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Saginaw animal services reports 140 TNVR completions and urges more volunteer caretakers, council warned shelter replacement will be costly
Summary
City staff and volunteers reported 140 trap-neuter-vaccinate-return completions and 189 total cats identified across Saginaw and Blue Mound; staff said kennel/cage capacity and clinic availability limit expansion and urged public recruitment for colony caretakers and support for a new animal shelter.
City animal services staff and volunteers told the Saginaw City Council on Aug. 6 that the city's TNVR (trap-neuter-vaccinate-return) program has completed 140 sterilizations since it began trapping on Oct. 1 and has identified 189 community cats across Saginaw and nearby Blue Mound.
"Since we've officially started this, TNVR as of Aug. 6, [we have] 128 cats in Saginaw, 61 in Blue Mound, for a total of 189," said Joe (chair of the animal services advisory board). Jose, who operates animal control, said the shelter has completed 140 TNVR procedures, with 18 primarily kittens sent to rescue and 15 adopted. He reported six animals returned to owners and two euthanized because of severe injury or illness.
Presenters told council that the program's main bottlenecks are physical holding capacity and partner-clinic throughput, not only equipment. Jose said the shelter has nine stainless-steel feral kennels and nine traps available; when kennels are full, staff must pause trapping until animals cycle through the clinic and are returned to the field. "We only have nine cat kennels to keep feral cats," Jose said, noting quarantine and ringworm isolation needs that limit available space.
Councilmembers pressed staff on volunteer support and recruitment. The program has 20 registered trappers in Saginaw and four in Blue Mound and five registered caretakers in Saginaw (two in Blue Mound), while volunteers working with local nonprofits reported many more unregistered caretakers in the community. Councilmember(s) proposed community outreach at farmers markets, emails and a public-relations campaign to recruit more caretakers.
Multiple residents and nonprofit volunteers gave public comment supporting TNVR and described long-term reductions in kitten counts after concentrated trapping and sterilization drives. "Three and a half years later, we saw no more kittens," said Connie Stout of Mid Cities Community Cats, recounting a mobile-home-park campaign where sustained TNVR markedly reduced visible kittens.
Staff described funding arrangements: Jose said sterilizations and vaccinations are being covered largely by donations and adoption revenue rather than a city budget line for clinic fees; the city will establish a donation account to track those funds.
Council and staff agreed the city needs a new animal shelter to expand quarantine and holding capacity. The mayor said a replacement would cost "millions" and encouraged animal-lovers to contact councilmembers to support capital funding; staff said a new shelter would include a dedicated feral-cat wing and proper isolation space.
No formal policy change was adopted during the update; council asked the animal services advisory board to return with focused recommendations on expanding registered caretakers and community outreach plans.
