Right now animal lovers across NJ are facing very big decision. There are only going to be two choices in the end.
Prevention through active TNR conducted by those who feed cats;
or
A return to the days of round-ups, "sweeps," and removal of feral cats.
This is a terrible position to find ourselves in.... but the number of feral and free-roaming friendly cats is increasing on a daily basis. This is due to both a lack of functioning animal control in so many NJ municipalities as well as people feeding feral cats who feel neither compelled nor responsible for neutering.
We have already shown that large scale trapping done by township employees alone is not a valid option due to expense. We have explained and shown that effective trapping is most easily done by feeders as the cats are used to them being a source of food. The best person to monitor for newcomers will always be the colony caretaker, not a person unfamiliar with the colony or municipal employee.
While we understand that not all towns have good or even acceptable animal control programs, we should be able to agree on one fact: Shelters can only kill what the community opts to breed! In my 25 years of rescue work I have never heard of a shelter that breeds animals simply to kill them later. They are all coming from the public.
We need animal shelter and animal control reform but we also must have laws that require those who feed unaltered animals to be responsible. We would never suggest not offering assistance to those in need; however, part of the decison to feed should include a commitment to be responsible for the cats' fixing and medical needs.
It is time to make a decision before one is made for us. It is time to be responsible and step outside our comfort zones before it is too late. Please join us as we question the systems that are allowing trained officers to sit out of the animal overpopulation crisis and people to feed without fixing.
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