We Talk to Old-School Punk Nathan Levinson About Shelter Reform

If you are someone who feels a connection with the hardcore punk scene, this will delight you. We discovered a Facebook page that brings together shared passions of animal rescue and hardcore punk: HardcorePunk Speaking Out for Shelter Reform.

We got to chat with the man behind the site, Nathan Levinson. We found his Facebook page a few years ago when he profiled an individual from the Pacific Northwest Punk scene, Blaine Cook, the former frontman of the Accused who became the vocalist for Toe Tag and also runs a popular small business called Zippy's Giant Burgers.

Nathan Levinson is a man whose passion for rescue and hardcore punk led him to start the HardcorePunk Speaking Out for Shelter Reform nonprofit after being fired from his landscaping job for his role in helping a feral cat colony in Bradenton, Florida.

Nathan describes the reason he loves hardcore punk:

"It's reality; it's life; it's what you go through everyday; it's your hopes and dreams, your beliefs, your convictions, your strengths." He speaks of the variety of distinct beliefs towards animal rights within the genre of hardcore punk. "There's movements within the movement: animal liberation, veganism, no-kill, the Animal Liberation Front. It's been around for so long it's become worldwide."

Since then, Nathan has become a vocal advocate for the no-kill movement in his Bradenton, Florida, where too many shelter dogs and cats are still euthanized for lack of available homes. Nathan is also the junior vice president of Forget-Me-Not, a shelter based in Sarasota that rescues death row dogs and provides sanctuary until they find forever homes.

Nathan chatted about animal rescue and his mission to help homeless animals:

Catster: Tell us how you got involved in animal rescue. What was the pivotal moment for you?

Nathan Levinson: I was working for the city of Bradenton, Florida, doing landscaping and irrigation. Another coworker of mine had been feeding a feral colony of cats but was going to retire and needed someone else to step up and help.

I helped TNR a number of the cats after a couple of the females had litters of kittens. Eventually I got in trouble for feeding the cats and was later fired. I ended up bringing home three of the cats and networked with local rescue groups to rehome a number of the other cats. During this time, I got in contact with some rescue people on Facebook, and one thing led to another.

How did you come up with the HardcorePunk Speaking Out for Shelter Reform Facebook page?

I’ve been a part of the hardcore music scene for over 30 years and noticed a lot of the lyrics were about animal rights. It seemed like a natural match. I started reaching out to some of bands on Facebook to see if they’d be interested in being profiled.

How long have you had the page?

Since September 2014. I reached out to bands that I like who I knew had rescued animals of their own. Most of the people in these bands give to the cause by adopting and speaking out for animal rights. They are often so busy raising their families and playing in their bands that they don't have a lot of time to actually spend volunteering in shelters like I do.

What are your tips for someone who wants to get involved in advocacy?

Learn about the no-kill movement and decide what you have time to do, and then get involved. There are so many things, from events and walking dogs to volunteering in a shelter and rehabbing wildlife.

Spaying and neutering is the way to change things. Irresponsible breeding is a big problem, and shelters make money on killing dogs; they are subsidized every day for every dog who is in there. It's crooked; someday we will have a no-kill nation. It's going to take a lot to change the system and get laws put in place that they have to follow and be accountable to.

We are a 501(c)(3) rescue and can pull animals from the local shelters by agreeing through contracts to pay their medical costs and taking responsibility for their care. We are currently unable to pull any more because we are full of dogs who we rescued when they were hours away from being killed. We'd go in and take the ones who were about to be euthanized. The municipal shelters put out calls for help via email and Facebook. We respond to those requests as capacity allows. If we had room, we'd take more. But we are full right now. We provide the medical care they need before they are adopted out. The dogs were more in need, and another rescue was helping a lot of the cats. Most of us have rescued cats who live at our homes. I currently have five cats.

How can Catster readers help?  

There's this saying we have on the back of our Forget-Me-Not T-shirts: Adopt; if you can't adopt, foster; if you can't foster, donate; if you can't donate, volunteer; if you can't volunteer, educate.

Find out more about HardcorePunk Speaking Out for Shelter Reform and keep up with Levinson's work for a no-kill nation by following them on Facebook. You can also see Forget-Me-Not's adoptable pets on Facebook.

See Also: 

• Fostering Shelter Cats: Our Vet Shares Tips Before You Bring One Home

• Good Reasons to Adopt a Cat (Vet Approved Guide)