The Franklin Reporter & Advocate Eight Villages, One Community
An ordinance that regulates the feeding and care of feral cat colonies – and which generated a fair amount of controversy – was finally adopted by the Township Council at its September 9 meeting.
Ordinance opponents from the township and surrounding communities tried to talk the Council into adopting a so-called “Trap, Neuter, Return” program instead of the ordinance, but to no avail. Under that type of program, also known as TNR, stray animals are caught, spayed or neutered and then returned to the wild. The program is seen as an effective way to keep stray animals, especially cats, from reproducing.
Under the ordinance, residents who feed feral cats will have to register them with the Township, as well as see that they are spayed and neutered and receive all pertinent vaccinations.
The location of the cat colonies, as they are known, will also have to be recorded.
Residents who feed the cats are required to maintain their health and keep all relevant paperwork.
The “owner” of the colony must also make sure the cats under their care do not cause a nuisance, or face having them removed by the Animal Control Officer.
Food must be left on plates or bowls and can only be left out for one hour at a time.
Councilmember Ed Potosnak tried to get that one hour limit stripped from the ordinance, but his proposed amendment did not pass.
The one change that was approved, suggested by Mayor Phil Kramer after some public comment, was the removal of the requirement that cat colonies’ locations be reported. Some advocates expressed concern that the cats would be harmed if their location was known.
First offense carries a $100 fine, second offense carries a $200 fine, and third and subsequent offenses carry a $500 fine.
One of those advocating for a TNR program in the township was Mayra Berros of Azalea Lane. Berros said that over the years, she has rescued 15 feral cats.
“I have supported colonies in the past in this town, and they were colonies that were abandoned for several years,” she said.
“The issue is that we do not have a TNR program,” she said. “There may be areas out there that maybe some people aren’t doing the right thing or maybe they don’t know how to do it, but it’s not easy. We do need help, and we do need a program. And we do all this at our own dime and at our own expense, and it takes time to take these cats in. You know, they’re just animals trying to survive.”
Tamar Thier, a former township resident who now lives in Pennington and she runs an animal rescue organization in Bridgewater, told the Council that people want to help the feral cats, but they cannot afford to do so.
“There’s a problem where a lot of people come to me and they really want to help, but they cannot fund all this TNR,” she said. “We have a huge community wanting to help, and I really want to know if the town, like some other towns, is willing to discuss funding and do a TNR program where I have rescued well over a thousand cats.”
“If you are willing to work with us where you can provide some finances so town people can go and trap and bring them to get fixed, that would result in a lot of lives saved by not being born,” she said. “Food for thought, and I’m hoping to be able to work with you guys.”
Kramer then suggested to Councilman Alex Kharazi that his committee, the Public Health Advisory Committee, look into establishing a TNR program. Kramer said that when he was on the committee 15 years ago there was some talk about it, but he was not convinced by the literature at the time.
Township Manager Robert Vonlocker noted that his research has shown that every successful TNR program, has had an outside group to maintain it. He said Second Chance for Animals, which raises funds for the Franklin Township Animal Shelter, did not express an interest in running a TNR program.
“No one has said, we will be the organization that does all of these things that we spell out in this ordinance that’s being considered tonight,” he said. “Be responsible for ensuring veterinary care. Be responsible for maintaining the colony, right? That’s what we’re talking about here.”
“Before there’s any sort of commitment to it, there needs to be an organization that says, we will do this,” he said. “And we have not had that happen.”
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