Free Roaming Cat Task Force Charge revisions

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Orange County Animal Services Advisory Board Free-roaming Cat Task Force Charge: DRAFT February 5, 2014 BACKGROUND In January 2010, Orange County Animal Services (OCAS), in conjunction with the Animal Services Advisory Board (ASAB), developed “Managing Pet Overpopulation: A Strategic Plan for Orange County, NC.” The Orange County Board of County Commissioners approved the plan in 2010. The plan states: “Animal Services staff and the Animal Services Advisory Board (ASAB) recognize that the problem of pet overpopulation is a community problem and must be addressed on a fundamental level by targeting and preventing the root cause, namely the birth of unwanted litters of puppies and kittens…” Goals identified in the plan included lowering animal intakes to the OCAS center, thereby controlling costs; increasing the annual rate of targeted spay/neuter of dogs and cats to 5 per 1000 county residents (approximately 600 per year); and reducing the euthanasia rate to 35 percent or lower over a period of five years. Fundamentally, the plan represents smart fiscal and humane policy. By investing in pro-active strategies to address pet overpopulation now, Orange County will be saving taxpayer dollars over the long run, by reducing the numbers of animals entering the shelter system, lowering euthanasia rates and reducing the costs of providing services over time. Current data shows that OCAS has surpassed the 32% euthanasia rate goal, but OCAS and the ASAB agree that more progress can be made to further decrease animal intake and euthanasia numbers. Strategies employed by OCAS to address pet overpopulation have been successful to date, and the investments made in strategic spay neuter and adoption outreach have had an impact. But, it is necessary to remain vigilant and continue the significant effort. Since the population of Orange County is continuing to increase, OCAS must continue to be aggressive in its approach to pet overpopulation in order to keep this significant community problem under control. Cats continue to be a special issue of concern within the overall pet overpopulation problem. The strategic plan identified feral cats as an area needing special attention, because at the time, feral cats accounted for 30 percent of all cats euthanized at the shelter. In 2012, OCAS ended its long-time practice of trapping and euthanizing feral cats. The number of feral cats euthanized has since declined, but stray or free-roaming cats remain a significant source of the OCAS’ annual animal intake. DEFINITIONS The task force recognizes that the issue of cats in the community is broader than just ferals. As a result, the task force has decided to focus its attention more broadly to free-roaming cats in