While most of us are trying to find time between our 40 hour work weeks Jennifer Chiles is volunteering her time with a Voice For Animals, driving across the area every week looking for feral cats in need.

"I was looking for a way that I could volunteer and be active in the community and something that I was really interested in and feral cats and animals were exactly a good fit," says Chiles.

A feral cat isn't your normal house cat. It has not received attention from humans since it was a kitten and then begins to act with its normal cat instincts. That is where Jennifer comes in, helping those cats, and the people who find them.

"I'll come in and teach them how to use a trap. Then they will take that trapped cat to the shelter and have it tested for feline leukemia, it will have its ear tipped for identification, it will be spade and neutered and given a rabies shot and returned," says Chiles.

Jennifer says feral cats are a huge problem across Warren County.

"It's a quiet problem, because the cats can't ask for help. But almost everybody can tell you about a cat they see at their work, they see at a restaurant they eat at, or in their neighborhood," says Chiles.

Jennifer along with everyone's efforts at a Voice For Animals are saving tax dollars. The organization says money would be spent paying animal control to find feral cats and those cats would eventually be put down.

"By doing trap neuter return we save tax payers a lot of money and the people get to keep their cat they have grown fond of and continue to feed it," says Chiles.

While Jennifer focuses on cats a Voice For Animals helps all pets in need by stepping into the classroom and informing children about pet care.

"We are interested in educating kids in how to take care of their animals, we do that through the school system. We have sponsored 265 classrooms with kind news, which is a bi-montly newsletter that teaches how to take care of their animals and spay neuter," says Chiles.

A Voice For Animals is always looking for new volunteers. Meetings are held on the first Monday of each month at the Alive Center. Anyone is welcome to attend.

For her efforts in trying to help these forgotten cats and other animals we salute Jennifer Chiles as this weeks Hometown Hero.