Best Friends official urges Woodland Hills to adopt local policy supporting trap-neuter-vaccinate-return

Holly Sizemore, chief mission officer at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, told the Woodland Hills City Council that the city should adopt a local policy explicitly allowing trap-neuter-vaccinate-return for community (feral) cats, and align local rules with Utah’s Community Cat Act.

Sizemore said the approach — commonly called TNVR or TNR — reduces reproduction, increases vaccination rates and is consistent with the no‑kill shelter benchmark Best Friends uses, a 90 percent save rate. “No-kill means you save the ones that can be saved, including community cats,” Sizemore said. She said most Utah shelters already meet the 90 percent benchmark; she told the council two shelters in Utah County had not yet reached it.

Why it matters: city policy affects whether volunteers and caregivers feel criminalized for caring for community cats, whether taxpayer dollars are spent exclusively on removal, and how animal control interacts with residents who feed or care for outdoor cats. Sizemore said a Best Friends survey showed strong voter support in Utah County for TNVR and that the state law explicitly allows local municipalities and caregivers to conduct TNVR.

Sizemore told the council she has seen TNVR programs expand across Utah and the country and described Best Friends’ clinic workflow: volunteers trap, bring cats to the clinic for sterilization, vaccination and basic treatment, and then return healthy free‑roaming cats to their neighborhoods. “We scan every cat for a microchip that comes to the clinic,” Sizemore said. She added volunteers typically do not test every healthy cat for every pathogen because tests can be costly; they test and isolate when cats appear ill.

Council and public questions focused on legal clarity, disease risk, and how the policy would interact with existing local code. Council members and residents raised concerns about: whether TNVR would allow diseased animals to be returned, the scope of animal control officers’ authority, and language in Woodland Hills code that makes owners “strictly liable” if a cat is found running at large.

Carrie, a shelter representative who was present, and council members noted differences of opinion between the shelter’s leadership and Best Friends. Sizemore acknowledged operational and philosophical disagreements between some local animal services and Best Friends. She identified Tug Getling, director of North Utah Valley Animal Shelter, as a long‑time opponent of TNVR and said some county law enforcement representatives have expressed concern because their current practice is to pick up loose animals and return them to the nearest pickup location.

Council direction and next steps: Council members asked staff to consider drafting local policy language. One council member suggested the city could start with a nonbinding resolution rather than an ordinance because resolutions do not create criminal penalties; others said an ordinance would more clearly state municipal policy. Council members asked staff to invite the shelter and Best Friends back for a fuller presentation and to include the shelter’s statistics and operational viewpoint in any future discussion.

Public resources and current activity: Sizemore said Best Friends has recently expanded low‑cost or free spay/neuter services for Utah County residents and that volunteers provide traps and education. She also said Best Friends supplies humane deterrents and troubleshooting help when neighbors want cats moved from specific spots.

What the speakers said (selected quotes): • "I'm introducing her because she's gonna talk for a few minutes... Her title is chief mission officer of Best Friends Animal Sanctuary," — Doral (introducing Holly Sizemore). • "No-kill means that you save the ones that can be saved, including community cats," — Holly Sizemore, chief mission officer, Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. • "Right now our taxpayer dollars allow that cat with no questions asked... No one's asking, do you know who owns the cat?" — Holly Sizemore (describing current shelter intake practices).

Context and caveats: The meeting recorded discussion and an initial council request to pursue draft language; the council did not take a formal vote on a TNVR ordinance or resolution at this meeting. Several speakers noted difference of opinion among jurisdictions and agencies; the council asked staff to bring back proposed language and to include the shelter in future briefings.

Ending note: Council members and residents expressed interest in pursuing next steps; staff and outside stakeholders were asked to return with draft options and operational clarifications.