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Terre Haute resident urges ban on animal giveaways; city attorney says "cat colony" licenses are not being issued
Summary
At the Jan. 15 Terre Haute City Council meeting, resident Vicky Kurtz pressed the council to curb feral-cat populations and asked the city to clarify whether "cat colony" permits exist; the city attorney said the animal-control ordinance was overhauled and such licenses were not issued in recent years.
At the Jan. 15, 2026, meeting of the Terre Haute City Council, resident Vicky Kurtz urged the council to consider banning giveaways of litters of cats and dogs and called for clearer city options for people who care for large numbers of cats in neighborhood alleys.
Kurtz described persistent animal issues on Garfield Street and said she has done trap-neuter-return (TNR) work for decades. "I would like in 2 years, if I'm still living, to pass a law that no one can give away litters of cats and dogs," she said. She told the council that code enforcement has repeatedly issued court notices to neighbors and that private shelters are full.
Councilmember Mason asked whether older "cat colony" licenses were still honored. The city's attorney responded that the animal-control ordinance was substantially revised about seven years ago and that, in his experience, those licenses were never issued under the revised code. "We revamped everything in the animal control ordinance ... So I don't I don't think they're allowed," he said, adding that the city will pursue voluntary compliance, fines or court remedies as appropriate while supporting spay/neuter efforts.
The exchange clarified two separate points raised by Kurtz: that the city has limited shelter capacity and that the legal framework guiding animal-control enforcement has changed. Councilmembers and staff repeatedly framed spay/neuter as the primary remedy; one councilmember said the mayor had proposed using nonreverting funds to subsidize spay/neuter services.
Kurtz said she will accompany a resident, John, to a court date on Jan. 20 related to an ordinance violation, and asked the council to consider alternatives so code enforcement would not be limited to returning animals to the street or pursuing repeated court proceedings.
The council did not adopt any new ordinance at the meeting. The discussion concluded with councilmembers thanking Kurtz for her work and reiterating support for spay/neuter programs; the meeting then moved on to appointments and other business.
