August 5, 2014 To: Peterborough City Council Re: Renewal of Contract with the Peterborough Humane Society - By Laws Concerning Cats We appreciate the opportunity to address City Council today. We represent Operation Catnip. We have been providing TNR (Trap/Neuter/Return) services to Peterborough and surrounding areas since mid April 2013. In that short time we have built positive relationships with 9 local veterinarian clinics and served 200 cats through 70 Colony Caregivers. We serve both feral and abandoned or stray cats, with 75% of the cats we help being feral. Some colonies we serve are a mix of feral and friendly abandoned cats. During the Committee of the Whole meeting of July 28 one councillor asked representatives from the Peterborough Humane Society where feral colonies are located. We have served colonies all over the City of Peterborough and receive calls from areas such as Havelock, Bobcaygeon, Ennismore, Apsley, Omemee, Bowmanville and Northumberland County. We have mentored people in other areas to help develop TNR programs in their communities. We fill a gap in services available in this city by providing volunteers who trap, transport, provide pre and post op care, educate and fundraise. Our niche is that we trap and transport cats; we do not require Caregivers to do this. These services are not always provided by TNR programs adopted by Humane Societies or SPCAs. This is evidenced by the referrals we receive from other animal welfare organizations, including the Peterborough Humane Society. We are supported solely by donations from our community and our program is run solely by volunteers. Our work compliments the services of the Humane Society and the vital work of the Lakefield Animal Welfare Society and other rescue groups in our area. Together, LAWS, ARK, Cat Care Spay/Neuter Initiative (another TNR group) and Operation Catnip have served over 1,400 feral and stray cats in our community in the past year. This does not take into account the animals altered through three local veterinarian clinics that provide lower cost spay neuter for feral and abandoned cats. The Report of the City Solicitor included in the agenda of the Committee of the Whole meeting on July 28, 2014 states that the Peterborough Humane Society has been working with Operation Catnip. When Operation Catnip was in our planning stages, we were joined by one city councillor and representation from the Peterborough Humane Society. They formed a subcommittee and developed draft by laws concerning cats. Our full committee was denied the opportunity to view, provide feedback or actively participate in the development of the draft bylaws. Once we were able to obtain a copy of the draft bylaws, their review prompted concerns about the future of the cats we serve and those served by other animal welfare organizations in our community. We do not support these bylaws as currently drafted. In particular, included in the draft bylaws is a clause wherein all cats found outdoors are to be relinquished to the Director of the Humane Society. This would disallow Operation Catnip, LAWS, ARK, Cat Care Spay/Neuter Initiative and any other local organizations from helping cats. Even with the new PHS facility being able to accommodate 200 cats, this will in no way serve the amount of cats currently being helped by other animal welfare organizations. Please note that the City of Peterborough does not pay for the services provided by the other animal welfare organizations; the 10s of thousands of dollars raised by volunteers to care for and alter the conservative number of 1400 cats per year. Operation Catnip alone has spent $23,000 in the provision of our services. Added to the approximate number of 1300 animals taken in by the PHS each year (as per their website), our contention is that ALL organizations that serve cats are needed in this community. Operation Catnip, along with any other interested animal welfare organizations and individuals will be actively seeking consultation with the Peterborough Humane Society to ensure that any bylaws enacted will reflect the need for a collaboration of ALL those working to help animals in our community. Ensuring monopoly to one organization for the care of cats would be to ignore the need of the animals we work for and will not be supported by the citizens of this community. Our goal is to ensure the ability for our continued work with feral and abandoned cats through our current TNR program and for all animal welfare organization to continue their dedicated work. On behalf of Operation Catnip! Janice Sorrie (Vice President); Teddi Pappas (President) thank you for reading this! Teddi
Posted on: Tue, 05 Aug 2014 13:12:06 +0000
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