FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 5, 2012
MEDIA CONTACTS: Collin Nash & Sid Nathan | (516) 869-7794
Town of North Hempstead Launch Feral Cat Spay-Neuter-Return Program
North Hempstead, NY– With multiplying feral cat colonies creating headaches for communities throughout the Town, North Hempstead Supervisor Jon Kaiman and the Town Board last week announced the implementation of a Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program aimed at controlling and reducing the number of feral cats.
“Destroying feral cats is contrary to our animal control policies and goals,” Supervisor Kaiman said, noting that municipal cat shelters that takes in wild cats typically ends up euthanizing them. “Considering the limitations of such programs, we have introduced an initiative which humanely traps, alters, vaccinate and returns feral cats to their colonies.”
It is estimated that between 30 and 40 million homeless cats live in the United States. The vast majority of these are feral cats, the descendants of tame, unaltered animals that were abandoned and have subsequently birthed kittens that have never had human contact. Feral cats have the potential to spread rabies, a viral disease that can cause acute encephalitis or inflammation of the brain. They are not adoptable because they are not socialized.
Under North Hempstead’s TNR program, the Town works in partnership with Helping Paw, a not-for-profit organization, to humanely trap, alter, vaccinate, and return the cat to its colony. The twice-a-month spay and neuter clinics are available free of charge to North Hempstead residents.
Those needing assistance with feral cats are asked to call 311 and initiate a service request. A staff person from the Feral Cat Program will contact you.