Cat Protection New South Wales Case Study

The Cat Protection Society of NSW Inc. has been giving cats a second chance for decades. As one of Australia's leading cat welfare organisations, they care for cats from the moment of surrender through to adoption and beyond. With a deep commitment to feline health, research, advocacy and community, Cat Protection doesn't just rehome cats. They champion every cat's story, ensuring the data they collect helps improve outcomes not just for their own animals, but for cats across Australia.

Bronwyn Facer has worked with the Cat Protection Society for 16 and a half years, spanning both the pre-Salesforce and post-Salesforce era, making her uniquely placed to talk about the transformation the platform has enabled.

The Problem

The Cat Protection Society has always been ambitious. As their work grew, bringing more cats, more data, and more community programs, so did the need for systems that could keep up. Rather than holding them back, the gaps they identified became the launchpad for something far more powerful.

"The initial installation of Salesforce was in 2016, with phased development until late 2017.  Because of my involvement from the start, I'd become the accidental admin, learning along the way and doing what I could, but knowing more could be achieved. We needed to ensure continued compliance in a fast-changing environment, and we needed to see whether there was room to improve efficiency and utility. I could see there was potential to do more. We needed a partner who could not only fix and refine what we couldn't see, but who could help us grow with confidence."

- Bronwyn Facer, Database and Supporter Services Manager, Cat Protection Society 

Pain Points

The Cat Protection Society needed a way to keep up with a growing waitlist of cats to be surrendered, while giving their team the tools to care for every cat with the attention they deserve. Their existing setup made it difficult to scale, to automate updates for compliance, and unlock the full potential of the data they were collecting.

Behind every cat at Cat Protection is a story. Their systems needed to tell it, fast, easily and empower staff to identify things that could be automated to save them valuable time.

A vision for deeper data

From the outset, the Society collected comprehensive feline data to assist research into feline health and welfare, and to inform policies and practices in relation to cats 

With a growing databank of cats, including many with longer and variable stays (such as moving between the shelter and foster care prior to adoption) as well as complex health and behaviour histories to manage, they needed a system that could grow as fast as their ambitions.

Volunteer and foster carer management was an important area of logistical management that could be enhanced with the right tools - something smarter than a spreadsheet

Building on a strong foundation

Their platform was nearly nine years old, and while the Society had a good foundation, they knew it wasn't working as hard as it could for them. They needed expert support to identify and fill in the gaps and look at ways to save time for team members using the system. 

Legacy setup and some out-of-the-box objects had been repurposed in ways that weren't immediately visible to the team, meaning opportunities for better data and automation were waiting to be unlocked.

As Bronwyn stepped into an accidental admin role, she knew the potential was there. She just needed the right partner to help her realise it and share their learning with her. 

"One of our apps had stopped working and I needed it urgently to prepare heatmaps for a desexing program we were finishing up. I reached out to our previous provider and all I got was radio silence. That was when I reached out to Blaze Your Trail."

The Cat Protection Society had a shortlist of potential Salesforce partners. Bronwyn’s preference was Blaze Your Trail, but she presented an unranked list of potential providers to her CEO, wanting to see what she thought. The CEO quickly made it known her preference was also Blaze Your Trail.

Bronwyn went on to share: "She came to the same conclusion as me and said: 'Wow, they are so impressive at Blaze Your Trail, look at all their nonprofit experience! They look perfect.' And it was just an instant connection."

- Bronwyn Facer, Database and Supporter Services Manager, Cat Protection Society of NSW

Blaze Your Trail’s Salesforce Solution

A True Cat Relationship Management System

When most people think of Salesforce, they think of sales pipelines. At the Cat Protection Society, it became something far more personal: a complete, cradle-to-forever record of every cat in their care.

Every cat has a full contact record tracking their entire journey, from surrender through their stay to adoption and follow-up care.

Health records, medications (including dose-by-dose logs), weight tracking, diet reports, and test results are all stored in one place, building a rich picture that benefits both the individual animal and feline research more broadly.

Sibling relationships, mother-and-kitten bonds, and previous adoption histories are all linked, giving staff the full story instantly.

Automated calculations now show a cat's age in weeks, months, and years in real time, so staff can instantly match waiting families to the right age of kitten or adult cat without counting on their fingers.

"We need to record detailed information to deliver best-practice cat care, but we also wanted to enable quality research for the benefit of cat health and welfare, so we collect huge amounts of data that could contribute to that.” 

Payments Made Simple: A Transformation for Staff and Clients

One of the most significant changes Blaze Your Trail delivered was an end-to-end online payment solution. This was something the Society had been told was too complicated, too expensive, or would require multiple paid subscriptions.

Stripe was connected to Form Assembly and Salesforce, allowing clients to pay online via a prefilled, personalised payment page.

Credit card details are no longer taken over the phone, reducing staff workload, cutting phone queue times, and giving clients a more secure and comfortable experience.

The team now has more time for what matters: helping people and their cats.

"People prefer to put their details into a site themselves. It's provided more security for them, and it's given our staff more time to actually focus on helping people."

Adopt-a-Stray: Changing Lives at Scale

The Adopt-a-Stray program is one of the Society's most impactful initiatives. With Blaze Your Trail's help, it is about to become even more powerful.

People who have been caring for a stray cat near their home can pay just $100 to Cat Protection and in return the cat will be desexed, microchipped, vaccinated and lifetime registered to their adopter.

The program has prevented thousands of cats from entering pounds or shelters, improving the lives of cats and supporting families and community carers who might otherwise face significant council fees and barriers.

New automations currently in final testing will mean that when a client pays, bookings are created and confirmation emails are sent automatically. This will dramatically reduce manual processing time and get adopters their referrals sooner.

"Our waiting list to surrender an adult cat is thousands of cats long. People may have to wait for more than a year. Our Adopt-a-Stray program helps prevent cats from going through the shelter and pound system entirely and supports people on low incomes with an affordable option to give a cat or kitten a healthy start in their forever home."

Smart Icons That Make Every Interaction More Personal

One of Blaze Your Trail's most creative contributions came from a simple observation, and it was delivered in just 20 minutes.

Custom icons now display at the top of every adoption record, instantly surfacing the most important information about a potential adopter without staff needing to scroll through pages of notes. Adoption records show if someone is a first-time cat owner, whether they have other pets, whether they rent, whether they have indicated allergies, and whether they are looking for an indoor cat.

On contact pages, icons indicate whether someone is a member, a foster carer or volunteer. 

Staff are more present in the adoption conversation, looking at the person in front of them rather than a screen.

"It means that the adoption experience is a lot more personal because the staff member isn’t struggling to find the relevant information on the screen. They can see key information at a glance, for example, knowing the client is looking for an indoor cat, allowing the team member to better engage with the client."

E-Cards, Campaigns, and a Leaner Tech Stack

E-cards, including a beloved 'Merry Catmas' campaign, have been moved from an expensive third-party platform into Form Assembly and Salesforce, removing unnecessary cost and significantly improving website speed.

Campaign emails are now managed directly within Salesforce, replacing an external paid tool the Society didn't need the full complexity of.

Donors and members can now self-manage their regular giving, updating card details and donation amounts themselves, which reduces inbound calls and gives supporters a better experience.

A Donation and Membership Platform That Works

Blaze Your Trail moved the Society onto Raisely for donations and memberships. In doing so, they discovered and fixed a foundational issue that had been quietly affecting the internal reliability and functionality of their donor data for years.

Legacy configuration had repurposed Salesforce's Opportunities object in a way that stripped it of its core functionality, without the team ever knowing.

All donor and member data was carefully extracted, cleaned, and re-imported correctly, now ensuring memberships are processed, renewed, and lapsed accurately.

Unlike many other charities Cat Protection has a strict no-harassment fundraising policy, so it was very important that donations could be facilitated through an easy-to-navigate, visually appealing page embedded on their website, empowering donors and giving them full control of the donation experience.

The fundraising platform looks beautiful, is easy to update for seasonal campaigns, and gives donors a seamless, professional experience.

The Impact

The Cat Protection Society has always believed that the data they collect can change lives. Not just for the cats in their care, but for felines everywhere. With Blaze Your Trail's help, that belief is becoming a reality at scale.

"From day one, Blaze Your Trail were incredibly responsive. They still are. Things get fixed immediately. It is almost like they are part of our own team here at Cat Protection, not an external company. We’re so glad to have partnered with them.”

For the cats

Complete health histories, medication logs, and weight records mean every cat receives consistent, informed care throughout their stay, whether that is two weeks or two years.

University researchers and feline health studies regularly draw on the Society's Salesforce feline data, contributing to improved outcomes for cats across Australia.

Automated age calculations and smart matching tools help to speed up placements for foster care and adoptions.

For the community

Thousands of families every year are supported through the Adopt-a-Stray program, keeping cats out of the shelter system and placing them in loving homes.

The online payment platform has transformed the client experience. It is faster, safer, and more dignified than reading out card numbers over the phone.

Self-service donation management means supporters feel in control of their giving.

“I feel that Blaze Your Trail cares about our mission and our work as much as we do. That level of support has made it possible to improve our entire operations, not just how we use Salesforce."

For the team

Staff spend less time on administration and more time on the moments that matter: meeting families, matching cats, and providing expert care.

Bronwyn has moved from accidental admin to confident Salesforce builder, empowered to translate her ideas into reality with Paula's guidance.

The organisation is no longer dependent on one person knowing how everything works.

"There were things I thought weren’t possible on Salesforce because our previous partner said they couldn’t be done. All my ideas were shut down. But now when I ask Paula about my suggestions, she says, 'Of course we can do that.' It's just blown my mind. Having someone receptive to bounce ideas off and to get more information from has just been so fantastic."

Why Did You Choose Blaze Your Trail?

"From the first meeting I had with them, I was like, 'Oh, where have you been?' They listened and they understood, and they cared. Before them, there were so many things we were told we couldn’t do, but Blaze Your Trail always finds a solution; 'Of course you can do that.' And then they do it. Fast."

The Cat Protection Society chose Blaze Your Trail because they needed more than a Salesforce partner. They needed a team who would take the time to understand the unique world of animal welfare, where every record is a living creature and every improvement to the system has the potential to change a life.

What sealed it was a simple observation: Jessie, Blaze Your Trail's founder, had been the accidental admin at her own nonprofit, St Kilda Mums. She knew exactly what it felt like to sit in Bronwyn's chair, and she built a team who would never leave someone in that position again.

"Paula is so happy to teach me. She doesn’t want to keep information secret and just keep working on things for us; she wants me to be able to do it too. That collaboration has been so constructive, and I can see it growing because there’s always going to be something new. "I’ve learned so much from them. If I sound like a massive fan, it’s because I am! I’m so grateful for all their support. It is so important that they care about what we do as much as we do."

Written by Laura Croudace from Social Storie