Flushing tax dollars down the drain

From this morning's Herald

Stray cats strut way back onto city agenda
By MICHAEL LIGHTSTONE City Hall Reporter
Sun. Jan 10 - 4:46 AM
The timeless issue of cat control in metro has clawed its way back to city hall.
Regional council has long been wondering what to do with up to 94,000 carousing stray cats that call the mean streets of Halifax Regional Municipality home.
A municipal staff report attached to Tuesday’s council agenda says the city can try a "trap, neuter and return" program to help corral kitties at a cost of $596,700 a year.
The Dec. 4 report doesn’t address the pet cat issue, which councillors dealt with periodically for years. It focuses on feral felines, which are the wild and untamed variety of cats.
In 2007, regional council defeated a motion to allow a non-profit organization to carry out a stray cat program on behalf of the municipality. The group had proposed a plan where strays would be humanely trapped, checked by veterinarians, vaccinated and sterilized.
Under such a plan, "kittens and tame stray cats are adopted into homes and healthy adult feral cats are returned to their outdoor territories to be monitored and cared for," the staff report says. "The intent of (the program) is to lower the cat population by breaking the reproduction cycle."
The report was prepared and authorized by Halifax Regional Police brass. It says the city’s proposed trap, neuter and return program, if approved, won’t do much to satisfy citizen complaints about feral or pet cats on their properties.
It says there are no municipal rules allowing for the enforcement of nuisance-related incidents.
There are between 39,348 and 93,600 pet cats in the municipality, says the report, submitted by Chief Frank Beazley. Animal Services staff responded to 104 complaints last year regarding cats allegedly being a nuisance, it says.
In October 2007, after years of debate, Halifax council passed an animal control bylaw requiring cat owners to license their pets. The headline-making bylaw, which passed 11-9, also gives animal control officers the power to trap and euthanize cats in some cases.
But the cat cause, it turned out, was far from dead. In June 2008, council decided to move responsibility of the matter over to the Nuisance Bylaw.
For city hall critics, including many readers of The Chronicle Herald, the issue was a galvanizing one and an embarrassment for metro’s municipal government. Even a few councillors publicly spanked the municipality for spending so much time on cats.
Regarding a city-run trap, neuter and return program affecting strays, the December staff report says 1,300 feral cats could be trapped annually. The report breaks down the cost: $195,000 for shelter, based on an average six-night stay; $195,000 for vaccination and sterilization; $145,000 for housing, food and ongoing veterinarian care and $61,700 for an extra Animal Services officer.
The report says city staff checked with 17 Canadian municipalities to see how they handle stray cats, "and consulted other key stakeholders and experts."
Halifax city hall does not have the legislative teeth to attack the feral cat issue, it concludes.
A trap, neuter and return program "is a long-term approach that may reduce the stray cat population," it says. "However, it would have a minimal impact on the current nuisance issues."
( mlightstone@herald.ca)
Well then. Now if you read the original report, ( which is available online at
http://www.halifax.ca/council/agendasc/cagenda.html or, jic it mysteriously vanishes, at Staff Report ) you will see that the first thing that the report does is question and try to downplay the actual numbers of the feral cats.
It does acknowledge that HRM has engaged the services of TNR groups who "practice a form of TNR", but all in all the focus of the report is not about addressing the population problem but rather about finding a more immediate solution to the nuisance complaints.
For feral cats, immediate usually carries the promise of Very Unhappy Tails. There is no mention made in this report of the Vacuum Effect. Nor does it even brush on the fact that the N in TNR effectively reduces the nuisance behaviors.
Instead, it attempts to frighten the pants off the councillors by implying that it would be exorbitantly expensive to address the issue in a humane way. It would take a more optimistic soul than I not to view that as a precursor to justifying killing on a massive scale.
PO Box 1749
Halifax, Nova Scotia
B3J 3A5, Canada
Item No. 3
Halifax Regional Council
January 12, 2010
TO: Mayor Kelly and Members of Halifax Regional Council
SUBMITTED BY: ___________________________________________________________
Frank A. Beazley, Chief of Police
DATE: December 4, 2009
SUBJECT: Trap, Neuter and Return (TNR) Program
INFORMATION REPORT
ORIGIN
On September 22, 2009, Regional Council passed a motion requesting a staff report be provided
in time for next year’s budget deliberations on a TNR (Trap, Neuter, Return) program for HRM’s
feral cat population.
BACKGROUND
During the Regional Council meeting of October 16, 2007, a Supplementary Report containing
information on TNR programs was submitted and discussed. Regional Council defeated a motion
to allow the non profit organization PACS to carry out a TNR program on behalf of the
municipality. At that time, Regional Council had determined that a TNR program would not
operate as a component of HRM Animal Services.
Trap, Neuter and Return (TNR) Program - 2 - January 12, 2010
Council Report
DISCUSSION
Estimated Cat Population:
Based on our research there are numerous formulas used to estimate owned domesticated cat
populations. The Calgary model would estimate HRM’s owner cat population to be 39,248. The
Consultant report of 2005, stated 93, 600. Staff were unable to locate a formula that would
calculate the stray/feral (untamed domestic) cat population; however, it has been suggested that
the stray/feral cat population is equivalent to the owned domestic cat population, placing it
between 40,000 and 94,000 stray/ feral cats in HRM.
A TNR program consists of stray/ feral cats being humanly trapped, then evaluated, vaccinated,
and sterilized by veterinarians. Kittens and tame (stray) cats are adopted into homes and healthy
adult feral cats are returned to their outdoor territories to be monitored and cared for. The intent
of TNR is to lower the cat population by breaking the reproduction cycle.
Staff have completed research on 17 Canadian Municipalities and consulted other key
stakeholder and experts. Based on the research completed there is no legislation in place
regarding TNR programs. The TNR programs continue to be operated in Canada through
various animal groups.
Current Situation:
Through previous public hearings and discussions with stakeholders it appears there are
individuals and groups within the HRM that currently practice a form of TNR. The HRM has
previously supported through the Grants Program individuals and groups that are currently
operating TNR Programs.
The HRM currently receives numerous Tier 1 complaints from citizens whose concerns are
relative to stray/feral cats that are causing a nuisance in their area. The current legislation does
not allow for enforcement of these issues. The Tier 1 complaints are addressed by the Corporate
Call Centre. It should be noted that Animal Services has responded to 104 complaints since
January 2009 regarding nuisance owned cat issues. A TNR program is a long term approach that
may reduce the stray/feral cat population, however it would have a minimal impact on the
current nuisance issues.
TNR Components:
The components associated with a TNR program would include the following:
- capturing/trapping
- sterilization
- recuperation
- maintenance of the colony- includes housing, food, etc.
Trap, Neuter and Return (TNR) Program - 3 - January 12, 2010
Council Report
The forecasted additional operational costs for an HRM operated TNR Program is $596,700.00
based on the following assumptions:
• additional FTE is required due to the expansion of the scope of work Animal Services
currently provides;
• the current Animal Service fleet is sufficient to accommodate an additional Animal
Service Officer, therefore no additional vehicles are required;
• 1300 cats trapped annually based on 5 cats/day x 5 days/week x 52 weeks; and
• a sponsored TNR program requires a volunteer maintenance program for the colonies.
Budget Breakdown
Animal Service Officer - annual salary, benefits and
equipment
$61,700.00
Average rate for sterilization and vaccination of a cat (less
for neuter, more for spay) 1300 x $150.00
$195,000.00
Shelter costs based on an average 6 night stay for
recuperation per cat 1300 x $150.00
$195,000.00
Annual costs for housing, food and ongoing vet care for
1300 cats/year
$145,000.00
Total annual costs $596,700.00
BUDGET IMPLICATIONS
There would be budget implications if HRM were to fund a TNR program. The total annual
budget would be approximately $596,700.00.
FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT POLICIES/BUSINESS PLAN
This report complies with the Municipality’s Multi-Year Financial Strategy, the approved
Operating, Capital and Reserve budgets, policies and procedures regarding withdrawals from the
utilization of Capital and Operating reserves, as well as any relevant legislation.
Trap, Neuter and Return (TNR) Program - 4 - January 12, 2010
Council Report
ATTACHMENTS
A copy of this report can be obtained online at http://www.halifax.ca/council/agendasc/cagenda.html
then choose the appropriate meeting date, or by contacting the Office of the Municipal Clerk at 490-
4210, or Fax 490-4208.
Report Prepared by: Supt. William Moore, Halifax Regional Police, 490-4817
Report Approved by: _________________________________________________
Deputy Chief F.A. Burbridge, Halifax Regional Police, 490-7138
AND .... it only takes a quick read of the comments in response to the story (http://thechronicleherald.ca/Front/1161522.html) to understand how much education is still needed with respect to TNR.
Did I say education? Isn't that one of the primary mandates of the society? The same society that has taken a formal position of support for Feral Cats and TNR Population Control Programs ?
Would this not be a highly appropriate time for the society to implement a public education program wrt TNR on all the municipal websites in the province? Would this be the suitable time for the society to use the weight of its position as the official voice for the animals to educate the municipal decision makers.
If HRM can run commercials about what can and cannot be flushed, there is no reason why they can't run spots for TNR.
As a sidebar to that, there is no reason why HRM needs to engage the services of another AC person. Would it not be more appropriate to have a tender for TNR and allow the experienced and volunteer experts to take charge of the frontline work?
And of course, at the risk of sounding like a stuck record ... this is the best argument I've seen yet for providing publicly available Animal Control statistics in this province.
What time is it? Its way past time to stop flushing tax dollars down the drain with Catch and Kill and address the problem properly with the efficient, effective and time tested tool of TNR.
The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing... - Albert Einstein