Rescheduled: TNR Presentation (TBD)

cats said:

@Sheena - Where will the meeting be and what time? Who will be speaking?

Its been a long time since we have addressed the TNR issue, so I'm hoping with the new contract being negotiated between Maplewood and St. Hubert's based on their humane decision to TNR, we can get a vote on the issue. Tomorrow South Orange is taking one of its compassionate citizens to court as a result of a summons due to the feeding ban. Contrast that to the towns that are moving forward all around NJ. Please let's stop the killing.

Let's get a TNR program. Let's also stop feeding the feral stray population and obey the law.

Morganna said:
Its been a long time since we have addressed the TNR issue, so I'm hoping with the new contract being negotiated between Maplewood and St. Hubert's based on their humane decision to TNR, we can get a vote on the issue. Tomorrow South Orange is taking one of its compassionate citizens to court as a result of a summons due to the feeding ban. Contrast that to the towns that are moving forward all around NJ. Please let's stop the killing.

Bob Roe said that Maplewood's TNR program grew out of the action of residents who got tired of being fined for feeding free-roaming cats. Maybe SO residents who want to feed the free-roamers can speak up and ask to move forward with TNR in SO.

I live in a part of town that doesn't appear to have any colonies but I'll speak for those who do have colonies and fear retaliation. We take our citizens to court so they are justifiably afraid to speak out.

Here’s how it works. A resident caught feeding a starving cat is taken to court. The
ACO sets a trap with food on the property. A hungry cat overcomes its terror
and steps into the baited trap and SLAM! The animal bangs its head against the
metal frame until it bleeds and then waits trembling, often urinating on itself
till the ACO returns to pick it up (the rule is don’t leave it in the trap more
than 6 hours). Some cats will scream, some will be silent fearing predators,
and boy are they right. The predator is a human who will pick the trap up,
usually with the cat desperately trying to get out, often causing more nasal
bleeding. Next there is a ride out to Country Lakes Animal Clinic in Mine Hill,
NJ to have a meet and greet with Dr. Kimani Griffith who will kill it for South
Orange at a price.

Very melodramatic. Bravo.

FilmCarp said:
Very melodramatic. Bravo.

Fair enough, so the UN- melodramatic version:

1. Take resident to court.

2. Apply fine as needed.

3. Bait trap with food.

4. Wait till cat tries to get food.

5. Pick up trap.

6. Drive to Mine Hill to deliver cat.

7. Vet holds animal or not.

8. Weighs cat to figure dose.

9. Kill cat.

10. Send invoice.

Less syrupy?

Morganna said:

FilmCarp said:
Very melodramatic. Bravo.

Fair enough, so the UN- melodramatic version:
1. Take resident to court.
2. Apply fine as needed.
3. Bait trap with food.
4. Wait till cat tries to get food.
5. Pick up trap.
6. Drive to Mine Hill to deliver cat.
7. Vet holds animal or not.
8. Weighs cat to figure dose.
9. Kill cat.
10. Send invoice.
Less syrupy?

Do they really bother with step 8?

What is the rationale for punishing those who feed starving cats? Vespa, the cat we adopted through MOL, I understand, was starving until some kind souls decided to feed her.

Cats will breed and have kittens. Starvation only reduces the cat population by death due to starvation. I've seen cats and some of them look pretty skeletal, especially during winter.

Death by starvation and the punishment of those who try to prevent that. Is that what we want to be known for? Are those our values?

FilmCarp said:
Very melodramatic. Bravo.

What is your solution then? All you have done on this and other threads is assume an anti-animal shelter position. If you don't want one, you don't have to worry--as of now, this town is doing nothing about animal control, which should make you happy.

I think Captain Yokum of the NJSPCA spells out his thoughts about the behavior of towns like ours. Perhaps the BOT would like to have him as a guest speaker at the next TH meeting or how about a cozy chat with the health department.

NJ SPCA

June 4 ·

Cats : There are thousands of dedicated humans here in New Jersey that manage and care for colonies of Free Roaming Cats that many refer to as Feral Cats. These humans provide food, water and many times shelters for these cats and also well managed colonies are part of TNR (Trap / Nueter / Release) TNR is the absolute best and most humane way to control populations of Free Roaming Cats. It is actually the most cost effective management program in the long run. More towns are joining the TNR movement and are having great success. It is truly unfortunate that so many towns continue to T & E (Trap and Euthanize) Free Roaming Cats in their misguided effort to control the cat populations. There is also a problem when towns go into areas where there are strong TNR groups managing the colonies and decide that these groups must stop caring for the cats or face being fined or arrested. These towns over react to complaints about the cat colonies and when TNR groups are forced by law to stop caring for the cats, the cats suffer. Almost every week I am contacted by a TNR group asking for help in protecting their managed colonies. 99.9% of TNR humans donate all of their time, donate all of the food and water and pay to have the cats Nuetered out of their own pockets. The state of New Jersey legislators should consider protecting the rights of the cats and the TNR Humans instead of legislating that we need to put up high fences if we have a "large breed" dog. Another suggestion I would make is that if a legislator wants to propose legislation that deals with animals that maybe actually speaking with those of us in the animal welfare or Humane Law Enforcement world might be a good place to start. Capt Yocum

relx, you are absolutely wrong. I have suggested many approaches and possible workarounds, but since they haven't involved exactly what you want, which is a municipally run shelter in the old JAC building, you assume I am anti shelter. What would be laughable, if it wasn't such a damn shame, is that recent events have proven me correct.

First, people have been posting reports of volunteer groups taking over municipal shelters. They post this in order to shame us into opening a shelter, but don't see the real point, which is that these municipal shelters are failing.

Second, Maplewood has just solved their problem. Remember them, they were the villian using Newark three weeks ago. Now, they have a TNR program and a deal that works for them. If just some of you folks who have been dancing around that building had instead been trying to push along the TNR program here in SO, we too could pursue a deal with St Huberts, which we may yet be able to do. I have said over and over that we need to have a non profit organization, possibly regional, supported by but not run by the town. That is what Maplewood just did. Did you notice that?

Third, and this I am aiming right at you relx, you will get further working with the BOT and Sheena than by insulting them. You have stated in another thread where you were criticizing the pool that you just moved here. Let me tell you, trying to make progress with Torpey as VP would have been a hell of a lot harder. Sheena and the board can be convinced, I'll bet, that a TNR program is cost effective, if a good argument supported by documentation and facts is presented. They will not be convinced by insults.

Finally, In the discussion of the evolution of the TNR program in Maplewood it was pointed out that the ticketing of people who were feeding the cat population led to pressure to create the program.

I have tried to come up with different angles to look at the problem. If you haven't been able to see that don't blame me. You are also mistaken when you say that the town has done nothing about animal control. We do have an animal control officer. We do have a place to take animals. It is not a good place, and I'd like to be done with it, but the town is doing something.

Dan Dietrich

FilmCarp said:
relx, you are absolutely wrong. I have suggested many approaches and possible workarounds, but since they haven't involved exactly what you want, which is a municipally run shelter in the old JAC building, you assume I am anti shelter. What would be laughable, if it wasn't such a damn shame, is that recent events have proven me correct.
First, people have been posting reports of volunteer groups taking over municipal shelters. They post this in order to shame us into opening a shelter, but don't see the real point, which is that these municipal shelters are failing.
Second, Maplewood has just solved their problem. Remember them, they were the villian using Newark three weeks ago. Now, they have a TNR program and a deal that works for them. If just some of you folks who have been dancing around that building had instead been trying to push along the TNR program here in SO, we too could pursue a deal with St Huberts, which we may yet be able to do. I have said over and over that we need to have a non profit organization, possibly regional, supported by but not run by the town. That is what Maplewood just did. Did you notice that?
Third, and this I am aiming right at you relx, you will get further working with the BOT and Sheena than by insulting them. You have stated in another thread where you were criticizing the pool that you just moved here. Let me tell you, trying to make progress with Torpey as VP would have been a hell of a lot harder. Sheena and the board can be convinced, I'll bet, that a TNR program is cost effective, if a good argument supported by documentation and facts is presented. They will not be convinced by insults.
Finally, In the discussion of the evolution of the TNR program in Maplewood it was pointed out that the ticketing of people who were feeding the cat population led to pressure to create the program.
I have tried to come up with different angles to look at the problem. If you haven't been able to see that don't blame me. You are also mistaken when you say that the town has done nothing about animal control. We do have an animal control officer. We do have a place to take animals. It is not a good place, and I'd like to be done with it, but the town is doing something.
Dan Dietrich

Dan,

I have never, in any thread I have posted in, asked for a municipally-run shelter in the old JAC building. You are putting words into my mouth. Being new to the town, I wasn't here for the JAC fiasco, and only know second hand what happened. I don't care where they put the shelter, or if we partner with an organization like St. Hubert's. I just want something done, and sooner, rather than later. (To quote you, we are not in a "good place" right now.) And when I have I "insulted" the board (if critical comments on a message board can be considered insulting?) I have written to Sheena already in support of an animal shelter, and I think it is important to keep the pressure on her and the BOT. I do feel they need to be called out on this issue, as it has languished long enough. Maplewood has already solved the problem, and I would like SO to take the lead on this and other issues, and not be in a constant reactive state.

And, finally, I didn't criticize the pool--I love the pool and go there nearly every day with my kids--I simply wondered why the locker rooms weren't in great shape, and why there was some crumbling concrete on the sides of the pool. It seems, in your book, as if anything short of absolute praise is an "insult."

Robert

FilmCarp said:
relx, you are absolutely wrong. I have suggested many approaches and possible workarounds, but since they haven't involved exactly what you want, which is a municipally run shelter in the old JAC building, you assume I am anti shelter. What would be laughable, if it wasn't such a damn shame, is that recent events have proven me correct.
First, people have been posting reports of volunteer groups taking over municipal shelters. They post this in order to shame us into opening a shelter, but don't see the real point, which is that these municipal shelters are failing.
Second, Maplewood has just solved their problem. Remember them, they were the villian using Newark three weeks ago. Now, they have a TNR program and a deal that works for them. If just some of you folks who have been dancing around that building had instead been trying to push along the TNR program here in SO, we too could pursue a deal with St Huberts, which we may yet be able to do. I have said over and over that we need to have a non profit organization, possibly regional, supported by but not run by the town. That is what Maplewood just did. Did you notice that?
Third, and this I am aiming right at you relx, you will get further working with the BOT and Sheena than by insulting them. You have stated in another thread where you were criticizing the pool that you just moved here. Let me tell you, trying to make progress with Torpey as VP would have been a hell of a lot harder. Sheena and the board can be convinced, I'll bet, that a TNR program is cost effective, if a good argument supported by documentation and facts is presented. They will not be convinced by insults.
Finally, In the discussion of the evolution of the TNR program in Maplewood it was pointed out that the ticketing of people who were feeding the cat population led to pressure to create the program.
I have tried to come up with different angles to look at the problem. If you haven't been able to see that don't blame me. You are also mistaken when you say that the town has done nothing about animal control. We do have an animal control officer. We do have a place to take animals. It is not a good place, and I'd like to be done with it, but the town is doing something.
Dan Dietrich

On another thread I have been posting the names of NJ shelters that save 90% or more of its cats and dogs (see this link: http://www.saving90.org/new-jersey.html). More than half of those NJ shelters that save 90% or more are municipal shelters, so I don't understand how you conclude that municipally run shelters are such dismal failures.

Please tell me why, specifically, you think that municipally run shelters are such failures.

And I posted the names of these successful shelters to provide positive examples of shelters within our state, not to "shame" any community into opening a shelter.

But it's true that the most successful shelters--whether they are municipally run or run by a non-profit group--are those that have broad community support from both the public and private sectors. And no-kill shelters get the greatest support from their communities since volunteers are usually more numerous for no-kill shelters and donations are generally higher for no-kill shelters.

citizenjane,

I think it's only fair to point out that there are nine NJ shelters in the link that you provided that save 90% or more of its cats and dogs. Two of the nine, Cape May and East Monmouth Co., are county shelters (the ASPCA operates East Momouth, and I'm familiar with it.) Cape May has 5 municipalities and Monmouth Co. has 53 municipalities. Combining these (total 58) and the 7 municipal shelters on the list is a total of 65. There are 566 municipalities in NJ, which means that there are 501 municipalities that don't have shelters that save 90% or more.

Ewing was the first shelter that was posted as being taken over by a non profit. I can't find the post, but I thought there was one in Bergen county as well that was getting straightened out.

cramer said:
citizenjane,
I think it's only fair to point out that there are nine NJ shelters in the link that you provided that save 90% or more of its cats and dogs. Two of the nine, Cape May and East Monmouth Co., are county shelters (the ASPCA operates East Momouth, and I'm familiar with it.) Cape May has 5 municipalities and Monmouth Co. has 53 municipalities. Combining these (total 58) and the 7 municipal shelters on the list is a total of 65. There are 566 municipalities in NJ, which means that there are 501 municipalities that don't have shelters that save 90% or more.

cramer--thanks for the info.

To be clear on why I cited these, my aim was to show examples of shelters saving 90% or more of dogs and cats, and to show that a number of these are municipally run shelters, in answer to FilmCarp's statement that "municipal shelters are failing."

I don't believe that a municipally-run shelter is somehow doomed to be a poorly-run shelter. Whether a shelter is run by a municipality or by a non-profit, the key is the quality of the management. And successful shelters usually have broad support at both the volunteer and the government level. It takes both the private and the public sectors to make this work.

I can add a little more to the statistics here though. Bloomfield's shelter management provides AC services to ten NJ municipalities and St. Hubert's provides it for 7 (which will rise to 8 if the proposed contract with Maplewood goes into effect). If we add in Ewing now, that makes a total of 81 municipalities in our state with either shelters or AC contracts with shelters that save 90% or more.

Which is 14% of all of NJ's municipalities.

New Hampshire has reached the no-kill threshold (saving 90% or more) statewide. Utah is getting close to that and has launched an initiative to reach it by 2019. A similar push for no-kill is underway in Los Angeles, and I believe Morganna posted on another thread that San Diego announced that no pet will be killed for lack of space in the county.

A decade ago most people believed that saving 90% or more was an impossible dream. There are people today who feel that's an impossible dream. But there are many shelters, and their number is growing, that prove them wrong all the time.

The resident was fined $1,000 plus court fees. She has 6 licensed cats, all vaccinated and neutered. She has rescued 11 kittens that she found and took them to an out of town rescue. Sad.

cramer said:
citizenjane,
I think it's only fair to point out that there are nine NJ shelters in the link that you provided that save 90% or more of its cats and dogs. Two of the nine, Cape May and East Monmouth Co., are county shelters (the ASPCA operates East Momouth, and I'm familiar with it.) Cape May has 5 municipalities and Monmouth Co. has 53 municipalities. Combining these (total 58) and the 7 municipal shelters on the list is a total of 65. There are 566 municipalities in NJ, which means that there are 501 municipalities that don't have shelters that save 90% or more.

Cramer, I adopted 2 dogs from the SPCA shelter in West Long Branch in the many years I lived in Oceanport. I also turned in a stray there that I found wandering my yard, obviously someone's lost dog but with no tags and very hungry. I gave him a can of food then took him to the SPCA. They took him in with no problems. The Monmouth SPCA is really great. That is the model that we should have for suburban Essex. Now we just need to figure out how to get it done.

Here's an interesting article on a success story.

https://njanimalobserver.wordpress.com/2015/07/13/perth-amboy-animal-shelters-amazing-turnaround-story/

Thanks, Morganna.

That's a great story on how a shelter can go from failure to huge success.

For the record the South Orange BOT can not make the decision on TNR. It is up to the Health Department and they are against it. Anyone interested in questioning it can attend the Thursday night Health Department meeting. Our friends in West Orange are working on it though. They have a TNR group and a lawyer suggesting changes to their ordinances. Wish our friends and the West Orange BOT well. I popped over and met one of the volunteers who works with the tiny shelter and one of their ACO's. Even found a perfect little kitten for one of Morgan Le Fay Cat Rescues adopters! Just looking for a silver lining.

Strange. An administrative governmental department being independent of the elected political leadership. That seems undemocratic.