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Item 2AAGENDA ITEM # 2A OCTOBER 13, 2008 STAFF REPORT City of Atlantic Beach Commission Meeting AGENDA ITEM: Report on Feral Cats (T'NR Proposal) DATE: September 26, 2008 ~~ SUBMITTED BY: David E. Thompson~hief of Police/DPS BACKGROUND: First Coast No More Homeless Pets (FCNMHP) is a local organization that has approached the City of Atlantic Beach about participating in the Feral Freedom Program. This program is currently being operated in Jacksonville, Jacksonville Beach, and in Neptune Beach, but the Atlantic Beach Code has provisions that make it unlawful in Atlantic Beach. FCNMHP would like for Atlantic Beach to modify its code so that the program can be operated in Atlantic Beach. Debbie Fields with FCNMHP is going to do a presentation at the October 13, 2008 City Commission meeting to discuss the goals of their organization and the basic facets of the proposed program. This report is intended to provide information to the elected officials so that they may make an informed decision relative to the FCNMHP request. When this idea was proposed to staff, research was immediately initiated to find out more about similar programs. A number of resources were identified including ordinances, guides, articles, and evaluations from various professional organizations as well as governmental entities. Staff Conclusions: There have been a number of successful Trap-Neuter-Release (TNR) programs around the country in both urban and suburban settings. These programs have greatly reduced the number of cats being euthanized, while removing diseased/unhealthy cats from the public. Additionally, kittens are identified and removed while they can be domesticated, and they can be successfully adopted to new homes. In addition to the advantages noted above, the program tends to reduce nuisance behaviors that tend to bring the feral cats into conflict with people. If managed appropriately, the feral cats can coexist with people without generating health problems or complaints from citizens. AGENDA ITEM # 2A OCTOBER 13, 2008 Requirements: A TNR program is more than simply trapping cats, spaying/neutering them, vaccinating them, and setting them loose. To be successful, several key components must be present: 1. Public Information: Before and during the implementation of a TNR program, citizens must be educated about the program and about feral cats. Most citizens are in favor of reducing the number of cats being destroyed, but they also have legitimate concerns for the impact of nuisance cats in the neighborhood. Once educated about the program, some citizens volunteer to help, and most citizens accept the program. They understand that most of the nuisance behaviors can be eliminated without destroying the cats. However, there are going to be some citizens who will oppose the program, and in some cases, it may be necessary to eliminate cats through traditional enforcement actions. 2. Managing a feral cat colony requires a responsible caretaker. The colony must be monitored for new additions, unhealthy cats, kittens, and other factors. This requires commitment and recordkeeping to assure that the caretaker is monitoring the colony appropriately. To assure that this is being done, it is imperative for the local animal authority to have access to the records. 3. The need for traditional Animal Control services will remain. This program can supplement a local animal control program, and cooperation between the organizations will be mutually beneficial. However, the need for traditional animal control will remain. 4. The proposed 'I'NR funding is entirely based on charitable donations and the volunteer efforts of citizens. The program will not incur additional demands on funding or staffing resources from the City of Atlantic Beach. 5. Based on the current City Code, a TNR program is not lawful in Atlantic Beach. BUDGET: None RECOMMENDATIONS: After reviewing the information and considering the presentation from FCNMHP, if the City Commission is so inclined, then staff can make adjustments to the City Code that will allow for the implementation of a TNR program in Atlantic Beach. The code changes will require Commission review and approval. Staff also recommends establishing a sunset provision that will require a review and evaluation of the program before a specified date. ATTACHMENTS: Feral Freedom Program Overview REVIEWED BY CITY MANAGER: AGEN A ITEM NUMBER: AGENDA ITEM # 2A OCTOBER 13, 2008 f1F!J7Ct~,i C`~ , 4 Feral Freedom Program Overview What is the Feral Freedom Program? A humane solution to feral car over- population. The City of Jacksonville has partnered with First Coast No More Homeless Pets to solve this issue. TNR is the only viable solution as Trap and Kill has been proven not to work. Why doesn't trap and kill or removal work? Feral cats are territorial. The presence of feral cats in an area typically means there is a food source and good quality of life nearby. Ferals locate a territory and stay there. When cats are removed, the gap that is left is not only filled by new cats, but the reduced numbers cause cats to become super virile, reproducing much more rapidly to rebuild. Removing the food source does not work as cats will remain in the territory, scavenge for new food sources, and suffer in the interim. What is TNR? Trap Neuter Return. Cats are trapped, sterilized and returned to their territory allowing that the conditions are appropriate. By returning the cats, the numbers stay, yet the breeding does not, since ferals tend to live much shorter lives the numbers dwindle. The sterilized cats lose most of the "nuisance" tendencies within less than a week so they also become better neighbors. What is a feral cat? A feral cat should really be considered "urban wildlife". These cats have become feral either by owner abandonment or by being born into the environment. The lack of human contact makes them more wild and leery of people. These cats have the ability to survive on their own similar to a raccoon. PDF created with pdfFactory trial version www.pdffactory.com AGENDA ITEM # 2A OCTOBER 13, 2008 Step By Step Process: • When Jacksonville ACC receives cats that have been trapped they are set aside at the shelter. ACC staff provides paperwork for each cat with details on exactly where the cat was trapped, and any other pertinent facts. • These cats are screened by ACC staff to insure they are in fact feral (have been and currently have the ability to survive on their own) and that they are not noticeably sick or injured. • FCNMHP staffers pick up cats twice daily at ACC. Our staff does a second screening. Cats that fit the program are loaded into our transport van and taken to our clinic. • Clinic staff inspects the cats a third time. Cats are lined up for surgery. • Each cat is given tests for known diseases (and euthanized if positive), then sterilized, given outdoor cat vaccinations, ear tipped (to notate fixed feral), treated if there are any minor injuries or problems, microchipped, and entered into the feral database. • The day after surgery if the cat is responding well, it is returned to it's territory. Returns are done in the FCNMHP Transport vehicle that is clearly marked. Our staff are always willing to stop an answer any questions. • Part of the return process is to deliver feral cat information and help to the surrounding neighborhood within the cat's range of territory. This is done upon release. • Questions, complaints and concerns go to the FCNMHP hotline where our knowledgeable staff can help with tips and answers. • In the event a cat is still displaying nuisance behaviors, FCNMHP has various products to assist the situation. • Repeatedly trapped cats are handled by ACC officers as the situation merits. • FCNMHP also has a dedicated page on our web site to answer commonly asked questions or provide resources to those who request information. • In known problem areas, FCNMHP will do public education drops- delivering our information to those in the area. PDF created with pdfFactory trial version www.gdffactory.com AGENDA ITEM # 2A OCTOBER 13, 2008 Ways you can make the program more effective: • Provide full details when transferring ferals to ACC. • Tell us about problem areas for advance education. • Add a link www.fcnmhp.or~ to your web site. • Make sure all those who answer calls have the FCNMHP hotline number to give out 904-425-0005. • Realize that every thriving feral cat dos have a caregiver in some capacity and that a nuisance call is only half of the equation. • Know some of the easy ways to curb nuisance problems or be ready to give out the hotline number. Other important points: • The vast majority of nuisance callers, once aware of the options desire to have these cats live and return rather than be killed. • A thriving feral cat does not have to live in a colony. Very often small numbers of ferals live in a neighborhood are often are fed by multiple caregivers. • FCNMHP would NEVER release a young kitten, or a domestic cat, regardless of how the cat was acquired. These cats do not have the means to survive and would therefore not fit the program requirements. • There are many success stories across the nation for TNR, and there have already been several in Atlantic Beach. FCNMHP resources: • No part of the program is paid for by taxpayers. FCNMHP and a grant from Best Friends cover the costs of the program. • FCNMHP owns over 300 traps, a transports van, staff to manage the program, and we operate a spay neuter clinic. • In early 2009 the new 16,000 SF Spay Neuter clinic will open, allowing us to do close to 250 surgeries EVERY DAY. PDF created with pdfFactory trial version www.pdffactor .com AGENDA ITEM # 2A OCTOBER 13, 2008 About FCNMHP: At First Coast No More Homeless Pets we have been providing Free to Low Cost Spay/Neuter surgeries since 2003. We have a number of different programs to serve our community, low income clients, feral and stray caretakers, and pet owners who would not otherwise have their animals altered. We have facilitated over 28,000 surgeries in the First Coast area, and have seen an overall reduction in shelter intake of pets by 31%, and reductions in puppy and kitten intake by 44% and 52%, respectively. We operate a small temporary clinic currently that provides surgeries for cats. We recently added a Saturday weekly low cost vaccination clinic. We have two full time veterinarians on staff. PDF created with pdfFactory trial version www.pdffactory.com