*WE DO NOT NEED DONATIONS AT THIS TIME*

The City of Port Orange is replacing the current TNR Program with an in-house TNR Program for the prime reason of “accountability” that the City Leaders say was lacking in the current program.  The new in-house TNR Program requires all current registered cat colonies and new colonies to register for the new program and comply with rules contained in their TNR Program Policy Guide and as part of the TNR Colony Caregiver Application the caregiver will be required to sign a “Right of Entry and Hold Harmless" form.  The requirements are aimed at eradication of the cats not TNR.  They violate the rights of every resident in Port Orange and they waste taxpayer dollars.  The death toll on cats and kittens will be tremendous. 

This petition is asking that you join with the caregivers who are asking that the caregiver/volunteer rules be rescinded and be replaced by rules that benefit the City, the Volunteer Caregivers and the Cats.  These rules need to be in step with proven methods of TNR that are used throughout Volusia County and across the Nation and not rules made up to remove and kill cats to satisfy someone’s desire to have “a city with no stray cats”.

The following bullet points are a small sampling of the most egregious requirements (you can access copies of the required documentation, rules and regulations at www.port-orange.org/documentcenter click on police department and then on TNR).

·         Right of Entry and Hold Harmless contains language that states “by signing below applicant authorizes the City of Port Orange, its officers, employees, agents, contractors and subcontractors hereinafter referred to as “City” to enter upon and over the property described in the application for the purpose of removing feral cats, removing nuisance community cats, inspecting the cat colony for compliance with the City Code of Ordinances and Community Cat Program Rules, and such other activities necessary to operate its program.  It further states that you will hold the City harmless if a variety of actions, damages, personal injury or other claims arise while participating in this program.  You basically give up your right to stop anyone who works for the City from entering your property without your permission (you gave the permission by signing the form) at any time and for any reason related to removing cats.  No mention of TNR only removal of cats. 

·         Relocating cats is mentioned multiple times in the TNR Program Policy Guide.  Cats can be relocated (without your permission) if you fail to complete the “training course”; if the cat colony is at a location that is in the “prohibited area” (whatever that is) the ACU will ask the volunteer caregivers to help to find homes for “feral” cats or the ACU will ask you to help move the cats to approved colony locations if space is available or if space is not available the cats will be taken to Halifax Humane Society.  YOU CANNOT RELOCATE FERAL CATS IT IS A DEATH SENTENCE.  THEY WILL TRY THEIR BEST TO GO BACK TO WHERE THEY CAME FROM AND DIE TRYING.  OF COURSE YOU CAN ALWAYS OPT FOR EUTHANASIA OF THE CATS THAT YOU HAVE BEEN TAKING CARE OF FOR MONTHS OR YEARS. 

·         This is a quote from an expert on TNR regarding the Port Orange TNR Program:  “The city is not being realistic by thinking they can control the number of colonies – cats simply live where they live and it’s everywhere in the community.  There also is no magical place to relocate all of these cats and with the vacuum effect more cats will simply move in.  The better alternative is to simply sterilize everyone and the numbers will reduce over time”.

·         A Maximum number of cats has been set at 10 for a residential setting and 25 for a commercial venue.  Good luck if you have 2 mother cats and 10 kittens at a residential location as you will need to pick out the two that the ACU is going to take to the shelter for euthanasia.  Also, if you think you can hide the two extra ones when the ACU comes to your house when you are not there to “inspect the colony” or to “count cats” (yes count cats – like herding cats) and they find that you are over the limit they will be whisked away to the shelter (and death) or if space in another colony exists then you are in luck as the cat will not be euthanized it will die trying to go back to the original colony.

·         If the caregiver is found in violation of any program rules that person may be removed from the program and all colony cats will be trapped and removed from the colony and in addition the caregiver shall be held responsible for all spay/neuters, vaccinations, boarding costs, incurred by the City.

·         Note:  The shelters are not the bad guys they are the end result of the actions of the City of Port Orange.  Those in charge have chosen eradication of cats over TNR that would actually “fix” the problem.

All of you who pay taxes to any municipality should also keep in mind that even if you are not participating in a TNR Program or if you dislike cats you should care about your taxpayer dollars.  It costs $90.00 to impound a cat (outcome is usually death) or $45.00 for TNR.  Removing and killing cats does not work if it did since that was the prescribed method of cat population control for over 50 years, we would not have an overpopulation of cats.  TNR is the only method that actually works to reduce the cat population and cost ½ as much as impoundment.

Please sign this Petition to save the lives of countless helpless animals whose only crime was being born and save taxpayer dollars at the same time.  A win/win for everyone.