Trap-Neuter-Return tops 100 felines 'fixed'

FINDLAY — Since March, the city of Findlay's "Trap-Neuter-Return" program for feral cats has returned about 100 felines to their neighborhoods "fixed." Fixed as in spayed or neutered, vaccinated and with an ear tipped. Ear tipping, when the top point of the cat's ear is clipped, is a universal sign of a spayed or neutered cat. In a letter to Findlay City Council dated June 26, Mayor Christina Muryn said that's an early win, but the city is still receiving a large number of requests from residents for help with the feral cat populations in their areas. Muryn said Findlay will donate an additional $5,000 to the program. A donation from the city got the program started earlier this year, in partnership with the Humane Society & Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) of Hancock County and the Veterinary Centers of America (VCA) Findlay Animal Hospital. The funding is used to pay for veterinary care. Trained volunteers work to trap the cats. The letter is included on council's agenda for tonight's meeting. Council meets at 6 p.m. today at the Findlay Municipal Building, 318 Dorney Plaza. All council meetings are open to the public and are livestreamed on the city's YouTube channel: Findlay Ohio. The goal is to reach more neighborhoods through the rest of the year. So far, efforts have focused on Chateau Estates, Eastown Estates, Pine Street, West Trenton, West Bigelow, Quail Lake, Tiffin Avenue, the Findlay Reservoirs and the Hancock County Fairgrounds. Neighborhoods included in the next round of the program have not yet been announced. Muryn said the program addresses the root cause of the feral cat population in a way that is humane and sustainable, as opposed to repeated complaint response and removal. "While no solution is free, TNR helps reduce long-term strain on city resources, neighborhoods and animal welfare organizations alike," she said. Residents are asked not to feed feral cats because it can contribute to their overpopulation and disrupt their instinct to hunt. Feral cats spotted in the city can be reported on the "Report a Problem" page on the city's website www.findlayohio.gov. For residents outside of Findlay City limits, there is a low-cost TNR program available. Contact the Humane Society/SPCA of Hancock County at 419-423-1664 for details and or to schedule your appointment.