(A) The city may establish a fund, provide services or an approved assistance program to offset the costs of trapping, neutering and vaccinating captured feral cats that can be returned to an appropriate, controlled, protected and registered colony site. Caregivers for such colonies, whether one or several animals, may be aided by the city, county or the approved assistance program in providing traps for the capture of the cat, transportation to a spay/neuter facility and offsetting costs, to the extent that funding is available.
(B) Each feral cat colony will be registered by the caregivers with Low Cost Spay Neuter Clinic, Inc. which will maintain current and historical information on caregivers, education for new caregivers, and assistance for persons found in violation of this chapter.
(C) Approved assistance programs for feral cat colonies within the city will exist only with the approval of the homeowner or neighborhood association, if applicable, in which the colonies are to exist.
(D) It shall be unlawful for a person to provide food, water or shelter to a colony of feral cats, unless;
(1) The colony is an approved managed colony, registered with Low Cost Spay Neuter Clinic, Inc.;
(2) The food, water or shelter is provided in conjunction with the implementation of trap, neuter and return methodology as set forth below; and
(3) The caregiver is using ear tipping on feral cats in order to be identified as a spayed or neutered and a vaccinated member of a managed colony.
(E) An approved feral cat colony caretaker, in order to obtain control of the feral cat population in the city shall:
(1) Humanely trap and sterilize (spay/neuter) and left ear-tip all cats that can be captured by an authorized veterinarian;
(2) Vaccinate, as required by law, all cats that can be captured:
(a) Against rabies, preferably with a three-year vaccine; and
(b) Any other infectious disease as mandated by law.
(3) Colony caretakers shall have a licensed veterinarian evaluate the health of all trapped feral cats. Seriously ill or injured cats with no reasonable prognosis for humane rehabilitation for survival outdoors will be humanely euthanized;
(4) Release all non-feral cats to animal control or humane society for adoption or placement in accordance with the law;
(5) Make every attempt to remove kittens from the colony by eight weeks of age for domestication, spay/neuter, and placement; and
(6) Make every attempt to remove sick or injured cats from the colony for immediate veterinary care or humane euthanasia.
(F) Colony caretakers shall:
(1) Abide by the standard guidelines devised by this chapter, animal control or its designee, regarding the provisions of food, water and shelter and veterinary care for the cats within the managed colony;
(2) Ensure responsibility and arrangements for feeding the cat colony regularly throughout the year, including weekends, holidays and vacations of the feral cat caregiver; and
(3) Maintain proof of sterilization, vaccination, tattoo or implant and medical records from a licensed veterinarian at all times. These records must be provided to the Humane Society, Low Cost Spay Neuter Clinic Inc., or law enforcement upon request.
(G) Any law enforcement authority may impound feral cats in violation of this section. Any feral cat impounded by law enforcement authority that bears an appropriate ear-tipping indicating it belongs to a managed colony may, at the discretion of law enforcement, be returned to its managed colony unless illness or injury present an imminent danger to public health or safety.
(Prior Code, § 10-8) (Ord. 21-32, passed 7-12-2021) Penalty, see § 90.99