AlleyCatAction FOR MORE THAN A DECADE, ALLEY CAT ALLIES HAS. Changing the Face of Animal Control. Inside Action:

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1 AlleyCatAction A Publication of The National Feral Cat Resource / Spring 2002 Changing the Face of Animal Control FOR MORE THAN A DECADE, ALLEY CAT ALLIES HAS promoted nonlethal population control, including Trap- Neuter-Return (TNR), for feral cats. We raised national awareness of the problem and helped thousands of individuals and groups to organize and act. But the truth is, feline overpopulation will not be conquered without a larger effort: a campaign to educate, open the minds, change the minds of people who control, govern, and administer policies that control the lives (or deaths) of feral cats. These people are animal control officers, environmental managers, veterinarians, health department officials, police, and state and local governments. Persuading them of the efficacy of nonlethal population control methods is the only way, in the longterm, to end our appalling national crisis of companion animal slaughter both pet and feral. This immense undertaking has already begun. In this issue, Alley Cat Action spotlights three individuals who are making a difference. Ed Boks (below) and John Queenan (page 8) are animal control officers who have changed past policies and are dedicated to stopping the killing. Molly Tominack (page 4) is not an animal control officer, but through commitment and careful work, she secured a safe, sterile future for the feral cats at one Navy installation. SAFE HOME IN ARIZONA Prospects Good for Maricopa County Feral Cats MARICOPA COUNTY comprises one tenth of Arizona s land area; 24 cities and towns, including Phoenix, Mesa, and Scottsdale; vast open countryside; and more Inside Action: PAGE 3 Florida Veterinarians Recognized for Service PAGE 4 Feral Cats Find Safe Berth with the Navy PAGE 6 AlleyCatAllies Reference and Entertainment Shopping PAGE 7 Fixing the State of Utah PAGE 7 Help Them Beat the Heat PAGE 8 Cape May Recognized for Model Feral Cat Program than 3 million people (up 45 percent from 1990). Maricopa County Animal Care & Control (AC&C) is the largest animal control agency in the U.S. In 2001, AC&C rescued 61,984 animals, although operating from facilities built in the early 1970s to warehouse stray dogs. And its Executive Director, Ed Boks, is committed to a plan that will make Maricopa County a no-kill jurisdiction in five years. Animal control in Arizona developed to protect the public from rabies. AC&C s mandate was to lower the incidence of rabies in dogs. Because cats are not a primary vector species for rabies, AC&C policy toward cats is not prescribed by law, nor are rabies vaccinations required for cats, either pet or feral. Unofficial policy was that any feral cat brought to the shelter would be held for 72 hours, then euthanized. When Ed Boks became AC&C Ed Boks life-saving philosphy shows in his work both at AC&C and as a director of the National Animal Control Association (NACA). Executive Director in 1998, he recognized a critical need to control the county s burgeoning feral cat population. With more than 20 years of documented proof that trap and kill methods don t work, Boks undertook to show Maricopa County government that Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) is effective, saves money, and would gain public support. Early in 1999, Boks met with National Director Maricopa County AC&C Becky Robinson for help to present TNR to county public health officials and town governments. ACA provided ongoing advice while Boks developed his program for feral cats and, in return, learned about the obstacles an animal control director may face when he proposes to change the system. Bok s advocacy of Trap-Neuter- Return met opposition at some levels of county government. ( What? You re going to put the cats back in the community? ) Fortunately, the Director of Public Health, Dr. Jonathon Weisbuch, grasped the benefits of nonlethal methods and supports AC&C s feral cat programs. AC&C s programs are Feral Fridays (no-cost sterilization for feral cats at the Phoenix and Mesa shelters each week) and FELIX. Launched on October 16, 2001 See Maricopa County on page 2

2 AlleyCatAction Volume 12 Issue No. 1, Spring 2002 Editor Kris Rerecich National Director Becky Robinson Executive Director Donna Marie Wilcox Staff Zoe Carson Katherine Farbry Catherine Pajić Kelly Pressley Kris Rerecich Cary Riker Barbara Simon Board Members Lisa McDonald Becky Robinson Lisa Schatz Donna Marie Wilcox Ann Elise Wort Board of Advisors Ellen Perry Berkeley Author, Maverick Cats Donna Bishop Alliance for Animals Bonney Brown Best Friends Animal Sanctuary Holly E. Hazard Doris Day Animal League Tippi Hedren The Roar Foundation Marvin Mackie, DVM Animal Birth Control Clinics Esther Mechler SPAY/USA Michael Mountain Best Friends Animal Sanctuary Jenny Remfry, PhD VetMB, UK James R. Richards, DVM Cornell Feline Health Center Roger Tabor, MIBiol, MPhil, FLS Author, Biologist, Naturalist, and Broadcaster AnnaBell Washburn PAWS, Martha's Vineyard Visit us online Belmont Road NW, Suite 201 Washington, DC Tel: Fax: Please copy and distribute freely, but give credit to for anything you pass along in a direct handout or in a publication of your own. is a 501(c)3, nonprofit, and tax-exempt organization. ACA s federal employer ID number (EIN) is All contributions, donations, and gifts are tax deductible. Alley Cat Action is designed by BonoTom Studio, Inc., Arlington, VA, and printed by District Lithograph, Forrestville, MD. Special thanks to Ellen Perry Berkeley. Printed on recycled paper. Maricopa County AC&C and AzCATS Maricopa County from page 1 (National Feral Cat Day ), FELIX (Feline Education and Love Instead of extinction) conducts quarterly spay days using The Big Fix mobile spay/neuter clinic. AzCATs, a highly regarded feral cat rescue group based near Phoenix, is an integral partner in the FELIX program. AzCATs (Arizona Cat Assistance Team) volunteers trap up to 200 feral cats in the 24 hours before the clinic, then care for and return the cats to managed colonies after surgery. FELIX could not work without Az- CATs contribution, Boks says. They are our close partners in the feral cat efforts. Together, Feral Fridays and FELIX are sterilizing feral cats at the rate of 1,000 per year. In addition, AzCATs lends humane box traps to new or established feral cat caretakers. Food assistance is available to feral cat caretakers (and low-income pet owners) through AC&C s Operation Safety Net. The video, The Humane Solution, has played regularly on 11 area cable stations since Boks has a liaison in each city and town who can directly contact mayors and town managers. And the high level of community support that Boks envisioned has produced a flood of unsolicited donations to help fund AC&C s life-saving efforts. In 2001, AC&C s euthanasia rate reached a 27-year low. To continue this progress, in December Boks notified all Maricopa County jurisdictions that, effective July 1, AC&C will charge $61 per feral cat processed unless the source community actively sponsors a TNR Cats keep each other company while waiting their turn for surgery. The line forms before daybreak on a FELIX spay day. program. It costs $20-25 per cat for TNR, so there are clear financial incentives to participate. A further incentive is Arizona s felony animal cruelty law, which forestalls other solutions. The City of Phoenix has announced intent to allocate $200,000 toward operating The Big Fix. Early this year, Boks sent letters to 300 Maricopa County veterinarians declaring war on pet euthanasia, and soliciting their help to reach that goal. One suggestion is to offer low-cost spay/neuter for feral cats. The Maricopa County Maddie s Fund Coalition comprises AC&C, AzCATs, Arizona Humane Society, RESCUE, Animal Welfare League, and ten other animal protection groups aligned to obtain $10 million over five years from Maddie s Fund, the California-based foundation which funds collaborations of cities, counties, and states that pool their talent and resources to end the killing of healthy companion animals. Maricopa County has committed funds to hire an Executive Director for the coalition, whose goal is to make Maricopa a no-kill county within five years. applauds the coalition s commitment to this immense, life-affirming campaign. has been one of the best relationships we ve had from the beginning, says Ed Boks. Becky Robinson and her whole group have been awesome in helping us move our community in this direction. will continue to assist Ed Boks and all animal control directors whose goal is to stop the killing. Correction On page 3 of the Winter 2001 Alley Cat Action, our photo of the legendary Miss Piggy came courtesy of the Courier-Post, South Jersey s newspaper. We neglected to give them credit, so we do so here. the editor Maricopa County AC&C 2 AlleyCatAction SPRING 2002

3 Florida Veterinarians Recognized for Community Service IN DECEMBER, Alachua County, Florida, veterinarians earned the Gainesville Sun s coveted Laurel Award for voluntary participation in a massive feral cat spay/neuter project. The newspaper awarded the Laurel, To area veterinarians who volunteer their services to Operation Catnip, a local effort to keep down the stray cat population by spaying and neutering more than 4,000 cats. Now, thanks to a $35,000 grant, Operation Catnip will be able to step up its efforts and sterilize an additional 700 felines. Since 1998, the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Florida has made its surgery facilities available for monthly spay days, on which stray and feral cats are sterilized in a few hours. The clinics are staffed entirely by volunteer veterinarians, veterinary students, technicians, and cat lovers and are free to the public. The program is organized and funded by Operation Catnip, a private local nonprofit group. Demand for monthly clinics is so high that cats are turned away each month. Relief came when Operation Catnip received a grant from the Safe Steps Home program, a joint effort of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) and Fresh Step Scoop Cat Litter. The grant made it possible to pay local veterinarians to sterilize feral cats on a regular basis in their own clinics. Twenty-two of the 24 county veterinary clinics participated in the program by providing spay/neuter services at a reduced price for stray and feral cats. Feral cat sterilization is only one way in which local veterinarians contribute to animal welfare in Alachua County. Veterinarians have long-participated in a low-cost spay/neuter voucher program. The Alachua Veterinary Medical Association is also a charter member of the county s new No More Homeless Pets coalition, which has an ambitious plan to eliminate euthanasia of healthy pets by 2007 through aggressive increases in adoptions and sterilization. Operation Catnip was founded in 1994 by Julie Levy, DVM, PhD, ACVIM. Dr. Levy is an assistant professor at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, leading proponent of Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR), and frequent technical advisor to. Dr. Levy serves as president of Operation Catnip, with clinics in Raleigh, North Carolina; Gainesville, Florida; and Richmond, Virginia. Feral cats wait their turn for anesthesia during an Operation Catnip sterilization clinic where 130 cats will be spayed and neutered in a few hours at the University of Florida s College of Veterinary Medicine. Veterinary students Irene Lee and Lindsay Williams volunteer their time to neuter feral cats under the supervision of volunteer veterinarians. Operation Catnip, Gainesville, FL Operation Catnip, Gainesville, FL SPRING 2002 AlleyCatAction 3

4 Feral Cats at Indian Head Find Safe Berth NAVAL SURFACE WARFARE CENTER, Indian Head, Maryland, works with energetics propellants that move missiles through air, speed torpedoes through water, lift pilots out of the aircraft when they eject. Indian Head NSWC occupies 3,500 acres of mostly undeveloped hills and woodlands on a peninsula bounded by the Potomac River, Mattawoman Creek, and the town of Indian Head, 30 miles south of Washington, DC. The base has the longest running history of any Naval ordnance facility in the United States, founded in Mala E. (Molly) Tominack is a second-generation, 25-year civilian employee of the Navy, a Safety and Occupational Health Manager with the Ordnance Environmental Support Office of Indian Head s headquarters command, Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA). Molly Tominack demonstrates that one motivated person willing to both learn and lead can change how things are done. Tominack s other career ( Cat Lady ) began in autumn 1996, when she noticed a black and white kitten living outside her office building. She called the kitten Zip, after its Beanie Baby look-alike, and she knew Zip needed a new home. With no trapping experience, Tominack supposed she could feed Zip for a few days, then put food into a cat carrier, and he would walk right in. And that s what he did. I latched the door fast and thought this is easy, she says. (Trapping) has never been that easy since. The next year, another black and white kitten appeared outside her office. Naming her Zita (for Zip Too Also), Tominack trapped the kitten and took her home. The third year, Zephyr appeared, and at Thanksgiving Tominack entertained her family with the ongoing saga of Zip, Zita, and Zephyr. Seems to me, her mother said, something should be done about Mrs. Zip. Molly knew her mother was right. Being both a scientist and a pragmatist, she started with in-depth research of feral cats. On the internet, Tominack found (ACA) ( I chose Trap-Neuter-Return after fact-based research convinced me it was the right way to go, she says. Using the resources of ACA and Metro Ferals, the DC-area feral cat rescue group, Tominack developed a TNR program at Indian Head NSWC that, since March 2000, has trapped 71 adult feral cats and 63 kittens. Molly Tominack, dubbed Cat Lady by her friends, is known by that name throughout Indian Head NSWC. What s remarkable is we ve gone from 60 kittens in the first twelve months to three in the second year so far, with only two months to go, she says. Of the 71 adult cats, six were euthanized, three were homed, and the remaining 62 were returned. All the kittens were homed or sent to no-kill shelters for adoption. BASE COMMAND SUPPORTS TNR... No large-scale TNR program can operate on a military installation without the support of base command. To get it, Tominack first approached Jeff Bossart, Natural Resources Manager. Although less than enthusiastic, Bossart authorized an initial TNR attempt limited to areas near Tominack s office. In recognition, Molly named the first cat neutered, vaccinated, eartipped, and returned in his honor. When Jeff (the cat) was due to be returned, Tominack invited (second in command) Chief Staff Officer, Commander Steve Shoen, to the release. I didn t get a reply from Commander Shoen so we released Jeff without him, she Dr. Kenneth Watkins of Glymont Veterinary Hospital has cared for the Tominack family s animals for many years and now cares for the feral cats on base. Mala E. Tominack 4 AlleyCatAction SPRING 2002

5 with the Navy Courtesy of Maryland Independent newspapers (L. Jackson, Jr.) says. But when I did get a reply, it was wonderful how tired he was of complaints about cats and here someone on their own initiative did something about it. He said he discussed me at his family dinner table, why it was important not only to feel something but to do something about problems. And he convinced the (base) Commander, Captain Walsh, and later his successor, Captain Siedband, why what I was doing was important and useful. He was great! With the top command s blessing, Tominack extended feeding and trapping to other areas on base. She recruited a network of 12 Tominack with associate Mark Yeaton, who designed and built shelters and feeding stations for the cats. Pretty Boy waits apprehensively for Dr. Watkins attention. volunteers (base residents and employees) who maintain 20 feeding/surveillance stations. Base security personnel get word to her if they spot kittens or new cats. A colleague, Mark Yeaton, designed and built nine feeding stations and five winter shelters for the cats. (Yeaton posted his feeding station plans on Alley Cat Allies website.) We have a history here of cat lovers disabling traps, throwing them down cliffs, letting trapped cats go...feeding cats, says Tominack. My favorite was the guy who released a cat and put a box turtle in the trap. All these people are now registered, trained caretaker/monitors. We got a win-win there you not only may feed the cats, you must feed them! The federal government cannot accept a free service for which it has responsibility, so Tominack is allocated two hours a week on the clock to manage the program, with the support of her Commanding Officer, Captain Robert Honey. All work outside that time frame is on her own. Support for TNR at Indian Head is not unanimous, but complaints are few, often anonymous, and just as often unfounded. In the final analysis, Tominack says, Base command supports TNR because it works. There s no room for emotion on a military base. This program has to stand on results. A COMPREHEN- SIVE PROGRAM In addition to TNR,Tominack promotes humane education for base residents and employees, emphasizing the need to spay/neuter. Molly developed a lost and found pet registration, pet adoption services for transferring military families, and lowcost vet clinics for routine vaccinations and care. She built a database to track all feral cats trapped, including each cat s picture, name, and Wary of visitors with cameras, Antonio delayed lunch until they left. pertinent health and behavioral information. Dr. Kenneth Watkins and Dr. Toni Long of Glymont Veterinary Hospital, Indian Head, provide veterinary care for the program. All program expenses, including vet bills averaging $60 per cat, are paid from donations. MY GOAL IS THE SAME AS THE NAVY S... Most military installations become homes to feral cats because of the transient nature of military life. Personnel transferring out often think an animal has a better chance in the wild than at a shelter. Pets, however, are ill-equipped for life in the Indian Head woods, where owls, foxes, eagles, and hawks abound. The cats who survive band together in feral colonies. Before TNR, the Navy paid a pest control company to trap and remove the colonies. It didn t work and cost too much, says Tominack. In two years the company caught one cat. Tominack estimates that 90 percent of the base s feral population has been sterilized, but NSWC borders the town of Indian Head, and many of the town s feral cats eat out at base Dumpsters. Despite this, Tominack is confident that ultimately all the cats will be trapped and neutered. Feral cats do not belong on a military base, she says. My goal is the same as the Navy s to have zero cats on base. I don t believe you have to kill them to get there. SPRING 2002 AlleyCatAction 5

6 On Our Bookshelves VIDEOS PRICE QTY TOTAL Trap-Neuter-Return: Comprehensive TNR training video. Educational and engaging, $13.00 A Humane Approach to it contains valuable guidelines for novices and pros alike. Feral Cat Control (42:00) The Humane Solution: A powerful public policy tool that outlines the benefits of $13.00 Reducing Feral Cat Populations Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) and demonstrates that TNR is with Trap-Neuter-Return by far the best method for controlling feral cat populations. (9:56) Neighborhood Cats: A Personal A new video produced by Neighborhood Cats in NYC $8.00 Look at Managed Colonies that gives the background of a successful TNR program in New York City (9:21) in the Big Apple. BOOKS PRICE QTY TOTAL The Stray Cat Handbook How to care for stray and feral cats. $10.00 BY TAMARA KREUZ, 158 pp. The Guide to Handraising Kittens A complete guide for raising newborn kittens. $8.00 BY SUSAN EASTERLY, 64 pp. Maverick Cats Expanded and updated in 2001, this classic has additional $15.00 BY ELLEN PERRY BERKELEY, 159 pp. chapters on Ellen s personal experiences and on research done around the world (on the behavior of feral cats). Disposable Animals Explains the use of euthanasia by animal and animal welfare $14.00 BY CRAIG BRESTRUP, 207 pp. organizations, and the unintended consequences of this practice. The Wildlife of the Domestic Cat The leading authority on cats shares his extraordinary $10.00 BY ROGER TABOR, 223 pp. knowledge and understanding of the feline. Wild About Cats A great tool for teachers and parents to teach children how $.25 an 8-page booklet to care for and respect cats. WAC is also appropriate for animal shelters to pass out to children visiting their facilities. Up to 25 copies free, additional copies are $.25 each. BUMPER STICKERS PRICE QTY TOTAL Bumper Sticker Cats Nap. Only Humans Put Them to Sleep. ONLY! $ 1.00 Sterilize, Don t Euthanize! Let your car be the reminder. ACA donation DC residents add 5.75% Total Amount Enclosed (if outside U.S. add $10 (U.S.) shipping surcharge) Method of Payment: Check made payable to: MasterCard Visa Discover $10 (U.S.) minimum on charges To ensure delivery, please complete the following lines. Name Telephone Address CREDIT CARD NUMBER EXPIRATION DATE SIGNATURE City State Zip Mail to: 1801 Belmont Road NW, Suite 201 Washington, DC Telephone: , ext. 101 Fax: alleycat@alleycat.org 6 AlleyCatAction SPRING 2002

7 Fixing to Fix the State of Utah! NO MORE HOMELESS PETS IN UTAH is taking its Feral Fix statewide with the help of a no-cost spay/neuter program developed by members of the Utah Veterinary Medical Association. NMHP organizers Julie and Gregory Castle and Holly Sizemore flew to Washington, DC, in December to confer with National Director Becky Robinson and the Alley Cat Allies staff. Becky and her staff had tons of ideas for our new program, said Gregory Castle, president of No More Homeless Pets in Utah, after the meeting. Holly Sizemore, who s been looking after feral cats in Salt Lake City for 12 years, is putting a program together that we can launch early in the year. In January, Sizemore met with members of the Utah Veterinary Medical Association and reported the association had signed the final proposal and received funding from Maddie s Fund, the California-based foundation dedicated to ending the killing of healthy companion animals. Very soon, Sizemore said, feral cats will be spayed/neutered at no charge to the caretaker at participating vets throughout the entire state of Utah. The year one goal is 3,000 ferals. Funding for the second year is contingent upon meeting first year goals and on NMHP in Utah s maintaining statewide statistics, including shelter intake, adoption, and euthanasia. Sizemore reports that the trapping portion of the program is also progressing. By the beginning of April, I expect to have more than 150 traps distributed to trap trading posts across the state, she said. I m forming a volunteer TNR committee with input from Alley Cat Allies and Operation Catnip in Florida. By the time the vets are ready, we ll be ready to trap, trap, trap! Cape May Recognized from page 8 Queenan initiated the spay/neuter van project from his belief that Cape May must contribute to reducing the nation s appalling estimate of seven million companion animals euthanized annually. Historically, feral cat colonies have developed in Cape May because the city has always had a large transient population and many animals have been abandoned when people leave. Abandonment is a root cause of the growing numbers of feral cats. In a letter to Rutgers University Center for Government Services, Cape May Mayor Jerome E. Inderwies expressed strong support for Queenan s proposal. The administration of the City of Cape May is behind John 100 percent in his latest plan: to bring a mobile spay/neuter van to the people of Cape May. He has worked hard and long to raise the consciousness level on this issue, he wrote. Help Them Beat the Heat DID YOU KNOW THAT CATS as young as five months can experience a heat cycle? Starting at that tender age, a female could bear two litters before she is even considered to be an adult cat. A male could father hundreds of kittens before his first birthday. But not if they are spayed or neutered. It may be cold outside for some of us, but before you know it, spring will arrive. And with it, millions of kittens could arrive, born into a world where a reliable food source is a luxury and the future is uncertain, unless you help us stop the cycle before it starts. This year, thanks to your loyal support of, more feral cats can live out their lives in good health. More will have regular meals and fresh water. More will have shelters from the cold and a watchful eye looking out for them. Most important, more feral cats will beat the heat, because they have been spayed or neutered. Lives will be saved, and the cycle of uncontrolled reproduction and overpopulation will end, because you cared enough to do something about it. HELP THEM BEAT THE HEAT Your contribution can save a life... and end the cycle of uncontrolled reproduction and overpopulation! Without our loyal Allies, the work we do to make life better for the cats we all cherish would not be possible. Thank you for your generous gift of: $25 $50 $100 $500 $1,000 Other:$ NAME M/C # MAILING ADDRESS VISA # CITY, STATE ZIP DISCOVER # PHONE NUMBER EXPIRATION DATE SIGNATURE Remember, your gift is tax deductible as allowed by U.S. law. All credit card gifts are charged in U.S. dollars Belmont Road NW, Suite 201, Washington, DC SPRING 2002 AlleyCatAction 7

8 Cape May Recognized for Model Feral Cat Program IN NOVEMBER, Cape May, New Jersey, received an award and $3000 from the Rutgers University Center for Government Services to support the Cape May Mobile Spay/Neuter Van Project. The Rutgers Municipal Incentive Award recognized Cape May s innovative use of community resources to improve the lives of feral cats through sterilization. Animal Control Officer John Queenan, who designed the plan and is considered the city s vanguard in the feral cat control effort, accepted the award on behalf of the city. The Cape May Mobile Spay/Neuter Van Project, which utilizes a state-of-the-art van equipped as a self-contained spay/neuter clinic, has operated on a bimonthly basis since July Use of the van was obtained through cooperation with the Humane Society of Atlantic County. With this van and one veterinarian, we can sterilize up to 30 animals per session, said Queenan. The $3000 award was allocated to purchase supplies and train volunteers. We have an army of animal-loving volunteers working to reach the goal of sterilizing 200 cats in the first year, Queenan added. Use of the mobile clinic is expected to lower the overall cost of surgery for one cat from $50-$75 per male and $100-$150 per female to an average of $35-$40 per cat. Response to the project has been nothing but positive, says Queenan. Communities around Cape May and elsewhere have shown interest in the mobile spay/neuter clinic. It s nice that we re getting inquiries from other government entities interested in starting a program like this. Queenan anticipates that the counties around Cape May will pursue similar spay/neuter projects in the future. See Cape May on page 7 John Queenan (left) with Dr. Henry Coleman, Director of the Rutgers University Center for Government Services, at the New Jersey State League of Municipalities conference awards luncheon. AC Photo, Linwood, NJ Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage PAID ALLEY CAT ALLIES 1801 Belmont Road NW, Suite 201 Washington, DC Every Ally counts! Have you been counted?