A better world through kindness to animals

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Association Vice Chair, Animal Law Committee ledyv@bestfriends.

org Shelly Kotter Focus on Felines National Cat Campaign

1 Ledy VanKavage, Esq. Sr. Legislative Analyst Best Friends Animal Society American Bar Association Vice Chair, Animal Law Committee Shelly Kotter Focus on Felines National Cat Campaign Specialist 10 years managing TNR programs 100/ 200 colonies in Utah and Arizona 3,500 community cats A better world through kindness to animals

2 Mission: No More Homeless Pets Best Friends is working with you and with humane groups all across the country to bring about a time when homeless, unwanted animals are no longer being destroyed in shelters, and when every healthy dog or cat can be guaranteed a good life. Focus on Felines Feral Freedom Jacksonville, FL NMHP Utah FDCCP Southern Utah Northern AZ FixNation Los Angeles CA, Best Friends Goal is to impact our nation s shelters To lower the intake rate Raise the save rate Raise the adoption rate

3 Community Cats Exist worldwide in all environmental niches Sympathetic citizens offer food and comfort 8 12% of US households feed free roaming cats they do not own Control policies must Consider public sentiment Paradigm Shift Control no longer = kill

4 Cats v. Dogs 64% consider them to be like a child or family member. 71% people consider them to be like a child or family member 42 47% dogs sleep on bed 78% of Cats sleep on Beds

5 Do feral cats live short lives? Historic feral cat policies costly Ignore them Lethal control Destruction, poison, infection, hunting, trapping Effective on uninhabited islands, not mainland

Macquarie Island, Australia Macquarie Island, Australia's remote sub Antarctic territory,

Large tracts of tussock grassland and gullies filled with megaherbs bizarre plants such as

100,000 of the introduced pests are laying the landscape bare. Pop.

6 Macquarie Island, Australia Macquarie Island, Australia's remote sub Antarctic territory, look like they have been bombed. Large tracts of tussock grassland and gullies filled with megaherbs bizarre plants such as the Macquarie Island cabbage that have adapted to the harsh climate have been eroded away in the once pristine wilderness. Since the last feral cat was shot on the island in 2001, rabbit numbers have exploded, and 100,000 of the introduced pests are laying the landscape bare. Pop. Characteristic & Neuter Status of Cats Living in Households in the US JAVMA, 2009 Family income strongest predictor of whether house cats are neutered Incomes over $35,000 93% of cats sterilized Incomes less than $35,000 51% sterilized

7 Feral cats don t make good pets. If they enter a shelter what are their chances? What are the costs? As James Carville would say It s the economy stupid! cities are cutting back on animal control Time for cities to try the Tom Sawyer approach, enlist feral cat caretakers to help = save jobs & $

growing citizen populations. Animal Control Management: A Guide for Local Governments, International City/County Management Association (2001).

8 FEAR OF CATS especially FERAL CATS! Cities & Counties that have run their own sterilization programs for years consistently report that the numbers of animal handled by local shelters have stabilized or declined, even in the face of growing citizen populations. Animal Control Management: A Guide for Local Governments, International City/County Management Association (2001). lv BY REDUCING IMPOUNDMENTS, EFFECTIVE LOW INCOME NEUTERING ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS SAVE TAXPAYERS MONEY. DURING THEIR FIRST TEN YEARS, THE NEW HAMPSHIRE NEUTERING ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS SAVED TAXPAYERS $3.15 IN LOWER IMPOUNDMENT COSTS FOR EVERY DOLLAR SPENT. N.H. NEUTERING ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS '95-' CUMULATIVE PROGRAM COST CUMULATIVE IMPOUNDMENT SAVINGS CUMULATIVE PROGRAM COST COMPARED TO CUMULATIVE IMPOUNDMENT SAVINGS db

Funding for Feral Cat Fixes & vaccinations WHAT IS A FERAL CAT?

caretakers can get cats fixed & vaccinated for $15 Feral cat means a

feral cat and is not socialized, (ii) is a formerly owned cat that has

9 Funding for Feral Cat Fixes & vaccinations WHAT IS A FERAL CAT? Feral cat caretakers/farmers If recognized by county or municipality caretakers can get cats fixed & vaccinated for $15 Feral cat means a cat that i) is born in the wild or is the offspring of an owned or feral cat and is not socialized, (ii) is a formerly owned cat that has been abandoned and is no longer socialized, or (iii) lives on a farm 510 ILCS 5/2.11b

animal, or who has it in his care, or acts as its custodian, or who knowingly permits a dog to

"Owner" does not include a feral cat caretaker participating in a trap, spay/neuter, return or

10 Sec "Owner" means any person having a right of property in an animal, or who keeps or harbors an animal, or who has it in his care, or acts as its custodian, or who knowingly permits a dog to remain on any premises occupied by him or her. "Owner" does not include a feral cat caretaker participating in a trap, spay/neuter, return or release program. Who is an Owner? 510 ILCS 5/2.16 No registration fees for feral (farm) cats 510 ILCS 5/35 Limits Liability For vets who sterilize feral cats For feral cat caretakers who trap cats for a trap, sterilize and return program

510 ILCS 5/35 Limits liability of political subdivisions/municipalities Political subdivisions allowing feral cat colonies & trap, sterilize & return programs National Animal Control Association

11 510 ILCS 5/35 Limits liability of political subdivisions/municipalities Political subdivisions allowing feral cat colonies & trap, sterilize & return programs National Animal Control Association Policy Statement on Community Cat Management Animal control officers should be empowered to manage all feral, stray and owned cats within the community. Management may include but is not limited to enactment and enforcement of cat related laws, education, public/private partnerships for cat care & control, targeted spay/neuter programs and properly regulated cat caretaker programs. Policy Recommendations: NACA recognizes that in some circumstances, alternative management programs, including Trap Neuter Vaccinate & Release programs may be effective, and recommends that each agency assess the individual need with their community and respond accordingly. NACA advocates for effective public education related to cats, active spaying & neutering initiatives for cats and responsible ownership for all cats. Are Feral Cats pests under the municipal code? 65 ILCS 5/ "Pests", as used in this Section , means undesirable arthropods (including certain insects, spiders, mites, ticks, and related organisms), wood infesting organisms, rats, mice, and other obnoxious undesirable animals, but does not include a feral cat, a "companion animal" as that term is defined in the Humane Care for Animals Act (510 ILCS 70/), "animals" as that term is defined in the Illinois Diseased Animals Act (510 ILCS 50/), or animals protected by the Wildlife Code (520 ILCS 5/). (Source: P.A , eff )

Watch Out for the Wildlife Code! (520 ILCS 5/1.2t) (from Ch. 61, par. 1.2t) Sec. 1.2t. "Wildlife" means any bird or mammal living in a state of nature without the care of man including all species covered by this Act.

265 Regulation of foreign animals 1) It is unlawful to import for sale or use, or to release within this state, any species of the animal kingdom not indigenous to Florida without having obtained

12 Watch Out for the Wildlife Code! (520 ILCS 5/1.2t) (from Ch. 61, par. 1.2t) Sec. 1.2t. "Wildlife" means any bird or mammal living in a state of nature without the care of man including all species covered by this Act. INVASIVE SPECIES? Florida Statute Chapter 372 Wildlife Regulation of foreign animals 1) It is unlawful to import for sale or use, or to release within this state, any species of the animal kingdom not indigenous to Florida without having obtained a permit to do so from the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. 2) The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is authorized to issue or deny such a permit upon the completion of studies of the species made by it to determine any detrimental effect the species might have on the ecology of the state.

State agrees that 372.265 applies to wildlife only and not to domestic species Our policy does not call for the FWC to kill cats, nor does it outlaw the practice of Trap Neuter Release.

13 State agrees that applies to wildlife only and not to domestic species Our policy does not call for the FWC to kill cats, nor does it outlaw the practice of Trap Neuter Release. It is the foundation for FWC staff to seek science based, humane solutions when cats are threatening rare wildlife. Edwin Roberts, Chairman FFWCC FFWCC policy Defenders of Wildlife: Meta Analysis of bird declines Review of > 200 papers published over 6 decades Primary cause of declining song birds is loss of winter habitat The fact is, more than half the population of most bird species die every year. At least 100 million birds die every year from crashing into windows, scientists estimate. But windows, cats, West Nile virus, wind turbines all those specific causes of death that are apparent in people's backyards are not, at present, having any known effect on the population size of any continental bird species. Numbers of individual birds killed simply do not constitute evidence of an overall population decline. King, Rappole, 2003 Is TNR legal? No federal laws address TNR Most state laws do not Endangered Species Act and Migratory Bird Treaty Act No mention of TNR Could take by feral cats (and pet cats) be actionable? No use of these laws against TNR to date Hatley 2003, JLUEL

Report: Long-term TNR of cats on a Florida university campus University of Central Florida 1415 acres 38,000 students and staff Historic cat removal campaigns unsuccessful Levy 2003, JAVMA Report:

14 Report: Long-term TNR of cats on a Florida university campus University of Central Florida 1415 acres 38,000 students and staff Historic cat removal campaigns unsuccessful Levy 2003, JAVMA Report: Long term TNR of cats on a Florida university campus Total Campus Cat Population After TNR Cats Levy et al, JAVMA, 2003 Reports: Feasibility and affordability of highvolume TNR Alachua County, Florida 225,000 residents 43,000 pet cats 36,000 stray and feral cats fed by residents 128 rabid animals in 10 years 1 cat, 2 dogs Levy et al, JAVMA, 2004 University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine: Operation Catnip Monthly volunteer clinics to sterilize and vaccinate cats in a few hours Veterinary student surgical experience Average cost $25/cat 25,000 cats since 1998 Scott et al, JAVMA, 2002

Cats Admitted to Operation Catnip 4500 4000 Females Males 3500 3000 2500 2000 1500 1000 500 0 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 Operation Catnip TNR program is now the largest

15 Cats Admitted to Operation Catnip Females Males Operation Catnip TNR program is now the largest provider of rabies vaccines in Alachua County Report: Impact of TNR on animal shelter cat intake Collaboration between University of Florida and Alachua County Animal Services Two year project of high volume TNR in one zip code Aim to sterilize 55% of stray and feral cats: 2226 cats Mediate complaints about cats Monitor animal control statistics vs. previous years

Animal shelter cat intake Cat intake in target area down 68% after TNR Cat intake in non target area

5 0.25 0 Year 0 Year 1 Year 2 Ocean Reef, FL Southern Florida resort community Repeated removal of feral

2002 1376 feral cats admitted Population declined from 2,000 to 500 cats TNR Ordinance Passed in Clark

16 Animal shelter cat intake Cat intake in target area down 68% after TNR Cat intake in non target area down 17% Cat intake non-target area Cat intake target area 1 Percent cat admissions Year 0 Year 1 Year 2 Ocean Reef, FL Southern Florida resort community Repeated removal of feral cats ineffective Ocean Reef Community Association built Feral Cat Center clinic and holding area feral cats admitted Population declined from 2,000 to 500 cats TNR Ordinance Passed in Clark County, Nevada The new ordinance makes it legal for caregivers to trap, neuter and return feral cats throughout the county.

17 49 Salt Lake City 50 Salt Lake City Partnership What NMHPU Provides Trapping Assistance Transport Assistance Conflict Mediation, including providing humane cat deterrents Progress Reports Provide written materials Shelter Staff Training TNR No fewer than 500 cats annually FREE to residents What Shelter Provides Timely referrals of all approximate addresses where cats are being trapped Promotion of program to all cat related inquiries, including mailing of written materials to callers Impound and disposition statistics Quarterly meetings with NMHPU 51

Salt Lake Partnership Photo by Molly Wald Salt Lake s investment resulted in a 23% decrease in cat euthanasia IN THE FIRST YEAR!

Transfer of Feral Cats: Staff shall transfer cats identified as feral to the responsible individual from FCNMHP.

AC&C shall not be responsible for any costs associated with the management of these feral cats.

18 Salt Lake Partnership Photo by Molly Wald Salt Lake s investment resulted in a 23% decrease in cat euthanasia IN THE FIRST YEAR! Statewide, cat euthanasia increased 32% 52 Cook County Feral Cat Ordinance Dr. Donna Alexander Cook County Animal Control Administrator FERAL FREEDOM! Transfer of Feral Cats: Staff shall transfer cats identified as feral to the responsible individual from FCNMHP. The subject organization is in receipt of a grant for micro chipping and ear tipping of these cats. AC&C shall not be responsible for any costs associated with the management of these feral cats. As such, all cats transferred to FCNMHP shall be handled in a responsible manner, including spay/neuter, and shall not result in repeat calls for response from AC&C staff. In any cat released to FCNMHP is re captured more than two (2) time in a calendar year due to citizen request for response, then AC&C reserves the right not to transfer the animal to FCNMHP.

Saving Lives in Jacksonville Feral Freedom will decrease EU by around 20% at COJ ACC Decrease EU from around 16,000 dogs/cats year to less than 11,000 in 2008 2009 FY Increase live releases by

target low income & feral cats 24% overall decrease in shelter admissions 52% decrease in puppy admissions 65% decrease in kitten admissions 80% Feline Live Release Rate 2006 2008 2006 2007

19 Saving Lives in Jacksonville Feral Freedom will decrease EU by around 20% at COJ ACC Decrease EU from around 16,000 dogs/cats year to less than 11,000 in FY Increase live releases by 5,000+ cats per year Decrease number of pets entering shelter Never enter shelter but are counted as intake First Coast No More Homeless Pets Founded in ,000 surgeries to date Surgeries target low income & feral cats 24% overall decrease in shelter admissions 52% decrease in puppy admissions 65% decrease in kitten admissions 80% Feline Live Release Rate After only 2 (Aug, Sept 08) months of Feral Freedom the results were dramatic 60% 40% 20% 0% Cats in the Shelter Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul AugSept Oct Nov Dec

Feral Freedom By the Numbers August 2008 to February 2009 To date 2,823 cats have been picked up from COJ ACC 175 Cats have been sent to rescue

Freedom costs FCNMHP around $400,000 each year, considering 5,000 cats Feral Freedom saves money for COJ by: Not having to EU 3200 cats each year Not

Eventual decreases in transport expenses?

20 Feral Freedom By the Numbers August 2008 to February 2009 To date 2,823 cats have been picked up from COJ ACC 175 Cats have been sent to rescue programs 21 Cats have been EU for medical reasons 242 Cats were trapped a second time 2,823 less shelter deaths $$$Saving Money in Jacksonville Feral Freedom costs FCNMHP around $400,000 each year, considering 5,000 cats Feral Freedom saves money for COJ by: Not having to EU 3200 cats each year Not having to dispose of 3200 bodies each year At 4# each, that is 12,800# not going in landfill annually Eventual decreases in nuisance calls? Eventual decreases in transport expenses? Feral Freedom, How it works Citizens borrow traps from ACC ACC picks up trapped cats from citizens JHS & FCNMHP transport cats to FC clinic Cats have surgery (tip, chip, vaccinate) Cats are returned to trapping site. Educational material is left at houses near trapping/ release site.

encourage people to sterilize their cats Might impact TNR Are

Under IL state law they are not Micro chipping ROCKS!

21 Cat Licensing? Good or Bad? Can help with return to owner rate Differential licensing can encourage people to sterilize their cats Might impact TNR Are caretakers owners? Under IL state law they are not Micro chipping ROCKS! Effective public policy No single solution is likely to suffice for all situations Creative integrated programs of adoption, relocation, and TNR should be applied for maximum effect

22 Join the BF network felines.bestfriends.org No More Homeless Pets Conference! Come Visit Your Feline Friends in Angel Canyon Home of Best Friends Animal Society

23 POLITICS IS NOT A SPECTATOR SPORT! ledyv@bestfriends.org

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Spay/Neuter. Featured Resource. Resources Like This: Animal transport guidelines Read more about this resource» Skip to main content ASPCA Professional Spay/Neuter Featured Resource Animal transport guidelines Read more about this resource» Resources Like This: HOW-TO Cost Savings from Publicly Funded Spay/Neuter