Free Roaming Cat Task Force Charge revisions

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calls that would be expected with a reduced and better managed free-roaming cat population. 6. Promote public/private partnerships – The scope of the free roaming cat problem is broad and beyond the capacity of any single agency to address it. OCAS itself has limited resources and has maximized its programs through successful partnerships for spay/neuter outreach and services, as well as fence building in conjunction with tethering ordinance enforcement. Similar partnerships must be identified and cultivated on the free roaming cat issue. 7. Strengthen the cat/human bond – The bond between people and cats must be strengthened. Cultural differences in attitudes toward cats and dogs result in much higher abandonment rates for cats than dogs. This means that spay/neuter alone cannot solve the free roaming cat problem; education and outreach must be an integral part of any program. To accomplish these goals, the Task Force will explore and propose ways to work together as a community to: 1. Educate our citizens about appropriate reproductive strategies and vaccines (rabies) and their overall benefits for the pet. 2. Identify pets with permanent identification that will allow easier tracking of pet/owner relationships (2013 data showed that of the 1483 cats presented to OCAS only 4% or 56 cats were reclaimed by their original owners) 3. Increase spay/neuter and vaccination of free-roaming cat populations by: • Exploring ordinance changes that will facilitate Trap/Neuter and Release programs for free-roaming cats; • Exploring model programs from communities within North Carolina across the nation for addressing free-roaming cat issues; • Identifying community partners to assist in outreach and delivery of spay/neuter, vaccination and identification services; • Identifying mechanisms for outreach and expansion of low cost spay/neuter services to low income segments of population. The Task Force will provide a report to the ASAB containing its recommendations and findings for addressing and improving the plight of free-roaming cats in Orange County.