City of Jacksonville Joins Local, National Non-Profit Groups
Feral Freedom, a groundbreaking program to deal with cat overpopulation in Duval County, was introduced today at a news conference that included representatives from the City of Jacksonville, First Coast No More Homeless Pets, a private local spay-neuter organization; Best Friends Animal Society, one of the nation's premier animal rescue organizations; and the Jacksonville Humane Society.
Feral Freedom relies on close cooperation between private and government agencies in the control of cat overpopulation, a problem that exists in cities and counties across the United States. The program - where cats are trapped, spayed or neutered, and returned to their natural environment - puts Jacksonville at the forefront of progressive management of what are commonly referred to as "community cats."
Animal control agencies traditionally have utilized the "trap and kill" method to control community cat populations, an approach that has proven to be ineffective.
"Our goal is to create a paradigm shift in the way society relates to community cats," said Paul Berry, chief executive officer of Best Friends Animal Society. "These cats are not nuisances to be destroyed. They are part of the fabric of our communities."
While there are a few similar partnerships between private agencies and the animal control department of city/county governments in other parts of the country, Feral Freedom is unique because it entails active participation on the part of government. Personnel resources have been committed for the trapping the cats, so they can be spayed or neutered and humanely released back to the community.
"Whether it is through innovative programs like Feral Freedom or other efforts to bolster adoptions through strategic partnerships such as the one with the Jacksonville Humane Society (JHS), we are always looking for ways to increase the number of live releases of animals from our shelter," said Ebenezer Gujjarlapudi, director of Jacksonville's Environmental and Compliance Department. "I believe this new program is another step in the right direction toward accomplishing that goal."
"I would also like to extend the City of Jacksonville's gratitude to Best Friends Animal Society," Gujjarlapudi said. Best Friends provided funding for the program in 2008 and will continue to support the program in 2009.
Trap, neuter and return (TNR) is generally accepted by animal welfare experts as the most humane and effective way of dealing with thousands of feral or homeless cats that live in the shadows of cities and towns throughout the country. In Jacksonville, the goal of the new program is to control the cat population through an effective spay-neuter program and stop the grim practice of rounding up cats and bringing them into shelters for mass euthanasia.
"What makes this program special is that, when animal control receives a call about community cats, the official policy will be to humanely trap the cats and then turn them over to First Coast No More Homeless Pets, which will spay or neuter the cats, and return them to their natural habitat," said Berry. "This helps reverse the long-standing practice that takes place daily in American municipalities, where community cats are rounded up and euthanized by the thousands."
Dr. Julie Levy, DVM, Ph.D., Maddie's professor of shelter medicine at the University of Florida's College of Veterinary Medicine, spoke to the uniqueness of the Feral Freedom program.
"In all my years of working with cats, I never thought I'd see the day where we would have such a progressive partnership between city government and those who day-in and day-out advocate for animals," said Levy, a nationally respected expert on feral/community cats. "If this is as successful as I think it can be, it could be a model program for the rest of the nation."
Rick DuCharme, who founded First Coast No More Homeless Pets in Jacksonville just seven years ago, says the partnership with the city is a dream come true.
"When we first started, we developed targeted spay/neuter programs to decrease the number of dogs and cats entering local shelters," he said. "Feral Freedom is a perfect example of such a program. Since 2001, we have been able to reduce overall shelter admissions by 25 percent."
Leona Sheddan, executive director for the Jacksonville Humane Society said: "We are pleased to participate in the Feral Freedom program. The Jacksonville Humane Society is always happy to participate in programs that save the lives of animals and help solve problems in our community."
Because city/county-wide partnerships with animal welfare organizations on feral cats are rare, the opportunity to support Feral Freedom was especially appealing to Best Friends Animal Society, which for the past 25 years has been a frontline advocate for companion animals.
"What makes this so exciting and promising is that it's essentially a way of drastically reducing - if not stopping altogether - the chance that free-roaming cats are summarily brought in for euthanasia," added Berry. "Best Friends is committed to providing help to local groups to solve difficult animal welfare issues. The Feral Freedom program is a home run for Jacksonville, and as a model program, could change the way that community cats are treated throughout the country."
About Best Friends Animal Society
Best Friends Animal Society, which operates the country's largest sanctuary for abused and abandoned companion animals, is located on 3,700 acres in southwestern Utah. On any given day, Best Friends Animal Sanctuary is home to about 2,000 dogs, cats, horses, rabbits, birds, and other animals. Best Friends works closely with local governments, animal shelters and rescue groups to advance initiatives that will help bring about a time when there are no more homeless pets. Best Friends is the home of "DogTown," a National Geographic Channel television series that chronicles the society's ongoing work with dogs. For more information, visit www.bestfriends.org.
About First Coast No More Homeless Pets
First Coast No More Homeless Pets was founded in 2001 in response to a request by the City of Jacksonville for a city funded spay/neuter program for dogs and cats. Since 2003, First coast has performed more than 24,000 pet sterilizations, resulting in an overall reduction in pet intake of approximately 31 percent, and reductions in dog and cat intake of 44 percent and 52 percent, respectively. In 2006, First Coast's Trap-Neuter-Return program was developed to offer low-cost spay and neuter surgeries for feral and stray cats.
For More Information Contact:
Rick DuCharme, First Coast No More Homeless Pets, (904) 728-3675
John Polis, Best Friends Animal Society (435) 817-2980 (cell), johnp@bestfriends.org
Benjamin Pennymon, (904) 630-1212 x6608, benp@coj.net
