City's Community Cat Initiative: Shelter-Neuter-Release

The Animal Shelter Advisory Committee background packet for 10-17-19 had the following initiative to address community cats, a top four strategy for the city in its Pets Alive! initiative:

"Although we've launched a shelter-neuter-release pilot program with one-time seed money, a long-term sustainable funding source as well as robust participation by veterinary partners is necessary to address the euthanasia of adult feral cats."

At the last ASAC meeting I asked Shelter Manager Morgan Chegwidden to share information about the new shelter-neuter-release program for community cats.  Morgan said trapped cats are brought into the shelter.  If determined to be feral they are taken to an area veterinarian and neutered before being returned to their area of origin.

I asked who traps and brings the cat into the shelter.  Morgan said San Angelo residents, adding the city is not allowed to trap community cats under the ordinance.  I said that is not true.  The Community Cat ordinance provides legal space for citizens to practice trap-neuter-return-maintain under specific conditions.  It does not prevent city staff from trapping a community cat if those conditions are no longer met or if a cat were a nuisance.  The city is also free to address the vast real estate occupied by cats that are not under official colony management.

Morgan then said the shelter does not offer that service (cat trapping).  Under the pilot program shelter staff pick up the neutered cat from the area veterinarian and return it to its area of origin.

I found it odd that community cats needed to be neutered by area veterinarians given the city contracted with Concho Valley PAWS for veterinary medicine services.  City Council approved the scope of services in February 2018.

Under city ordinance Community Cat colony managers register with a sponsoring local animal rescue. 

Critter Shack is the only local rescue to step up and serve as a sponsor.  Below is the City of San Angelo's webpage on community cats:

Communities that have made significant inroads in reducing unnecessary pet deaths have conducted outreach and devoted resources to address community cats.  That includes education, loaning of traps, assistance with neuter surgery and vaccinations.  The City of Waco's webpage states:

Community Cats (outdoor or outdoor/indoor) qualify for free Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR). TNR includes spay/neuter, Rabies and a left “eartip” performed by a vet during spay/neuter surgery. Loaner TNR traps available with refundable deposit. 

Austin Pets Alive website states:

Community cats, the free roaming outdoor cats who populate nearly every community in the country, are well managed in the city of Austin thanks to a robust Trap-Neuter-Return program and dedicated feline caretakers who look after the cats and ensure they are vaccinated and sterilized.

In the case that a community cat is injured Austin Pets Alive program treats the injured cat rather than euthanize it.

Once treated, a volunteer team reaches out to the caregiver to discuss returning the cat to its outdoor home. The area is assessed for suitability, the caretaker is advised on ongoing care, and Austin Pets Alive! remains a lifelong resource and safety net for the cat.

Morgan never mentioned a cat colony manger or caretaker in the city's Shelter-Neuter-Release pilot program.  Critter Shack has not been contacted by the San Angelo Animal Shelter regarding its community cat effort, a top four strategy adopted six months ago.

However, Animal Shelter contractor Concho Valley PAWS is conducting a community cat survey while working as adoption/veterinary services contractor and member of the Animal Services Advisory Committee.

How can PAWS provide oversight on its contracted operations for the city animal shelter?  Those duties will expand in the proposed RFP for Animal Adoption Services, a motion which PAWS Executive Director seconded on 10-17-19, before withdrawing her second.

That's not on tape as the City stopped taping certain board meetings earlier this year.  One has to show up now to hear deliberations.  Next ASAC meeting is 11-21-19 at noon and the topic will be revised city animal ordinances.  Interested parties may wish to make plans now to attend.

Update 3-13-21:  PAWS is still conducting its Community Cat survey on its website: 

 

The following must be completed to receive a voucher. Incomplete submissions will not be processed. This program is feral cats only. The information collected here will be used to create a pilot program to provide free or reduced cost spay and neuter services to community cat caregivers in an effort to provide a targeted spay and neuter approach to reduce the population of cats. Approximately 65% of the animals euthanized at the shelter last year were feral cats and orphaned kittens. We want to change this! You can help.

If you are feeding a colony, we want to help you sterilize the cats in that colony. Once we secure additional funding we will be contacting you to sterilized the female cats in your colony first. We also hope to provide additional services to community caregivers such as access to free or low-cost cat food, free or low-cost microchipping and free or low-cost feeding stations. But it all starts here with gathering data. Thank you for participating in our Community Cat survey.

Update 1-15-22:  PAWS Community Cat survey remains on its website.  Still gathering data.  PAWS has had a completed spay-neuter clinic since mid-2020 but is yet to employ a veterinarian to put that clinic space to use.  PAWS latest RFP submission to the city stated "Concho Valley PAWS is currently seeking to employ a licensed Doctor of Veterinary Medicine.  The contract was signed in November 2020.