Would you consider this to be good for the community?
Take a look at what is happening in Baltimore, MD:
In 2007, Mayor Sheila Dixon and the Baltimore City Council passed legislation allowing for feral cat colony management or Trap-Neuter-Return despite the fact that there is no scientific support for this method.
The ordinance that passed is disconcerting indeed. Accountability and public health and welfare are not important to these folks. 'Keepers' do not include feral cat caregivers. TNR does not seem to be well-defined. Caregivers are exempted from the 'abandonment' portion of the ordinance (and to many, TNR is nothing more than subsidized re-abandonment of a domestic animal). Finally, an ear-tipped feral cat is presumed to have had at least one rabies shot. This is a serious concern for public health. What happens if a cat is ear-tipped but not inoculated? What happens when the vaccination expires?
UPDATE: Please note the following is updated code passed in 2013.
The 'feral cat ordinance' passed in 2007 is now a 'community cat ordinance' no doubt as a result of this.
One million dollars. No measurable reduction in the feral cat population. An ordinance that essentially legislates abandonment of former pets. That is Baltimore today thanks to TNR.
Now that a year has passed, maybe the City of Baltimore should conduct a proper evaluation:
http://tnrrealitycheck.com/media/TNR_evaluative_questions.pdf
We received the following email from a Baltimore City resident on February 1st, 2009. Her name has been withheld.
My name is... I live in Baltimore City, Maryland. In 2007 Mayor Sheila Dixon signed into legislation the act of trap neuter and release...
I also went to school to be a vet tech. I have been trying for two+ years to have the MANY strays on our block trapped.
And hopefully humanely euthanized-if need be. Instead-this spring and summer alone-on ONE block-we watched around 23 more
strays brought into the world. Two of the kittens were found dead due to illness. We have had to call the city to
collect 3 dead cats due to being hit by cars. It is so disturbing and enough to disgust anyone with a heart.
I am only one person. I know that there are many others out there who think-feel the way I do.
Unfortunately most are afraid (or don't want to) speak up. After all-take on the government?? Deaf ears there.
I HAVE to do something. I just don't know where to begin. I have collected so much information to get out...
HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have so much in front of me and not an idea to really start.
If you can help me in ANY way-it would be much appreciated. I just can't stand by and watch
this (as I watched a long time resident tom cat be picked up off the street this morning-dead-obviously
by a car. All that's left of him is his blood...
Thank you SO much.
Clearly, TNR is not working in her neck of the woods! In a second email she also had this to say:
...many people are so unaware as to what is going on in their own back yard - and their community. As well as the most important point - how cruel this is to animals.
For information about public health:
http://tnrrealitycheck.com/pubhealth.asp
If your municipality is considering TNR:
http://tnrrealitycheck.com/municipalities.asp
If you live in Baltimore and have information to share about the negative impact or failure of TNR please let the Mayor and the Baltimore City Council know:
City Hall, Room 250
100 N. Holliday Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21202
Phone (410) 396-3835
Fax (410) 576-9425
Email: