It used to be a crime in Fort Pierce, Florida, USA to sterilise (spay or neuter) feral cats. I find this information fascinating and very surprising. You would have thought that every city or council or state in the USA would at least allow people to spay or neuter feral cats because by doing so you reduce their numbers which should please everybody. To make it a crime seems absurd.
However, the city commission decided to change its animal control laws. It now allows people to trap and then spay or neuter stray cats. It also allows people to take stray cats to veterinarians to be spayed or neutered and then released.
The city commissioners saw the light having met with animal-rights groups. Before the change in the law, anyone who paid for spaying or neutering stray cats would have been fined between $50 and $250. The fine depended upon the number of times a person had committed the crime.
Is also interesting to note that tcpal.com reports that Fort Pierce is the only local government on the Treasure Coast which allows TNR. This is according to Susan Parry who is the president of United for Animals and animal rights group based in Fort Pierce. I find that rather strange as well, I must admit.
Unbelievably unbelievable…
It looked unbelievable to me too. On reflection the reason may have been to stop people feeding feral cats as part of TNR programs. They think feeding attracts other animals.
Wow! I cannot believe that Fort Pierce was so archaic. I live in the Daytona Beach area of Florida. Fort Pierce is about 140 miles south of here travelling by car. So happy to know that they have changed their laws. Are you saying that other cities local to Fort Pierce are still against TNR? They need to follow suit and change their laws also.