A PROPOSAL TO THE COMMISSIONERS FROM THE HUMANE SOCIETY OF MORGAN COUNTY
by Kelvin Langley

ISSUE – THERE IS A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH THE LARGE AND GROWING NUMBER OF FERAL AND FREE-ROAMING CATS IN THE COUNTY. THESE ANIMALS ARE NOT FAMILY PETS. THEY GENERALLY LIVE IN LOOSE-KNIT COLONIES NEAR ESTABLISHED RESIDENCES AND BUSINESSES. SINCE THEY DO NOT RECEIVE MEDICAL CARE AND ARE NOT SPAYED OR NEUTERED, THERE NUMBERS ARE GROWING AT AN UNCONTROLLED RATE AND THEY REPRESENT A SIGNIFICANT POTENTIAL HEALTH PROBLEM TO THE CITIZENS AND TO FAMILY PETS OF THE COMMUNITY. THEIR NUMBERS WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE, UNCHECKED, UNTIL A RESPONSIBLE, COMPREHENSIVE, AND HUMANE TNR (TRAP, NEUTER & RELEASE) PROGRAM IS ESTABLISHED AND ADEQUATELY FUNDED WITHIN THE COUNTY.

DISCUSSION – THE COUNTY ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICE, HEALTH DEPARTMENT, PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS, AND ANIMAL WELFARE ORGANIZATIONS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY DO NOT INDIVIDUALLY HAVE THE FINANCIAL RESOURCES OR STAFFING TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. DESPITE THE COUNTY HAVING NO GOVERNING LAWS TO REGULATE OR LICENSE CAT POPULATIONS, THEY DO HAVE AUTHORITY AND RESPONSIBILITY TO ADDRESS LOCAL PUBLIC HEALTH, NUISANCE, AND SANITATION ISSUES. BOTH PRIVATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES ARE FIELDING COUNTLESS DAILY CALLS AND COMPLAINTS FROM CITIZENS REGARDING THE OUT-OF-CONTROL ROAMING CAT POPULATION THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY. CITIZENS ARE DEMANDING ACTION AND SO FAR, GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN UNWILLING, AND PRIVATE ORGANIZATIONS HAVE BEEN UNABLE, TO PROVIDE ANY COORDINATED OR EFFECTIVE CORRECTIVE ACTION. THE HISTORICAL ROOT OF THE PROBLEM CAN BE TRACED BACK TO A LACK OF UNDERSTANDING ON THE PART OF THE PUBLIC FOR RESPONSIBLE SPAYING AND NEUTERING OF FAMILY PETS, WHICH LEADS TO THE ULTIMATE PRODUCTION OF LITTER AFTER LITTER OF UNWANTED, NEGLECTED, AND ULTIMATELY ABANDONED ANIMALS IN THE COUNTY. IN ADDITION TO LAUNCHING AN AGGRESSIVE TNR PROGRAM, INCREASED AWARENESS AND ACTIVE PARTICIPATION ON THE PART OF ALL RESIDENTS TO RESPONSIBLY AND PROACTIVELY SPAY/NEUTER THEIR PETS IS ESSENTIAL FOR ANY LONG-TERM SUCCESS IN CONTROLLING FUTURE CAT POPULATIONS.

PROPOSAL – JURISDICTIONS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY HAVE FOUND THAT THE SINGLE, MOST EFFECTIVE SOLUTION TO DRAMATICALLY REDUCE AND CONTROL FERAL AND FREE-ROAMING CAT POPULATIONS IS THE CREATION AND AGGRESSIVE SUPPORT OF A COMPREHENSIVE TRAP, NEUTER, AND RELEASE (TNR) PROGRAM. THERE HAVE BEEN OVERWHELMING STUDIES AND SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH TO SUPPORT THIS CONCLUSION. IN THE MORE SUBURBAN COUNTIES OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA AND MARYLAND, FERAL AND FREE-ROAMING CAT POPULATIONS HAVE BEEN SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED, IF NOT VIRTUALLY ELIMINATED, BY LOCAL GOVERNMENTS EMBARKING UPON HUMANE TNR INITITIATIVES WITHOUT HAVING TO RESORT TO LARGELY UNSUCCESSFUL AND INHUMANE “TRAP AND KILL” PROGRAMS.

THE HUMANE SOCIETY OF MORGAN COUNTY PROPOSES TO ESTABLISH THE FRAMEWORK AND BEGINNINGS OF A BASIC TNR PROGRAM FOR FERAL AND FREE-ROAMING CATS IN MORGAN COUNTY. WE WILL USE OUR FACILITIES AND VOLUNTEER MANPOWER TO ESTABLISH AND COORDINATE TNR ACTIVITIES ON BEHALF OF THE CITIZENS OF THE COUNTY. WE ARE PREPARED TO ALLOCATE $2,500 OF OUR YEARLY BUDGET, MADE UP OF PRIVATE DONATED FUNDS TO ESTABLISH THIS PROGRAM. WE ARE ASKING THE COMMISSIONERS TO ALLOCATE $5,000 OF PUBLIC MONEY TO HELP ESTABLISH THIS PROGRAM. THE HSMC WILL USE OUR INFLUENCE AND CONTACTS AS A UNITED WAY AGENCY AND LEADER IN THE COMMUNITY FOR ANIMAL WELFARE ISSUES, TO LEVERAGE THIS COMBINED $7,500 TO ATTRACT ADDITIONAL MATCHING FUNDS AND GRANTS FROM LOCAL AND NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS TO GROW THE PROGRAM (AND BUDGET) TO AN APPROPRIATE SIZE NECESSARY TO ADDRESS AND MEET MORGAN COUNTY’S TNR NEEDS IN ORDER TO SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE THE FERAL AND FREE-ROAMING CAT POPULATION IN FUTURE YEARS.

IT MUST BE EMPHASIZED FROM THE OUTSET THAT HSMC’S SUCCESS IN LAUNCHING OR ACHIEVING ANY POSITIVE TNR RESULTS IN REDUCING THE OVERALL FERAL AND FREE-ROAMING CAT POPULATION IN THE COUNTY IS TOTALLY DEPENDENT ON THE AMOUNT OF FINANCIAL AND OTHER LOGISTIC RESOURCES, AS WELL AS ACTIVE COMMUNITY SUPPORT NEEDED TO OPERATE THIS PROGRAM.

HSMC IS NOT ASKING THE COMMISSIONERS FOR ANY COUNTY MANPOWER OR COUNTY PHYSCIAL RESOURCES TO INITIATE THIS PROGRAM. HOWEVER, THE PROGRAM’S ULTIMATE SUCCESS IS DIRECTLY DEPENDENT UPON THE AMOUNT OF FINANCIAL AND LOGISTIC RESOURCES IDENTIFIED FOR LAUNCHING AND SUSTAINING THIS PROGRAM. TO BE FULLY SUCCESSFUL, IT WILL BE NECESSARY TO ENLIST THE SUPPORT OF COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS AND VETERINARY SPAY/NEUTER MEDICAL ASSISTANCE. ON A QUARTERLY BASIS, THE HUMANE SOCIETY WILL PROVIDE PROGRAM PROGRESS REPORTS TO THE COMMISSIONER AND TO THE PUBLIC. THESE REPORTS WILL DETAIL WHAT PRIVATE AND PUBLIC FUNDING HAVE BEEN OBTAINED AND EXPENDED, WHAT SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES HAVE BEEN PERFORMED, AND WHAT NUMBERS OF FERAL AND FREE-ROAMING CATS HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFULLY TRAPED, ALTERED, AND RETURNED TO THEIR NATURAL ENVIRONMENT. COMPLETE RECORDS WILL BE KEPT SHOWING SPECIFIC GEOGRAPHIC AREAS WITHIN THE COUNTY THAT HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFULLY TARGETED FOR TNR ACTION.

PERIODICALLY AND AT A MINIMUM OF ONCE PER YEAR, THE HUMANE SOCIETY AND COUNTY OFFICIALS WILL REVIEW FUNDING LEVELS AND PROGRAM PROGRESS. FUNDING ALLOCATIONS WILL BE DETERMINED AND SET-ASIDE FOR THE NEXT YEAR’S CYCLE. PROGRAM GOALS AND ACHEIVEMENTS WILL BE TOTALLY DEPENDENT UPON THE AMOUNT OF FUNDING, VOLUNTEER LOGISTIC SUPPORT (TRAPPING AND TRANSPORT), AND VETERINARY RESOURCES MADE AVAILABLE TO THE PROGRAM. THE HUMANE SOCIETY WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP, DISTRIBUTE, AND CONDUCT PUBLIC EDUCATION PROGRAMS AND MATERIALS ON TNR AND BROADER SPAY/NEUTER ISSUES FOR THE COMMUNITY AT NO COST TO THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT. IF APPROVED, THE COMMUNITY TNR PROGRAM WILL BE DESIGNED AND OPERATED USING “BEST PRACTICES” AND “LESSONS LEARNED” PRINCIPLES PROMULGATED BY THE HUMANE SOCIETY OF THE UNITES STATES (HSUS), AND THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS (ASPCA). CLOSE COORDINATION WILL BE MAINTAINED WITH OTHER LOCAL AND NATIONAL TNR PROGRAMS AND OTHER LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, WHICH HAVE SUCCESSFULLY IMPLEMENTED TNR PROGRAMS IN THEIR RESPECTIVE AREAS.

THE CURRENT AND IMMEDIATE PROBLEM OF A LARGE FERAL AND FREE-ROAMING CAT POPULATION WITHIN MORGAN COUNTY WILL NOT BE SOLVED IN THE SHORT-TERM. THE PROBLEM WAS NOT CREATED OVERNIGHT AND THE SOLUTION WILL NOT BE ACHIEVED OVERNIGHT. TO ACHEIVE ULTIMATE SUCCESS THERE HAS TO BE AN ONGOING LONG-TERM COMMITMENT ON THE PART OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT, THE CITIZENS, AND PRIVATE ORGANIZATIONS TO SUCCESSFULLY ADDRESS AND BEGIN CORRECTING THIS PROBLEM. THE PRESENT SITUATION CANNOT CONTINUE TO BE IGNORED. IT WILL NOT SELF-CORRECT.

DESIRED LONG-TERM OUTCOME – WITH A PROPERLY RESOURCED, WELL-MANAGED, AND ADEQUATELY FUNDED TNR PROGRAM IN MORGAN COUNTY, THE FERAL AND FREE-ROAMING CAT POPULATION WILL EVENTUALLY BE DRAMATICALLY REDUCED, CONTROLLED, AND CARRIED OUT IN A HUMANE AND SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE MANNER AND CITIZENS WILL SEE THAT LOCAL GOVERNMENT IS ADDRESSING A BASIC COMMUNITY NEED. THE HUMANE SOCIETY OF MORGAN COUNTY, ALONG WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENT, WILL BEGIN TO LEVERAGE LIMITED AVAILABLE RESOURCES AND WILL BEGIN COOPERATIVELY “PARTNERING” TO ADDRESS AND REMEDY LOCAL ANIMAL-RELATED ISSUES.