BAYTOWN, Texas – Animal advocates in the Baytown area are expected to go before a panel of elected officials on Thursday to ask for a more humane way to control the “community cat” population.
Best Friends Animal Society, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that operates the nation’s largest sanctuary for homeless animals, says it has the support of hundreds of residents who want a more progressive approach to the area’s stray cat issue.
“We trap them, bring them in here for surgery,” employee Sophia Proler said. “As I mentioned, they get a rabies vaccine, a vet takes a look at them.”
Proler explained to KPRC 2 what the “community cat program” entails, in all.
Stray or free-roaming cats are humanely trapped, vaccinated, then spayed or neutered before they’re released back to their outdoor homes – only this time, they can’t reproduce.
It’s something the city of Houston allows and those involved say they want to see Baytown endorse the same program.
Proler says the current method of capturing and euthanizing unowned, outdoor cats to control the population- isn’t working.
“We really believe this is the most progressive, humane approach that Baytown should consider adopting,” she said. “You’re able to reduce the cat population over time outside, maintain those populations as healthy, and reduce killing in the shelters of those cats who really don’t have another option.”
The organization will go before city council on Thursday evening to explain why they should endorse this program.
They also say they’ll help with financial support at the start of the program.
For more information on community cat programs in the Houston area, visit Bestfriends.org/Houston.
