The Impact of an Integrated Program of Return-to-Field and Targeted Trap-Neuter-Return on Feline Intake and Euthanasia at a Municipal Animal Shelter

Abstract

Simple SummaryDramatic declines in the number of cats admitted to and euthanized at U.S. shelters have taken place in recent decades. Still, millions of cats, many of them free-roaming, enter shelters each year. At some facilities, as many as 70% of feline admissions are euthanized, and it is estimated that, nationally, up to one million or more cats are euthanized each year. New approaches, including return-to-field (RTF) and targeted trap-neuter-return (TNR) appear to have transformative potential. The present study examines changes in feline intake and euthanasia, as well as impacts on associated metrics, at a municipal animal shelter in Albuquerque, New Mexico, after formal RTF and targeted TNR protocols, collectively referred to as a community cat program (CCP), were added to ongoing community-based TNR efforts and a pilot RTF initiative. As part of the three-year CCP, 11,746 cats were trapped, sterilized, vaccinated and returned or adopted. Feline euthanasia at the Albuquerque Animal Welfare Department (AAWD) declined by 84.1% and feline intake dropped by 37.6%; the live release rate (LRR) increased by 47.7% due primarily to these reductions in both intake and euthanasia. Modest increases in the percentage of cats returned to owner (RTO) and the adoption rate were also observed, although both metrics decreased on an absolute basis, while the number of calls to the city about dead cats declined.AbstractAvailable evidence indicates that overall levels of feline intake and euthanasia at U.S. shelters have significantly declined in recent decades. Nevertheless, millions of cats, many of them free-roaming, continue to be admitted to shelters each year. In some locations, as many as 70% of cats, perhaps up to one million or more per year nationally, are euthanized. New approaches, including return-to-field (RTF) and targeted trap-neuter-return (TNR) appear to have transformative potential. The purpose of the present study was to examine changes in feline intake and euthanasia, as well as additional associated metrics, at a municipal animal shelter in Albuquerque, New Mexico, after institutionalized RTF and targeted TNR protocols, together referred to as a community cat program (CCP), were added to ongoing community-based TNR efforts and a pilot RTF initiative. Over the course of the CCP, which ran from April 2012 to March 2015, 11,746 cats were trapped, sterilized, vaccinated, and returned or adopted. Feline euthanasia at the Albuquerque Animal Welfare Department (AAWD) declined by 84.1% and feline intake dropped by 37.6% over three years; the live release rate (LRR) increased by 47.7% due primarily to these reductions in both intake and euthanasia. Modest increases in the percentage of cats returned to owner (RTO) and the adoption rate were also observed, although both metrics decreased on an absolute basis, while the number of calls to the city about dead cats declined.

Cat Owners: How they Keep and Care for Their Own Cats and Their Attitudes to Stray and Feral Cats in Germany

“…It is estimated that 70% of feline admissions to animal shelters are euthanized in the U.S. [17]. The euthanasia of healthy cats, equally of stray and feral cats, is forbidden in Germany ( § 1 German Animal Welfare Act) [18] , but it is allowed by law that municipalities can establish population management programs.…”

“…The euthanasia of healthy cats, equally of stray and feral cats, is forbidden in Germany ( § 1 German Animal Welfare Act) [18] , but it is allowed by law that municipalities can establish population management programs. To reduce an overpopulation of cats, the trap-neuter-return (TNR) program has been successfully established in many countries [5,17,[19][20]. Different methods of surgical or non-surgical contraception, health control, permanent identification, and return/release programs have been launched and analyzed [7,14,[21][22], Kalz [23] found that the population density decreased if all females of a population were spayed and tomcats stayed uncastrated.…”

“…It has been estimated that there are nearly two million stray and feral cats in Germany [24], but the true number of these cats is unknown and difficult to estimate. The development of feline intake and euthanasia at shelters, the number of cats fed by local caretakers, the number of car accidents, and the population of wild-living small mammals and birds are commonly used to estimate the number of stray and feral cats [3,9,14,17]. The cat owners of this study are afraid that stray and feral cats transmit diseases to pet cats, but their impact on wild-living small mammals and birds is, in their opinion, negligible.…”

Application of a high-quality, high-volume trap–neuter–return model of community cats in Seoul, Korea

“…Many studies have shown that population control via TNR is effective in reducing the number of cats and nuisance concerns over time Levy, Isaza & Scott, 2014;Spehar & Wolf, 2018;Swarbrick & Rand, 2018). TNR at the colony level alone has been insufficient in reducing the population of community cats and reducing the number of cats admitted to animal shelter (Spehar & Wolf, 2018). The Korean municipality commissions some local animal hospitals to implement sporadic TNR and pays them about $140 per cat (South Korean Ministry of agriculture, food and rural affairs, 2018).…”

“…Therefore, it is necessary to modify the strategy to sterilize more cats within the limited budget. Several countries have modified the TNR strategy to focus on specific areas with larger feline populations, and implemented intensive sterilization with the goal of expanding TNR programs into surrounding areas (Nutter, 2006;Mendes-de Almeida et al, 2011;Johnson & Cicirelli, 2014;Spehar & Wolf, 2018;Zito et al, 2018). This targeted, high-impact TNR intervention is more effective than sporadic TNR in reducing the community cat population (Kortis, 2014;Levy, Isaza & Scott, 2014;Kilgour et al, 2017).…”