Animal Welfare Professionals

A nearby town has enacted this Cat Spay / Neuter Ordinance to help reduce feline overpopulation:

Cat Spay / Neuter Ordinance

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Cat Spay / Neuter Ordinance Check out the Cat Spay/Neuter ordinance. View this on Mansfieldct >

#CommunityCatManagement

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Gail Panciera
Volunteer
Enfield Community Cat Project
CT
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This is an interesting way to approach the ordinance. In my county, citizens are charged a pet license fee every year $7 for altered and $10 for unaltered and yet 90% of the strays we pick up have no tags, and are still intact. I would love to see a change in our ordinances to reflect something similar to this. However, I feel that some of our citizens would feel that is infringing on their rights. I would love to talk to the community members that had a part in implementing this change.

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Christina Kearney
Shelter Manager
Isle of Wight County Animal Services
VA
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What do others think of this kind of ordinance? What do you think Gail? Do you think it will be helpful? It's a fairly small town. We have over twice that many people but I am interested in this kind of legislation and if it works. 

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Julia Orr
Director of Development
We Care Animal Rescue
CA
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We have a spay/neuter ordinance that also protects our community cats.

However, the enforcement of this ordinance is very much lacking.  For example, I called ACC when I came across a home with unsterilized cats and dogs out in the streets, with puppies and nursing mothers. The ACC officers did not care about the cats at all; did not care to know if they were fixed, friendly, or anything. They went to the home due to the fact that there were puppies and unspayed dogs.  They issued a fine for this- then left and had no plans to follow up.  In practice, this ordinance is doing nothing to help with overpopulation. 

I would love to see if your town has a plan to educate the community and enforce the ordinance

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Amanda Gray
Adoptions volunteer
Adopt A Cat Foundation
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Unfortunately, I have seen exactly the same reaction from ACOs.  They could not care less about cats.

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Gail Panciera
Volunteer
Enfield Community Cat Project
CT
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Original Message:
Sent: 02-21-2024 08:03 AM
From: Amanda Gray
Subject: Community Cat Spay / Neuter Ordinance

We have a spay/neuter ordinance that also protects our community cats.

However, the enforcement of this ordinance is very much lacking.  For example, I called ACC when I came across a home with unsterilized cats and dogs out in the streets, with puppies and nursing mothers. The ACC officers did not care about the cats at all; did not care to know if they were fixed, friendly, or anything. They went to the home due to the fact that there were puppies and unspayed dogs.  They issued a fine for this- then left and had no plans to follow up.  In practice, this ordinance is doing nothing to help with overpopulation. 

I would love to see if your town has a plan to educate the community and enforce the ordinance

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Amanda Gray
Adoptions volunteer
Adopt A Cat Foundation
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