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TNR volunteers outline cumbersome workflow and ask commission to form working group
Summary
Volunteers described a multi-step, largely manual Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) workflow and asked the commission to form a TNR working group to streamline processes, expand clinic access and reduce volunteer burden.
Volunteers who help run Austin’s community cat programs asked the Travis County Austin Animal Advisory Commission on Jan. 13, 2025, to sponsor a TNR working group and to pursue operational changes to make Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) more efficient and accessible.
Lauren Nesmith, a community volunteer working on TNR requests, told commissioners that more than 600 open requests exist and that only about 15 to 20 people are regular trappers. She described a multi-step process volunteers now use: locating requests via a public-facing form, consulting a volunteer-managed Google spreadsheet, signing up through a SignUpGenius page that lacks filters, and waiting for a manual transfer of assignments from “open” to “assigned.” Nesmith said volunteers often bypass the official system and rely on Facebook or Nextdoor because…
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