Volunteer group reports progress, clarifies liability questions for Augusta community cats

Sue Jones, a volunteer with the local trap-neuter-return program, briefed the Augusta City Council on the group’s recent work with community (feral) cats and corrected several accounts about cat presence at Osage Manor.

Jones told the council that every cat taken for sterilization is vaccinated against rabies and feline distemper. “So every cat that we take to get fixed is vaccinated against rabies and feline distemper,” she said, urging council members and residents not to repeat misinformation about the program’s practices.

Jones said follow-up trapping at Osage Manor found no remaining colony there: two cats previously trapped disappeared, one was adopted and a fourth only appeared sporadically. She said one resident was told to stop feeding the cats after repeated complaints. Jones also recounted observing at least one cat on a nearby porch wearing a collar.

On liability, Jones said she researched state practices and found statutes in 13 states and the District of Columbia that address feral cats, but “not a single one of them has anything to say about liability.” She noted that liability generally attaches at the local level only when an ordinance declares a caretaker to be an owner; she said Augusta’s ordinance specifically identifies caretakers as not owners, which she believes reduces the city’s exposure.

Council members asked follow-up questions about animal control enforcement and off-leash dogs; Jones said she had observed at least one dog being walked off leash near Osage Manor. The council took no formal action on the briefing.

The council thanked Jones and indicated the city will continue to coordinate with volunteers on ongoing trapping and outreach.