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Mogadore Village Council
Attn: Mayor Mike Rick
135 S. Cleveland Ave
Mogadore, OH 44260
Dear Mayor Rick and Mogadore Village Council,
Alley Cat Allies is reaching out to express our shock and disturbance regarding the Village’s recent aggressive, cruel, and unnecessary resolution agreeing that the Village will pay the $25.00 fee to Summit County Animal Control for any “feral” cat trapped and surrendered by residents of the Village. This effectively places a bounty on the heads of many community cats, as well as owned cats who may be terrified when trapped. We urge you to rescind this cruel subsidization of killing immediately and urge you to support Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) instead.
Alley Cat Allies is the leader of the global movement to protect cats and kittens. Through our innovative programs and fearless advocacy, we champion the humane treatment of all cats. We work toward a world where every cat is valued and protected, and every community and shelter has policies and programs to defend them.
Founded in 1990, Alley Cat Allies launched TNR into the mainstream in the United States, and we regularly work with lawmakers, animal shelters, and the public to change attitudes and advance lifesaving laws and policies that best serve the interests of cats. We offer the opportunity to provide our expertise and resources to Mogadore.
Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) Is The Only Humane, Effective Approach
Mogadore should support the only humane and effective approach to community cats that improves cats’ lives and the community—and that is TNR. Through TNR, community cats are humanely trapped; brought to a veterinary clinic to be spayed or neutered, eartipped (the universal sign that a cat has been spayed or neutered through a TNR program), and vaccinated; and then are returned to their original outdoor homes.
TNR is proven to stabilize community cat populations by stopping the cycle of reproduction; improve the cats’ health and public health through vaccinations; and benefit animal control agencies and shelters by reducing cat intake and calls of concern. Today, communities in Ohio and across the country have adopted TNR ordinances or policies, and thousands more worldwide are conducting grassroots, volunteer-led programs.
Recognizing the reality that TNR programs do not always fit squarely within the four corners of existing legal structures, the American Bar Association, the largest association of legal professionals in the United States, took a position in 2017 urging state and local governments to interpret current laws and policies in a way that facilitates TNR. Therefore, it is critical that laws, policies, and interpretations are in place to permit TNR.
Please Support TNR
We urge you not to penalize the compassionate people of the Mogadore community who spend their own money and time caring for these cats and ensuring they are spayed and neutered. We ask that you reject Mogadore’s current payment of fees for surrender of trapped cats to the shelter and support community volunteers and TNR instead.
Alley Cat Allies is here to offer our expertise and support in finding solutions that humanely and effectively address any problems or concerns you have. I am happy to provide any other information that would be helpful, and I hope to hear from you soon.
The post Tell Mogadore, Ohio, to Take the Bounty Off Community Cats appeared first on Alley Cat Allies.