Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) in New York City

Trap-Neuter-Return in New York City

Prepared by the Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals March 2021

Why Should We Address TNR? From Animal Welfare perspective, TNR is good for the cats living on the street •

Improves their quality of life

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Removes kittens from the street and gets them adopted

From a Public Policy perspective: •

Alleviates strain on the shelter system

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Keeps unadoptable cats out of ACC

Early Days of TNR in New York City

1990 Alley Cat Allies was formed by Becky Robinson and Louise Holton, creating a formal network for managing feral cats Becky Robinson & Louise Holton

It was instrumental in getting the New York City TNR scene off the ground from their Washington, D.C., headquarters.

ACA connected New Yorkers interested in starting TNR, but who had no local means to find one another. Once a few key NYC players were connected with help from Alley Cat Allies in 2000, TNR in NYC took off Today ACA remains the nation’s leading resource for feral cat information

June 19, 2001 Feral and Stray Cats in New York City: Public Policy and Legal Issues The panel included: Emma Clifford, Pets in Need; Elinor Molbegott, Humane Society of New York; Mike Phillips, Neighborhood Cats; Becky Robinson, Alley Cat Allies; Holly Staver, City Critters Moderator: Jane Hoffman

National Feral Cat Day Launched in 2001 Alley Cat Allies launched on October 16, 2001, National Feral Cat Day on their 10th anniversary to raise awareness about feral cats, promote Trap-Neuter-Return, and recognize the millions of compassionate Americans who care for them National Feral Cat Day is observed on October 16 every year. Hundreds of events are held across the U.S. to mark the day

2001 After 9/11, the ASPCA called upon experienced NYC TNR trappers to help find displaced animals and rescue animals left behind in the buildings around the perimeter of Ground Zero A New York Post article (October 25) highlighted the rescue of a cat named Skye from a Ground Zero rooftop after being left behind when the Chinese restaurant where she “worked” was boarded up. She’d found her way out through a broken window and climbed a fire escape to the top of the building.

Skye was only one of the many rescues accomplished by the TNR community to save stranded cats in the area

2004 A New York Times cover story on October 10, 2004 in the “City” section was a two-page article called “Wild Things” about feral cats in NYC

TNR & NYCHA

TNR & NYCHA In June 2004, the director of New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) approved TNR in all NYCHA housing projects

Thirty-two cats were TNR’d at the Marble Hill Housing Project in the Bronx by local caretakers under the supervision of Urban Cat League with full cooperation of the building staff.

Free spay/neuter was provided by The Humane Society of New York’s Animal Mukti Spay/Neuter Fund Feeding stations and shelters were placed and caretakers were allowed to feed openly for the first time. After the initial project, Jamie Lehman did tremendous ongoing work at Marble Hill and countless other sites around the Bronx In an abrupt reversal of position in 2012, the director of NYCHA forbade TNR at all NYC housing projects

TNR on Rikers Island

Rikers Island First TNR Project

Captain Gloria Murli, a driving force behind the project, received humanitarian awards for her efforts at Rikers. Now retired, she continues to be closely involved in the daily care of the cats 20 years later

In March 2002, an unusual TNR partnership between the NYC Department of Corrections, Neighborhood Cats, and several other animal welfare groups, trapping began to spay and neuter the freeroaming cats living on the property of the Rikers Island Correctional Facility, and plans were made for their long-term care. The ASPCA, AC&C, and The Humane Society of New York joined Neighborhood Cats, and during the trapping phase of the project, Francis’ Friends and KittyCaretakers of Queens also provided assistance The project is believed to be the largest TNR project ever implemented at a single facility in the United States

Rikers Island Second TNR Project In 2012, the ASPCA and NYC Feral Cat Initiative teamed up to conduct a second comprehensive TNR project on Rikers Island, due to the continued irresponsible dumping of unneutered cats in the area More than 250 cats were trapped during this second phase of the project

Spay/Neuter of NYC’s Community Cats: 1999-Present

Spay/Neuter of NYC’s Community Cats •

The Humane Society of New York launches Animal Mukti free spay/neuter services in 1999

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In 2000, ASPCA makes its Care-A-Van available for spay/neuter of feral cats for TNR groups. Capacity: up to 15 surgeries a day

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2001-2009 ASPCA expands spay/neuter capacity, adding five additional mobile clinics, each with a capacity of up to 25 surgeries a day

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In 2008, ASPCA began a high-volume spay/neuter program at the ASPCA Animal Hospital on E. 92nd Street. This was the precursor to the ASPCA High-Volume Stationary Spay/Neuter Clinic in Glendale, Queens which began in 2011

Spay/Neuter of NYC’s Community Cats •

The Toby Project began to offer free spay/neuter for community cats in 2009

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2009: the ASPCA Mobile Spay/Neuter Clinic hosted TNR Spectacular! in Queens. All five mobile spay/neuter clinics were booked with feral cats, and by day’s end, a record of 138 cats had been spayed or neutered, rabies vaccinated and eartipped for free! The surgeries were performed in the clinics parked outside the New York Hall of Science in Queens, while feral cat continuing education sessions were presented inside the auditorium

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2011: Maddie’s R Spay/Neuter Project for Stray Community Cats in NYC awarded a 12-month grant for free spay/neuter services at participating private veterinarians in all five boroughs

Spay/Neuter of NYC’s Community Cats The ASPCA opened in May 2011 the ASPCA Stationary Spay/Neuter Clinic for animals managed by rescuers and humane organizations

The facility, located in Glendale, Queens, is outfitted with state-of-theart medical equipment and staffed with expert medical and administrative personnel. Highquality spay/neuter services are provided to caretakers and rescuers of feral and adoptable cats and dogs at very low cost. Animals can be brought directly to the clinic by a registered rescuer or through a transport program

Spay/Neuter of NYC’s Community Cats In 2011, the ASPCA Stationary Spay/Neuter Clinic began working in tandem with its transport service, which provides free rides for spay/neuter candidates, including feral cats and qualified animals from local rescue groups and humane organizations. The climatecontrolled vehicles were specifically designed to provide safe and comfortable transport for dogs, cats, and feral cats in traps

Spay/Neuter of NYC’s Community Cats •

In 2012, the Mayor’s Alliance NYCFCI received a grant for $15,000 from a private donor to fund feral cat spay/neuter by private veterinarians

NYC Feral Cat Council / Initiative

NYC Feral Cat Council In June 2004, the Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals created the NYC Feral Cat Council, comprised of individuals and groups in New York City working with feral cats and doing TNR The Council evolved into the NYC Feral Cat Initiative in 2005, providing services and resources to individuals and groups performing TNR and/or providing care for community cats living on the streets of New York City

January 2005 The NYC Feral Cat Initiative of the Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals began operation with a twofold mission: to raise awareness about the thousands of community cats living outdoors throughout NYC’s five boroughs, and to provide services to assist proactive New Yorkers to undertake a Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) project to humanely reduce the number of community cats and improve the lives of those cats currently living outdoors

2005–2019 The NYC Feral Cat Initiative of the Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals provided a range of services for community cat caretakers and the public: •

Free TNR Certification Workshops

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Free Specialty Workshops

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Free Trap Bank

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Free Transport of Cats & Traps

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Free Giveaways of Food, Straw, and Winter Shelters

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Free Posting of Adoptable Cats on NYCFCI’s Petfinder Page

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Grants to TNR Organizations

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Colony Registration/Google Maps

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Free Help Desk via website, email, and phone

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Free Networking Opportunities

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Free community relations and informational promotional materials & handouts in English & Spanish, including brochures, posters, and door hangers

Free TNR Certification Workshops •

TNR training leads to certification of TNR caretakers which makes them eligible for free services and resources

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Trained thousands of individuals to conduct TNR

Free Specialty Workshops in TNR-related topics •

Bottle Feeding

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Taming Kittens

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Community Relations

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Building Winter Shelters

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Advanced Trapping Techniques

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And more

Free Specialty Workshops in TNRrelated topics •

In 2003, an ASPCA grant provided Urban Cat League with funding to produce a video of its Taming Feral Kitten for Adoption Workshop, entitled “Tough Love: Socializing Feral Kittens.” In 2010, the video was added to the Mayor’s Alliance’s YouTube channel

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In 2017, a Shelter Building video, produced by the Mayor’s Alliance, was added to the Alliance’s YouTube channel

Workshops Across the Country •

The NYC Feral Cat Initiative received a $16,000 grant from the Petco Foundation in 2012 to fund teaching workshops nationally for socializing feral kittens for adoption

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Train the Trainer workshops presented in NYC, Oregon, Texas, Louisiana, Florida, and Canada

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Instructors included Mike Phillips, Valerie Sicignano, Kathleen O’Malley, and Sheila Massey

Free Trap Bank Free trap loans, dividers, and cages

Free Transport of Cats & Traps

Free transport of cats to and from spay/neuter appointments, and free transport of traps, provided by Mayor’s Alliance Wheels of Hope transport program

Free Giveaways Free food, straw, and winter shelter giveaways to Certified TNR Caretakers

NYCFCI Petfinder Page Gave caretakers a means to promote for adoption tamed feral kittens and domestic strays who had been living among community cats in their colonies

Grants to TNR Organizations •

In 2006, the NYCFCI distributed $12,000 in grants to NYC TNR organizations thanks to funding from In Defense of Animals

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In 2013, NYCFCI distributed grants provided by ASCPA to individuals doing TNR to pay for adoption and TNR related expenses

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Using information supplied by colony caretakers, mapped locations of colonies on passwordprotected Google Maps

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Maps were only accessible to NYCFCI staff

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Began to attempt to quantify number of cats in colonies city-wide

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Provided tool to connect experienced caretakers with newly certified caretakers who might need mentoring assistance

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Helped identify home colonies for community cats brought to ACC

Colony Registration

Free Help Desk •

Informational Website

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Dedicated Emails for Certified Caretakers and General Public

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Informational Phone Line

Online Support •

Informational Website

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Online Community Relations promotional materials / handouts in English & Spanish

Brochures

Love/Hate Posters

Door Hangers

Networking and Educational EVENTS

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Free Networking Events •

The Alliance presented its first TNR networking event – the Feral Cat Caretakers Summer Soiree – in August 2010

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In 2012, the event was renamed Fall Feral Feline Fiesta and moved to October to coincide with National Feral Cat Day

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150 Certified TNR Caretakers attended this first of several annual Fall Feral Feline Fiesta events, presented by the NYCFCI and hosted by the ASPCA. They enjoyed food and beverages, networking, giveaways, raffles, and entertainment

Educational National Feral Cat Summit 2004 In 2004, New York City hosted the

first National Feral Cat Summit, organized by Valerie Sicignano.

TNR practitioners from around the country gathered in NYC to attend lectures and workshops with experts and share information on issues related to feral cats National Feral Cat Summits were held again in 2005 (Philadelphia, PA), 2006 (San Francisco, CA), and 2007 (Orlando, FL)

Educational/Networking - Town Hall Meeting 2008 Representatives from many New York City feral cat organizations got together on September 18, 2008 at the ASPCA’s Midtown offices for a Town Hall Meeting to present volunteers involved with Trap-Neuter-Return projects with accurate and timely information about the programs available to them They also brainstormed ways to work together to promote our common goal: to increase the number of feral cats neutered and living in monitored colonies, with improved quality of life through TNR awareness and advocacy The NYC Feral Cat initiative of the Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals, ASPCA, The Humane Society of New York, and Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) presented a snapshot version of their services and an overview of how their organizations work together for the benefit of feral cats Note: Three years earlier, HSUS reversed its official position on TNR from Trap & Euthanize to Trap-Neuter-Return. This turn-around was in no small part achieved by the persuasive lobbying by NYC Feral Cat Initiative Community Outreach Director, Valerie Sicignano

Educational Event Boot Camp 2008 Feral Cat Caretaker Boot Camp!, a day-long workshop on December 7, 2008, sponsored by the NYC Feral Cat Initiative of the Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals, PetSmart Charities, In Defense of Animals, and Animal Haven was presented at Animal Haven SoHo Sixty-five attendees from seven states came to learn advanced techniques for trapping, winter shelter building, colony set-up & care, neighbor relations, and feral kitten bottle-feeding and taming Presenters: Tammy Cross (Kitten Little Rescue), Nancy Fahnestock and Carole Milker (CSM Stray Foundation), Jesse Oldham (ASPCA/Slope Street Cats), Mike Phillips (Urban Cat League), Michael Rubenstein, DVM (The Humane Society of New York), Valerie Sicignano (In Defense of Animals/NYC Feral Cat Initiative), and Meredith Weiss (NYC Feral Cat Initiative/Neighborhood Cats)

Educational Event Kitten Palooza The NYC Feral Cat Initiative presented on May 17, 2009 its first Kitten Palooza!, a series of free workshops on working with kittens as part of Trap-Neuter-Return projects. These workshops were sponsored by PetSmart Charities and instructed by Dr. Tina Waltke of Manhattan Cat Specialists, Mike Phillips of Urban Cat League, Nancy Alusick of Animal Care & Control of NYC, and Valerie Sicignano of the NYC Feral Cat Initiative.

The series was repeated in 2010 and 2011 in various New York City and New Jersey locations

Educational / Publicity In December 2011, Architects for Animals teamed up with the NYC Feral Cat Initiative of the Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals to present Giving Shelter, an exhibition of avantgarde outdoor winter cat shelters designed by some of New York City’s most creative architectural teams. This first event was so popular that it was repeated several consecutive years and received extensive media coverage

New York City Government

Local Law 59 2011 On September 27, 2011, Mayor Michael Bloomberg signed Local Law 59, endorsing TNR as the approved and recommended method for controlling and decreasing the numbers of freeroaming community and feral cats in all areas of NYC, public and private This important legislation recognized TNR as the preferred method of managing feral cat populations

DOH Website 2012 In 2012, the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene posted a list of organizations conducting TNR and providing information regarding TNR

Councilmember Arroyo 2012 New York City Councilmember Maria del Carmen Arroyo scheduled a forum on October 23, 2012 to inform City Council Members about TNR and the programs of the NYC Feral Cat Initiative

Educating Government Entities In 2012, the NYC Feral Cat Initiative of the Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals introduced new educational materials and distributed them to Community Boards and City Council Members to educate the general public on TNR and the NYCFCI services

April 25, 2015 NYCFCI’s Kathleen O’Malley presented TNR Training Workshop to NYPD

TNR Roundtable – December 2020 The NYC Mayor’s Office of Animal Welfare convened its first TNR Roundtable to explore the successes and challenges for TNR in NYC. Participants included government, academic, and non-profit organizations with a stake in successfully managing the city’s community cat population following months of restricted TNR and spay/neuter activity during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Roundtable continued in 2021 to meet and develop strategies for the future of TNR in NYC.

NYCFCI Transferred to Bideawee In 2019, the Mayor’s Alliance transferred the NYC Feral Cat Initiative to Bideawee