The issue of what to do with feral cats was the primary point of discussion at this morning's Hillsborough Board of County Commissioners meeting. The Hillsborough County Animal Services task force recently released a preliminary report aimed at minimizing the number of lost or stray animals that are euthanized at the county shelter each year. One of the recommendations was for shelter adoption centers to stay open longer. But the heart of the plan is what led to controversy. It's dubbed "TNR," for trap-neuter-release, and supporters of the plan made their presence known inside the county center on Wednesday morning, all wearing light green t-shirts that read, "Be the Way Home."
The plan was approved by the County Commission 6-1, with Victor Crist dissenting.
According to Ian Hallett, the county's Animal Services director, there are approximately 200,000-400,000 feral cats roaming the county, only 2 percent of which are sterilized. While almost 20,000 cats and dogs end up in county shelters annually, only 20 percent of those cats are picked up by residents who want a pet, with the rest being euthanized.
This article appears in Apr 25 – May 1, 2013.