Trap Neuter Return Bylaw Finally Passes Council
After many months, pros and cons and much input from the community, the Trap Neuter Return (TNR) bylaw passes council unanimously…with an amendment.
MEDICINE HAT, AB - After months of debate, multiple versions presented by staff, request from individuals, animal advocates and organizations, council passed the TNR bylaw as it has come to be known.
The issue at large has been how to humanely deal with the feral cat population in Medicine Hat. Many Hatters have weighed in on the issue through council meetings and passionate emails to councilors. Some feel it’s inhumane to let cats be in the wild, others accept that they are wild and unadoptable, but because they breed so frequently they have grown to be a problem that can’t be ignored.
The ultimate goal is to reduce feral cat populations in the area by removing in a humane way their ability to propagate. The bylaw was presented to council by Managing Director Brian Stauth. He reaffirmed council that this is a pure bylaw change and not a program that the city is funding nor are they budgeting requests for funding.
After comments and questions by a number of councilors, councilor McGrogan put forward a motion to amend the proposed bylaw. He stated “that after talking to a couple of veterinarians on the issue” he felt the only way he could support the motion was to add to the bylaw, standards outlined by the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association.
The guidelines include things like medical care standards pre and post op, vaccinations, addressing malnutrition and disease, eartipping, chipping or tattooing of the cat.
After some further questions of councilor McGrogan, the amended motion was approved unanimously and a second reading of the now amended motion was presented. No further comments or questions were had on the second reading and both the second and third reading passed unanimously, putting to bed one of the more contentious and time consuming issues this administration has had to deal with.
Many councilors addressed the emotional nature of the issue and that many of them are, or have been, pet owners and there is no “perfect” solution to the problem. The position of the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association on the issue can be found here.
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