Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Tnr Feral Cats topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Michigan City board hears continuing strain on trap‑neuter‑return efforts as feral cat numbers rise
Summary
Board members and staff reported ongoing TNR activity but said capacity limits, public feeding, and a recent volunteer loss have reduced net progress; Animal Control provided a February–September activity summary showing 64 cats collected and monthly variation in TNR session yields.
Animal Control staff and board members at the Michigan City Animal Control Board meeting Sept. 24 reported continued trap‑neuter‑return (TNR) operations but said the program is not keeping pace with the number of free‑roaming cats in the city.
The discussion centered on program capacity, timing of trapping, community feeding practices and the recent loss of a local volunteer resource that helped run TNR clinics.
Animal Control Officer Dunham provided a February–Sept. activity summary showing 64 cats collected between Feb. 13, 2025, and Sept. 4, 2025; 35 were female and 29 were male. Monthly tallies the board reviewed included: five cats in February, 16 in March, six in April, eight in July, 11 in August and 11 in a September session. Staff said trap location and the hour traps were set affected capture rates.
Board members and volunteers described recurring obstacles to trapping. Staff said traps set later in the day often miss cats because animals are more active and easier to catch early in the morning. One staff member explained the practical change needed: set traps earlier so animals that are fed in the morning will be out and available.
Board members and volunteers stressed that public feeding of unowned cats contributes to population growth and complicates TNR: "If they're gonna feed their cats, they should be taking responsibility for the cats to get them fixed," a volunteer said at the meeting. Staff members said some caregivers feed feral colonies daily and that caregivers are not always reachable in time to delay feeding before scheduled trapping.
Program capacity is constrained by kennel availability and clinic access. Staff said several high‑volume situations (described as “cat warehouses” or hoarding situations) repeatedly divert resources from planned TNR locations. The board noted that partnering clinics provide lower‑cost spay/neuter options but still present a cost barrier for caregivers: staff named local clinics charging roughly $75–$105 per surgery and said some clinics offer financial assistance.
Volunteers and board members proposed several near‑term steps discussed at the meeting: recruit more volunteers for capture and transport, compile lists of caregivers and colony locations to target outreach, and coordinate periodic mobile or pop‑up clinics in larger spaces (for example, school gymnasiums or community rooms) to increase throughput. One volunteer offered to help organize outreach and fundraising for subsidized surgeries.
The board did not adopt any new policy or budget at the meeting; members instructed staff to continue outreach to partners and volunteer groups and to seek ways to increase TNR capacity.
The board plans to continue TNR reporting at future meetings and to follow up on volunteer recruitment and potential mobile clinic arrangements.
