The B.C. SPCA confirms what those involved in trap-neuter-return (TNR) already know: the program works!
Over the past seven years, funding for grantees across the British Columbia province has resulted in 830 community cats being fixed. During that time the cat colonies have decreased in size and health has improved in the colony cats who have undergone vetting.
Not only have the numbers gone down, but the community is now embracing TNR.
In an interview with Sookenewsmirror B.C. SPCA outreach specialist, Marieke van der Velden stated
“It’s been exciting to see the results and hear the long-term impact from former grantees. Not only do the animals get the spay/neuter surgery but they also receive veterinary care that helps them have a better life.”
Cats are assessed for sociability as part of the program requirements which means some may end up as indoor cats after being adopted out through rescues and sheltering agencies. Others go into a barn cat program.
TNR is simple math. The fewer fertile cats coupled with the cats who are determined calm enough to become indoor ‘family cats’ means there are fewer cats in feral colonies. It’s a win-win situation
The deadline is March 15 for anyone wanting to apply for a grant for the program. It supports non-profit community organizations, veterinarians, First Nation communities and local governments working to reduce the pet population.
I feel the mandatory assessment is making a big difference. No telling how many cats who have lost their home or been abandoned try to join a colony to survive. It’s nice to know the ones deemed adoptable have a chance at a forever home, which reduces the size of the colony.