Volunteers urge Sebastian to back trap‑neuter‑vaccinate‑return program; council agrees to send letter to county

Two volunteers from the local Humane Society outlined a proposal to allow trap‑neuter‑vaccinate‑return (TNVR) for feral cats and asked the City Council to signal support to Indian River County.

Cindy Dimon, speaking as a concerned citizen and volunteer, told the council TNVR is “the most humane and effective way to control the population of feral cats” and described the program’s basic steps: humane trapping, spay/neuter and rabies vaccination, and ear‑tipping to mark treated cats.

Dimon cited peer‑reviewed research and local data in support of the program. She referred to a University of Florida study by Dr. Julie Levy that showed a 66 percent decline in cat numbers during an 11‑year study on campus, and she provided local figures from the Treasure Coast Humane Society showing stray cat intakes decreasing from about 1,800 per year to about 1,000 after TNVR implementation — a 44 percent reduction, she said. Dimon also told the council that a database of 4,000 TNVR cats reported less than 1 percent euthanasia for illness.

Dimon acknowledged opposition from some organizations and said the Florida Department of Health and the Audubon Society have expressed concerns. She cited the Department of Health’s rabies prevention and control compendium as a reason those agencies raise public‑health concerns, but she told the council that state data show a low number of rabid cats statewide: “Their own data shows from 2022 that on average, there's only 11 cases per year of cats testing positive for rabies in the entire state of Florida,” Dimon said.

After the presentation, Council Member Ed Dodd asked whether the council was willing to provide a letter to the county in support of the proposal. Dodd said he would like staff to “put together a letter of support for the cat lady's proposal to the county.” Multiple council members expressed agreement: “I'm okay with it,” said one member, and another added, “I'm okay with it.” The council gave consensus for City Manager Brian Benton to draft a letter to the county commissioners expressing the city’s support for the TNVR concept; no formal vote was required.

Why it matters: TNVR programs change how local governments, animal shelters and animal control manage free‑roaming cats and can reduce shelter intake, community nuisance behaviors and euthanasia if they are funded and implemented effectively.

What’s next: City staff will draft and send a letter of support to the county commissioners; volunteers said they plan to continue preparing a business plan and to seek grant funding to cover program costs.