Tuesday night, the Antioch City Council unanimously voted to approve an agreement that lays out specific guidelines for a Trap-Neuter-Release Program (TNR) for downtown Antioch.
The agreement between the City of Antioch and Homeless Animal Response Program (HARP) is good for 1-year and allows HARP to care for animals on three city-owned properties by leaving food and water.
Antioch City Manager Steve Duran highlighted the agreement was formulated over several months of discussion.
According to the Staff Report, the proposed pilot TNR program is being designed to support the following strategies and objectives in the City’s Strategic Plan:
- Strategy B-1: Deploy limited resources effectively to provide animal control services.
- Strategy B-2: Increase animal neutering and adoptions.
- Short Term Objectives:
• Continue and increase outreach to rescue groups and adoption groups.
• Develop and implement a plan to increase neutering of feral cats and decrease this population.
• Increase public’s awareness regarding spaying and neutering animals.
“We believe and hope that the TNR program as advertised can help reduce the feral cat problem downtown,” said Duran. “It’s been growing because in the past people had been feeding, but not doing any trapping and neutering.
Duran noted this was a pilot program for the downtown area to try it out for a year.
“We decided to work with HARP who we felt were best to do this. They have a cat manager who will be responsible for deployment and walked everything to where it (the feeding) can be and when it can be. They also will be authorizing volunteers and get a lanyard made so we know they are authorized to do the feeding so the rogue feeders would be cited.”
Duran noted the feeding stations, three in total, will be on city property stating that they got to a place where it’s something workable.
Susan Smith, a volunteer was glad an agreement came to fruition and thanked city staff.
“I can’t image what it would be like to continue to deny cats their basic food and water. They wait for our volunteers daily and are excited to see us. The roll on the ground and they are just happy. It means so much that we can continue to care for them.
Karen Kops, president of HARP, thanked city staff and Mr. Duran for time and energy into the agreement.
“It means a great deal to us and the community. I want to thank our volunteers and who so diligently made our community better for the animals and their caregivers,” said Kops.
City Councilman Tony Tiscareno stated his appreciation for staff for working this out and acknowledged troubled times in the past with the ordinance put in place.
“I wanted to be as sympathetic as possible asking for a 6-month window so all parties could discuss a way to treat the cats in a humane way and utilize the TNR program,” said Tiscareno.
The Council voted 5-0 to approve the program which is a reversal from their April 2014 decision to ban the feeding of feral cats on all public property. That decision stated that anyone seen feeding feral cats on public property may get fined. The ordinance does allow the feeding of feral cats on private property.
Here is an outline of the program approved on Tuesday:
- The program will be monitored by Animal Control, and run by volunteers participating with an authorized rescue group.
- Volunteers will Trap/Neuter/Return (TNR) unadoptable cats. Volunteers will remove kittens and adoptable cats to animal rescue programs with openings.
- The Community Cat Manager can solicit the assistance of other animal rescue groups with TNR when necessary. The City recognizes the need for occasional mass trappings (when resources are available) to better control the cat population.
- Only assigned volunteers shall be allowed to feed on city property at 3 designated stations as part of the colony management program. Assigned volunteers will be provided with an ID badge. Volunteers will be recruited to regularly clean colony areas.
- Animal Control has conducted a walk-through with volunteers and determined the best areas for feeding stations on City property, as well as documenting issues and places that need improvement.
- Animal Control will continue to work with the authorized animal group(s) to respond to any complaints about cats in this colony.
- Animal Control will oversee the installation of signs that prohibit the public from abandoning animals per California Penal Code 597.1.
- Animal Control will notify the Community Cat Manager if a feral cat, ear-tipped cat or microchipped cat is impounded so it can be relinquished to the appropriate group.
- The authorized animal group shall provide an annual report on the colony to Animal Control. They should also report quarterly spay/neuter results.Animal Control will provide necessary documentation to authorized rescue group(s) and other volunteers helping with TNR, which would allow them to receive any public or private subsidies, grants, medical care or other forms of assistance for colonies in Antioch.
- Animal Control will work with rescue groups to obtain funds and other assistance for low-cost spay/neuter services.
