and kittens over the years, her passion and primary focus has been working closely with the caretakers of feral cat colonies.
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By assisting with the ongoing management of a handful of cat colonies, Elisa ensures that all of the cats, including new-comers, are fully vetted, and provided with adequate outdoor shelter. Colony management has become a very rewarding passion for Elisa. It is something she looks forward to continuing for decades to come with Cat by Cat Inc.
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Elisa Foschio is a graduate of Canisius College. She lives in Kenmore, NY with her cats, and Brett, her rescue chihuahua.
Patti Mann
SUPPORTING MEMBER
Patti Mann is the “many hats” volunteer for Cat By Cat, Inc, offering direct care, fostering, providing graphics or art, helping to coordinate fundraisers, and pitching in where she’s able.
Patti wasn’t fully aware of the suffering and proliferation of homeless cats until she moved to the South in 2013, where she spent months patiently befriending a skittish abandoned kitty living in her apartment parking lot. When she reached out for help to trap and re-home the Parking Lot Kitty, Patti learned of the existence of local cat rescues, and the hard and committed work they do to help community cats with TNVR, medical care, and fostering, adoption, and community education. As they say, once your eyes are open, you cannot close them again. Patti’s eyes were opened to the harsh reality of community and feral cats. She realized that it’s up to each individual in the community to step forward and take accountability for improving the situation instead of just assuming “someone else will do it”.
Patti’s direct volunteer experiences include helping capture and relocate endangered prairie dogs for Prairie Dog Rescue in Denver, Colorado; teaching ESL classes in Federal Way, Washington; direct care of the horses at the Ferrell Hollow Senior Horse Sanctuary in Readyville, TN; direct care and art events for Pets Alive WNY in Pendleton, NY; and currently her volunteer role with Cat By Cat, Inc. in East Amherst, NY.
Patti’s respect and admiration for Sally and Cat By Cat Inc inspires her every day to do more, share more and learn more to help community cats, and she’s excited to be a part of the growth and outreach of this incredible and committed organization.
Patti currently resides near Buffalo, New York, where she works as a professional artist in addition to her full-time creative & administrative role for Seattle art publishing company Third & Wall Art Group, LLC. Patti has two rescued cats, two rescued dogs, and one rescued husband.
Mike Canada
SUPPORTING MEMBER
Mike Canada is a passionate animal advocate who has found his special Niche with helping free roaming Community Cats most at risk. Mike’s passion for animals started at the young age of 3 with his first cat, Owen. Mike was upset because his parents would not let him name his new baby sister Owen, so they adopted a kitty from our local SPCA whom Mike affectionately named Owen. He remembers the excitement of watching his mom carry the small cardboard carrier to the car with his new best friend Owen in it. He was raised to love and respect animals and goes to great lengths to protect them. He was born into a large family and raised in Niagara Falls, NY. Mike attended college in the WNY region and has pursued a career in helping people.