As a result of the agreement reached this week to enhance services for New York City’s shelter animals, we’re pleased to announce that TNR has been included as an accepted solution to free-roaming cat overpopulation!
The agreement was announced on July 27, 2011, by City of New York officials and animal welfare groups. Mayor Bloomberg, Speaker Quinn, Council Member Lappin, the New York City Department of Health, Animal Care & Control of NYC, the Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals, and the ASPCA have worked together to create this progressive agreement that includes the City establishing TNR as the accepted practice in NYC to humanely and effectively control and reduce the feral cat population.
Please thank the representatives who made this happen!
Speaker Quinn: cquinn@council.nyc.gov
Council Member Lappin: lappin@council.nyc.gov
Mayor Bloomberg: Online Contact Form
This is a huge win for feral cats and would not have happened without Speaker Quinn, Council Member Lappin, and Mayor Bloomberg. Please let them know they made the right choice by thanking them for their efforts:
What does this bill mean for TNR, and how will the details be determined?
The City Council bill will empower the Department of Health to make rules regarding TNR in NYC. These rules will be created in collaboration with the Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals and the ASPCA within 180 days of the passage of the bill. During that six-month period, two events will be open for your participation. First, the NYC Feral Cat Initiative will host a meeting for certified TNR caretakes to discuss the rules’ language and what that means for the people who are doing TNR in NYC. Second, there will be a hearing held by the Department of Health welcoming public comments — that’s when we tell New York City how effective and humane TNR is! The language will then be finalized and passed.
We already know that the bill includes language requiring that owned free-roaming cats be fixed so this alleviates some of the pressure currently put on TNR advocates having to negotiate the spay/neuter of their neighbors’ indoor/outdoor cats.
How can TNR caretakers get involved?
We’re looking forward to discussing this topic with you in the very near future. Please stay tuned for the NYC Feral Cat Initiative meeting date and be sure to tell your TNR associates about this big news. If you or other TNR caretakers you know haven’t yet done so, please subscribe to our mailing list and find us on Facebook to receive updates.
Congratulations to all of us — and especially congratulations to the feral cats of New York City!