SIGN TO STOP THE KILLING OF COMMUNITY CATS IN HAMILTON TWP NJ

Hamilton Township Council and a Committee consisting of residents put together a so-called TNVR (Trap/Neuter/Vaccinate/Return) Ordinance. This ordinance does not protect the Community Cats. Nor does it help the Community Cat Caregivers. It empowers ACOs to make decisions that are not in the best interest of the community cats. For example it allows Community Cats to be trapped for "Noise and Nuisance" violations and then taken to the shelter for "evaluatiion". Caregivers have to re-trap Community Cats to be "chipped" so that the ACO/Shelter can contact that person regarding the cat they picked up. No remedy is listed if the cat: 1. does not have a chip, or, 2. has a chip and the owner is called. In the past, the remedy was euthanasia. It is INTENTIONALLY vague in the Ordinance.

For decades Hamilton Township has been euthanizing outdoor cats in what they say was an effort to reduce the number of free roaming cats. After doing this repeatedly, they should have realized it does not work. Instead of creating a program in which there is cooperation with the Community Cat Caregivers, they created an Ordinance authored by people who do not perform TNVR services to the Township as Caregivers do. This Ordinance will endanger the cats and put all of the expense on the people who care for the cats out of the goodness of their hearts. The township did not create a TVNR Program as was the common understanding by residents.

I propose the Council form a partnership with the Cat Community Caregivers via a Liaison/bridge to the Caregivers who mostly want to be anonymous. Then, create a PROGRAM to help Community Cats and their Caregivers. Let's do a REAL TVNR Program and alleviate the death of animals that, through no fault of their own, were either abandoned by owners or born into a situation where they were left to survive on their own. Please sign to tell Hamilton Twp NJ Council: DO NOT PASS THE "SO CALLED" TVNR ORDINANCE in its current format. We have waited decades. Let’s spend a little more time implementing a program that works for all involved and saves the lives of innocent animals.