Burlington ordinance committee holds public forum on cat licensing and banning free‑roaming cats

The Burlington City Ordinance Committee on Tuesday held a public forum to hear residents and experts on recommendations from the city's dog task force to require cat identification and registration and to prohibit cats from roaming freely outdoors. Chair Joan Shannon opened the hearing saying the committee had no vote planned and wanted to collect public feedback before any deliberation.

The issue drew dozens of residents and multiple expert witnesses, who framed the proposals as measures to protect wildlife, public health and cats themselves. Lori Kettler of the dog task force summarized the three central recommendations: require visible identification for cats, require city registration similar to dogs, and prohibit free‑roaming cats. "The main reason that we made those recommendations was to facilitate the reunion of cats who might be lost with their owners," Kettler said, adding the policies would also…