Editor’s note: Sydney Johnson is a senior at Plant City High School and enrolled in a journalism class through Florida Virtual School.
Because of a rise in the number of homeless animals on the Tampa Bay Area streets, local shelters and non-profit organizations promote the use of an alternative solution to euthanasia, Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Release.
In Hillsborough County alone, almost 7,000 cats were euthanized in 2012, because of overpopulation. There are an estimated 200,000 cats living outside in colonies, whether feral, strays or abandoned pets, in the Tampa Bay area. Shelters do not have enough space to accommodate all these cats, and are forced to euthanize.
However, a few local animal shelters are taking a stand to overcome this issue. An alternative solution to euthanasia is in the works, and it is working. Terese Locash, the foster coordinator for Cat Crusaders, can’t stress enough the benefits of TNVR.
“In May 2013, Hillsborough County Commissioners passed a resolution recognizing Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return to better control community cat populations,” she said. “If this doesn’t encourage the use of TNVR, I don’t know what will.”
TNVR, is the method of humanely trapping feral cats, having them spayed or neutered, vaccinated for rabies and then returning them to their colony to live out their lives. Thanks to local non-profit organizations such as Cat Crusaders, as well as the Humane Society of Tampa, the number of kittens born to feral colonies is being reduced. Shelters will let them live the remainder of their lives on the street now that they are unable to reproduce.
But, shelters and organizations aren’t the only ones who can push forward this cause and stop euthanasia. Pet owners have the power to prevent more stray cats from being born. It is crucial for pet owners to recognize the importance of having their pet spayed/neutered as soon as receiving it and before letting it go outside. This will ensure breeding will not occur, increasing populations of cats living on the streets.
“The entire reason we have a pet over-population problem is because of irresponsible pet owners who do not, or did not spay/neuter their pets and then let them outside.” Locash said. Together, though, with the help of individuals and organizations alike, TNVR can prevail, halting the use of euthanasia forever.”
If not for the local pet rescue organizations and their volunteers, TNVR would never have reached the wide scale it has today. There have been more than 40,000 cats serviced by the Humane Society and ACT, the two biggest, low-cost spay/neuter clinics in Tampa. Locash is a member of Cat Crusaders a non-profit, all-volunteer rescue dedicated to helping re-home cats and assist with the spay/neuter awareness and education.
“CC is the largest rescue, behind the Humane Society, that pulls cats/kittens off of death row in HCAS (Hillsborough County Animal Services),” Locash said.
In addition, the group supports the TNVR community with much-needed funds while also educating the community about TNVR through social-media outlets.
Cat Crusaders plays a major role not only in rescuing adoptable cats from “death row” in local kill shelters, but also finding homes for rescues and administering TNVR to local feral colonies. The organization also helps relocate some strays as well as animals that have been surrendered or are housed at any Bay Area shelter. On average, Locash said about 500 cats per year are placed in permanent homes, because of the organization’s efforts.