Spotswood seeks to regulate feral cats with TNVR program

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SPOTSWOOD – To gain more control over the wildcat population, the Borough Council passed an ordinance amending the Township Code to establish a Trap, Neuter, Vaccination and Release (TNVR) program.

“This regulation is basically a regulation that allows us to run a trap and release program within the Spotswood district. That is why we work with a rescue service that collects, neutered or neutered wild cats in our community. If they have good personalities, they will try to be adopted and they would not be chipped so we can control the cat population, ”Mayor Jackie Palmer said during the council meeting on April 19th.

Cats in managed colonies are vaccinated against rabies and neutered or neutered, which controls the population, which the council says is more humane than trapping and euthanasia.

Palmer said the district has never had a TNVR program before.

“Any cat that is considered a feral cat that has no owner. So the way the program works is that there are caretakers who … are responsible for the health, welfare and feeding of these animals. They are properly trained to be community volunteers, ”Palmer said.

Palmer said the district already has some volunteers willing to take part in this program and they would be colony administrators.

“The idea is to have a designated feeding place for them so that they are easier to follow. Once captured, they can be neutered, neutered and chipped so we know what cats are in our community, ”Palmer said. “After being neutered and neutered, they obviously cannot reproduce. Hopefully our population of wild cats and cats that live outdoors will decrease significantly over time. “

Before the ordinance was passed, Resident Nancy Fidelio asked the council if the ordinance could be renamed Toby’s TNVR program.

“That interested me even before winter. I want to thank Jackie Palmer. I gave us the opportunity to vote with the council because the problem with many of these wild cats in the community is that many of them are sick, ”said Fidelio. “I [also] I also just want to ask if the name of the regulation could be changed because it all started with an animal that I believe is no longer with us and that it was Toby. Could you have it called Toby’s TNVR program instead? “

The council agreed to rename the regulation the Toby TNVR program.

With a unanimous vote, the council approved and passed the ordinance establishing a TNVR program to control the county’s wildcat population on May 3rd during the council meeting in person and via video conference.

This regulation will enter into force after its adoption and any publication required by law, according to the information provided by the Council.

For more information, visit www.spotswoodboro.com or call 732-251-0700.

Contact Vashti Harris at vharris@newspapermediagroup.com.