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Plum officials have passed a new law to discourage residents from caring for feral cats.
The council voted 6-0 on Wednesday evening to pass a regulation making it illegal for anyone to “intentionally feed, feral, wild or homeless cats, dogs or other stray animals with food, water or other forms of food or care to provide “. or to allow other persons to carry out such activities on his property. “
Councilor Mike Pastor was absent.
It also makes it illegal for any cat owner to let it roam outside of their place of residence unless it has been spayed or neutered. The pet must also be vaccinated against rabies and tilted on the left ear to indicate that it has been spayed / neutered and immunized.
Hoarding animals is also prohibited.
County documents indicate that stray and feral animals affect public health, safety and well-being due to unsanitary conditions from animal feces, the spread of disease and ticks, and the danger posed by rabid animals.
People who see other wild cats and other strays helping out can turn to district police or law enforcement.
Those who violate the regulation can face a fine of between $ 100 and $ 1,000 and a jail sentence.
Feral cats have been a problem in Plum for several years.
The council examined in 2018 at the behest of Mayor Harry Schlegel, who dealt with complaints from residents, to issue a regulation.
Actions were then postponed after meetings where dozens of residents and others living elsewhere said such a law was unfair.
“One of the delays in this matter was trying to find an organization to work with and we eventually found one,” Schlegel said. “We want to capture, castrate and release. This is really the humane way to deal with it. It is something that we needed to be passed. “
The council hired Frankie’s Friends Cat Rescue of New Kensington to register every wild cat colony they manage in the community. The organization must annually report to the community the reception and disposition of each wildcat brought into its facility and the number of kittens born in each wildcat colony.
They will also come to the district to catch feral cats when called.
No public commentary before the vote in the Council.
“There are many different areas in Plum where these issues have arisen,” said Borough Manager Michael Thomas. He kept it close to calling it a district epidemic.
A resident of the Rustic Ridge neighborhood contacted the Tribune Review because people were shooting at the animals with BB rifles.
Police Chief Lanny Conley said he had not received any such reports.
The ordinance is available for inspection in the parish hall.
Michael DiVittorio is a contributor to Tribune Review. You can contact Michael at 412-871-2367, mdivittorio@triblive.com, or on Twitter.
