The City of Robinson hosted a detailed presentation on trap-neuter-return (TNR) for outdoor "community cats," and council members and residents discussed launching a pilot in the Surrey Ridge neighborhood.
Carrie Spivey, introduced at the meeting as director of ABC clinic, told the council her nonprofit provides high-volume spay and neuter services and has done TNR since Feb. 2007. "Trap and return is spay, neuter, vaccination and tip of the left ear," Spivey said, describing ear-tipping as a visual marker used nationwide to show a cat has been sterilized and vaccinated. She said ABC performs an average of about 352 surgeries per week (about 70 per day) and emphasized that sterilizing outdoor cats reduces roaming, fighting, spraying and vocalization.
Residents described large local colonies and volunteer trapping efforts. Michelle Watts, a Surrey Ridge resident, told the council she trapped 31 cats in Surrey Ridge in three weeks and estimated at least 20–30 more remained; she urged the city to act before the population expanded further.
Council members and staff discussed funding options and program design. Council members cited examples of other municipalities that subsidize spay/neuter (McGregor at $26,000 per year and a smaller program described as "West" at $2,000), and an ABC representative said Waco-level support operates at a larger scale. During discussion the council asked staff for options and indicated that a pilot program focused on Surrey Ridge would likely be feasible and that the council could allocate up to $10,000 to start a test program; council members clarified that no formal appropriation was made at the meeting and that any allocation must fit within the adopted budget.
Why it matters: Council members and volunteers said TNR is a humane, community-scale way to reduce nuisance behaviors linked to reproduction and to lower shelter intake and taxpayer costs. Volunteers offered to assist with trapping, transport and outreach.
Details from the meeting: Spivey said medical and other exemptions exist and that TNR programs often partner with shelters, animal control and volunteer transporters. Speakers described an average subsidy cost of a little over $100 per animal for spay/neuter and microchip compared with higher shelter or surrender costs. The council and ABC discussed outreach and education as essential components of a successful program.
Next steps: The council asked staff to prepare options and costs for a pilot TNR program, with volunteers and ABC clinic participation; council members indicated preliminary willingness to fund a pilot up to $10,000 but did not adopt a budget amendment at the meeting. If the council wants a city allocation in the coming fiscal year, staff said it should be included when the budget is adopted next week.