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Council backs ordinance to return found animals and hears TNR pilot funded by $10,000 grant
Summary
The City of New Iberia introduced an ordinance allowing animal control officers to return found animals directly to owners and heard a proposal for a trap‑neuter‑vaccinate‑release pilot program funded by a $10,000 grant to reduce the community cat population.
The City Council introduced an ordinance to allow animal-control officers to return found animals directly to their owners rather than requiring immediate intake at the shelter, and members heard details of a Trap‑Neuter‑Vaccinate‑Release (TNR) pilot program for community cats.
The proposed ordinance (Introduction of Ordinance No. 2025-14) would amend the city code to permit animal-control officers to reunite found animals with their owners in the field when appropriate, freeing shelter space and reducing exposure to infectious disease in kennel settings. The animal-control manager said the change would let officers canvass an area, return an identified animal and, where appropriate, issue a citation or warning for running at large.
Council members asked practical questions about collars, microchips and whether officers would scan animals in the field. The manager responded that officers already scan microchips and check for tags; the ordinance simply lets officers avoid bringing otherwise healthy animals into the shelter when the owner is readily identifiable.
Separately, the council heard a presentation on a proposed TNR program that the animal-control office intends to pilot. The manager told the council the shelter was awarded a $10,000 grant from Best Friends Animal Society to start the program; the pilot is expected to fund sterilization and vaccination for a limited number of community cats, with the manager estimating spay/neuter costs at roughly $80 per animal. The program is intended to trap local unowned cats, sterilize and vaccinate them, mark them with a tipped ear and return them to caregivers — a method the manager described as “the only proven and effective way to decrease cat population over time.”
Council members discussed scaling and sustainability; the manager said she would pursue parish-level support and hoped to budget the program in a future fiscal year if the pilot demonstrates reduced nuisance calls and lower shelter intake. The ordinance and the TNR introduction were set for public hearing and further council action on June 3.
