Despite two decades of growth of trap-neuter-return (TNR) programs, no data exists to document the effect of TNR on shelter admissions. Julie Levy and a team of researchers from the University of Florida are setting out to assess feral cat sterilization projects as a method for reducing the homeless cat population and the resulting burden on animal control facilities, and Alachua County, Florida will be their testing ground.
Alachua County is a mostly suburban/rural community in North Central Florida. In many respects, its demographics are typical of the South, with approximately 26% minority population and county-wide income that is below the national average. The county is also unique in that it houses the University of Florida and Santa Fe Community College, a combined total of 53,000 college students (or 1/4 of the county's 223,000 residents).
For many years, the rate of admission of cats and dogs to the county animal shelter greatly exceeded the national average, and most of these animals were ultimately euthanized. Several community programs were established to address this problem, primarily by increasing adoptions and sterilizations. Maddie's® Pet Rescue Project focuses on adoptions, Maddie's® Spay/Neuter Program funds free sterilization of pets in Medicaid families, No More Homeless Pets funds free sterilization of pets in other low-income families, and Operation Catnip provides free sterilization of stray and feral cats.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, more dogs were admitted and euthanized than cats each year. Although dogs are still admitted more freqently than cats, the canine save rate is higher, such that fewer dogs are now being euthanized than cats. A total of 2,184 dogs were euthanized in 2004, whereas 2,659 cats were euthanized. The continued imbalance between cat reproduction and availability of homes for cats leads to the euthanasia of 66% of all cats that enter the shelter, compared to only 44% of all dogs.
Twelve percent of Alachua County households feed cats they do not consider their own. This amounts to an estimated 36,000 homeless cats, or 44% of the total feline population. While sterilization of pet cats exceeds 80%, virtually none of the unowned cats are sterilized. This suggests that unowned free-roaming cats are the most significant source of cat overpopulation in Alachua County. By focusing an intensive TNR campaign in this area, Maddie's Outdoor Cat Program hopes to bring about a decrease in the historically high admission rates of cats to the animal shelter.
View the PDF full proposal.
Read the PDF progress report.
