Pottsville says it will start a Trap-Neuter-Release (TNR) program this Fall to help mitigate the stray cat problem it says exists.
That announcement came recently from Andrew VanArsdale, Pottsville’s Animal Control Officer, at the most recent City Council meeting.
VanArsdale said he was in conversation with rescue networks in the area to establish a TNR program in Pottsville for months prior to the city’s enacting of a controversial ordinance in June that threatened fines of up to $600 on residents who fed or interacted with stray animals.
However, following the passage of that ordinance, The Canary had reported on reaction to it, speaking with several shelters and strays organizations and at least one other city official, and no mention of these alleged conversations with the City were ever mentioned.
In fact, following passage of the ordinance, Hillside SPCA outside Pottsville – the organization through which the City’s TNR program will be run – issued a press release that was highly critical of the Pottsville ordinance, specifically because the City hadn’t reached out to it prior to passage of the new law.
Pottsville’s New TNR Program for Stray Cats
When the new program is officially begun this Fall, VanArsdale said it’ll cost $65 per cat to have it spayed or neutered at Hillside SPCA. It will begin in either October or November, he said.
Anyone that wants to participate in the TNR program must contact City Hall first.
“I can’t have people just randomly trapping these animals and dropping them off at Hillside. You’re going to overload them; you’re going to overload me,” VanArsdale said.
He also said he’s going to establish so-called “central feeding zones” presumably where cats would be fed as part of this program. VanArsdale said that only “City Animal Control or approved volunteers” would have access to these areas.
“I don’t want anybody thinking these are free areas to dump animals,” he said. “We have to make sure we’re mitigating that and we have to make sure people aren’t just throwing random bits of food scraps all over the ground for these cats.
“This is something we can handle as long as we handle it properly,” VanArsdale said.
He said that Hillside will dedicate two Mondays per month just for Pottsville’s TNR program. And he also said that the city’s TNR fund already has $500 dedicated to it at Hillside.
Sherrie Shafer, the manager at Hillside, corrected what VanArsdale said at last week’s meeting during a follow-up visit at the shelter by The Canary.
When VanArsdale said two Mondays at the shelter are being dedicated to Pottsville TNR cases, that’s not true.
Schafer said the shelter can donate two TNR appointments every Monday to Pottsville’s cases. Hillside typically handles eight TNR cases on a Monday overall.
She said Hillside has those two slots slated for Pottsville cases starting in October.
Pottsville Animal Control Costs in 2024
VanArsdale says the City’s Animal Control office has handled 112 cases in 2024. Of those, 52 dealt with cats.
He also said the City has spent about $2,000 in 2024 on vet care and food for animals handled through the Animal Control office. VanArsdale said he’s logged 108 hours of overtime this year, too, on animal control cases.
Councilman Mark Atkinson added to those figures, saying the City has spent $5,720 on the cat issue this year, including wages and mileage.
During his presentation, VanArsdale defended Pottsville’s stray cats ordinance.
VanArsdale claims stray cats won’t go into live traps if they’re being fed elsewhere.
“I feel like that’s common sense and doesn’t need to be pressed on for very long,” he said.
He also claimed that cats won’t serve as an effective rodent patrol if they’re being fed by people.
VanArsdale said of that, “It’s just logic.”
He said that leaving food out for cats will attract other animals and that could cause animals to catch distemper. Thirteen cases of distemper have been noted among animals dealt with by the Animal Control office. Those include raccoons and skunks, Van Arsdale said.
Mayor Dave Clews also defended the City’s stance on the stray cat ordinance, saying that council members “aren’t a bunch of cat-hating people” and that VanArsdale isn’t out lurking looking for people feeding stray cats. Instead, he’s responding to complaints from residents about the issue.
“We’re just trying to control some situations that we get calls about in the most humane way possible,” Clews said.
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Abby
July 18, 2024 at 9:08 am
Good luck with that. I’ve begged for help for the ferals here from ALL rescues I could for over 7 years and nothing. I wanted help but all I got was 4 bags of cat food. I am up to 15 adults (down from 24-some have been killed by unknown animal) and 5 kittens and 2 pregnant now. I had paid to get 1 spayd but can’t afford all of them living on SS. Sad that I couldn’t get help.