Burlington County Offers Support For Towns That Use TNR Program

The Burlington County Freeholder Board is offering support to any municipality in the county that authorizes the use of a humane, non-lethal trap-neuter-return (TNR) program.

Through a trap-neuter-return program, free-roaming and feral community cats are humanely trapped, evaluated, vaccinated against rabies and other diseases, and sterilized by veterinarians.

The program is used to control the growth of feral cat populations in their communities and reduce the number of feral cats euthanized. It has been in place since 2005 as a tool to reduce the number of feral cats and control the spread of diseases, while lowering costs and intake numbers at the County Animal Shelter.

Stray kittens and cats that can be socialized would be offered for adoption at the Burlington County Animal Shelter. Cats that cannot be adopted are returned to where they were trapped, or to a colony where they can be managed and monitored, and receive medical treatment and updated vaccinations by a municipally designated caregiver.

“Reports have shown that where implemented successfully, TNR has dramatically reduced feral cat populations and lowered complaints from residents,” Burlington County Freeholder Director Bruce Garganio. “The Freeholder Board will work with animal welfare organizations, animal rescue organizations, and interested municipalities in establishing model trap-neuter-return policies.”

These types of programs are advocated for by animal welfare and rescue organizations, including the Friends of the Burlington County Animal Shelter, as a humane method of controlling feral cat populations.

“It is our hope for municipalities to implement animal friendly TNR programs to humanely control feral cat populations that appear in neighborhoods, industrial areas, and open spaces,” Garganio said. “It’s a win-win. Not only will TNR humanely control populations of feral cats through neutering, the cats that can be socialized will be available for adoption at the County Animal Shelter and find forever homes through our county’s generous animal community.”

The county calls the recent adoption of this policy “one more step in their continued effort to promote animal adoptions in Burlington County.” Last year was a record-breaking year with 2,751 animals adopted or rescued at the Burlington County Animal Shelter. Bordentown City is the only municipality in Burlington County that currently has a TNR program. The program, run by Bordentown City Cats, was established in 2003.

Patch file photo