Addressing Stray Cats in Huron County by Amanda Fearing
“The Huron County Humane Society would like to address one of the hot issues in our county. The stray cat population is very overwhelming in our community, and we want everyone to know that we are aware of this issue and are working hard on potential solutions.
HCHS is a small facility with three rooms to house cats, and our animals’ safety and comfort is our top priority. We can comfortably accommodate 30 cats at a time with the cages and rooms that we have, but we often have more than that. We have a garage area attached to the building where new cats go when they come into the facility. That is where they stay while they decompress from the stress of coming into a shelter and are waiting to get their vaccinations, disease testing, and health assessment.
HCHS takes owner surrenders, abused, and neglected animals. We regularly have a list of people waiting for us to have space to take in just owner surrenders. When it comes to abused and neglected animals, HCHS has the only Humane Agent in the county. When we have more significant humane cases come in, we do not turn them away. We have to be more creative and resourceful with our space while maintaining the comfort and safety of all animals in our facility.
When it comes to taking in stray cats, our facility, staffing, and funding (as we are funded by donations only) do not allow us to accommodate them safely and comfortably. Stray cats are at higher risk of infectious diseases due to their lack of preventative care during their outdoor life. While we ensure that our cats are vaccinated for diseases, vaccinations are not always 100% effective. There are also highly contagious illnesses and conditions that are not prevented by vaccinations that can spread like wildfire, crippling a shelter.
Things such as upper respiratory infections and ringworm can spread so fast and so easily when you are housing dozens of animals. These issues are complex, taking weeks and sometimes months to clear up once they have spread through the population. We do have the garage area to “quarantine” new cats; however, it is still attached to the building and does little to stop the spread of these illnesses. A shelter is a lot like a school or daycare, it is so easy, even with sanitation protocols, to spread disease.
The good news is that there are ways to help! HCHS is partnering with Humane Ohio in Toledo. We offer appointments for transports to and from their facility for low-cost spay and neuter. Humane Ohio offers a community cat package for $29, which includes the spay/neuter, ear tip, and rabies vaccine for stray cats. A $5 transport fee brings these services to $34, which is a very reasonable price. As of the beginning of August, 40 strays have been spayed/neutered this year through this program.
HCHS is also developing a partnership with Firelands Community Cat Coalition or FC3, a local non-profit trap/neuter/release (TNR) organization. Organizations such as HCHS and FC3 cannot run on their own and currently do not receive any funds on a federal, state, or county level. All funds are raised through public donations and fundraisers.
Community help is needed in the form of donations, volunteers, and animal fosters. Consider volunteering to help out at the shelter or to assist FC3 with trapping or transporting. Without you, there is no us! Your generous donations keep every aspect of our businesses up and running. You, as a community member, can make a big difference. One small gesture can mean preventing one more litter of stray kittens.”
Contact our office for more information. Thank you for your support.
