Partners For Animal Welfare
TNR stands for
"Trap/Neuter/Return". This is a management program to help decrease the populations of Feral and Stray cats.
HOW DOES A TNR PROGRAM WORK?
Homeless cats are humanely trapped, then transported to a veterinarian for sterilizing. The tips of their ears are usually notched, so they can be easily identified as cats that are no longer breeding. In some counties, the cats are also microchipped with the name and contact information of the person volunteering to care for them. They are kept for a few days by a volunteer, then transported back to the site of capture. Volunteers then continue to feed, care for and monitor these colonies of cats.
What is the benefit of a TNR program?
Sterilized stray cats returned to their site of capture no longer breed, and no longer bring the problems associated with intact cats. Over time, the colony disappears as no new kittens are being born and the cats naturally die out. The major benefit is that cats are not dying needlessly and since traditional catch and kill programs cost taxpayers money, TNR programs actually saves lives AND taxpayers money!
70% of all cats brought into the shelter system die.
For Feral cats, that number more closely reaches 100%.
Shelter killing is the number one cause of cat deaths in America.
For years, this has been an ugly truth swept under the rug and performed behind closed doors.
"Catch and Kill" methods do not work to reduce the population of stray cats.
"Trap,Neuter,Return" (TNR)
programs do.
Fortunately, shelter systems across the country are now beginning to understand that a homeless cat does not necessarily need to become a dead cat, and across the country TNR programs are finally beginning to become a more humane and acceptable way to deal with feral cats.
TNR programs aid people in trapping and sterilizing the feral cats in their area. People with feral cat colonies then provide food on a daily basis.
If you wish to help the stray/feral cat populations in your area, please contact the following
organizations....
PALM BEACH COUNTY
Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control recently initiated the
organization Palm Beach County Coalition for Homeless Cats.
They can be reached by calling Palm Beach County Animal Care & Control at 561-233-1200 or going to the PBACC website
http://www.pbcgov.com/publicsafety/animalcare/
BROWARD COUNTY
Broward County also recently initiated a TNR program.
Contact them at
http://www.broward.org/animal/welcome.htm
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY
http://www.thecatnetwork.org/spay_neuter.html