Animal Welfare Professionals

From Dr. Julie Levy: 

Alachua Audubon, Alachua County Animal Services, and our local animal welfare coalition met a few years ago to develop a policy on cats in natural areas. We all share a common goal of protecting wildlife while managing cat populations humanely.

The attached policy addresses cats in areas that are officially managed for conservation as well as areas that are not managed but may still be important to sensitive species (such as small urban parks where migratory song birds might stop over).

The policy has strength in its simplicity and its flexibility. Anyone can report a concern, which would then be assessed and a mitigation plan developed in collaboration with community stakeholders. It’s been in place for 2 years, but not one cat has been reported in sensitive areas yet. In many communities like ours, cats congregate around human establishments and areas where there is overfeeding, not in uninhabited natural areas.