Augusta resident urges council to treat feral cats as nuisance animals after dog injured

Joseph Clifton, a resident at 620 Osage Street, told the Augusta City Council on March 17 that feral cats in his neighborhood have injured pets and should be designated nuisance animals under city law. "I don't understand why Augusta, Kansas requires stray cats to run around everywhere," Clifton said, describing multiple incidents including a dog he said lost sight in one eye after an encounter.

Clifton said people are bringing cats to town, leaving food outside and treating outdoor cats as ownerless, which he said attracts other wildlife and creates safety risks. "Just because you like an animal doesn't mean that you get to have as many as you want and not have to even get them vaccinated," he told council members.

City staff said the issue is more complicated under the city's current disposition practice. A staff member identified in the meeting as Cammy said the city's adopted policy favors a trap-neuter-release (TNR) approach: captured cats are spayed or neutered and then released, a practice officials said was intended to reduce colony sizes over time rather than use euthanasia. "When you pass that ordinance ... that's what happens with the cats; once they're captured, you go through the process to get them neutered," Cammy said, explaining the program's logistics.

Staff also told council the particular complaint involving Clifton's dog is in active court proceedings, with a disposition day scheduled for April 8. Another staff member, Josh, said he would review the ordinance language and discuss options with the prosecutor to clarify limits and possible responsibilities for colony managers. "You do have the right to craft your laws how you choose to," Josh said, adding staff would bring back information at a future meeting.

Council members did not take formal action at the meeting but asked staff to research current ordinance language, enforcement options, and complaint patterns. Clifton said he has received a ticket related to the incident and asked the council to consider changes so property managers and others could be held accountable for feeding or abandoning animals.

The council discussion noted two legal categories under the city's code—nuisance animals and vicious animals—and staff emphasized that this complaint was being processed as a nuisance matter, not a vicious-animal case. Officials also said the TNR program was intended as a population-control alternative to euthanasia and that returning some animals to properties after neutering is a feature of that program.

Council members asked staff to report back with ordinance language and enforcement options, and to avoid commenting on the pending court disposition until the judge issues a decision.