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Residents press council on feral‑cat TNR program; some allege fines and retaliation, officials cite neighbor complaints
Summary
Public commenters urged expanded funding for trap‑neuter‑return and proposed a small per-household fee to support spay/neuter services; residents alleged fines after participating in TNR programs while town staff said enforcement follows neighbor complaints and denied organized retaliation.
A heated public-comment exchange at the Woodbridge Township meeting centered on the town's approach to feral-cat management and whether volunteers or residents who conduct trap‑neuter‑return (TNR) activity have been targeted for enforcement.
Lisa Kiersgaard, speaking as a former resident, urged the council to consider funding a municipal TNR program and suggested a small $1 monthly charge per household could raise roughly $400,000 for spay/neuter services and related animal-center needs. "With a small increment, I figured $1 a month per household would bring over $400,000 to the program," she said.
Other commenters disputed TNR counts and alleged retaliatory enforcement. Pauline Rhodes said she had TNR'd cats for three households and that those households were later fined $1,000 each as nuisances. "I have 3 people that I fully TNR'd their cats in their backyard, and all 3 of them are now being fined from the township saying that the cats are nuisance," Rhodes said.
Town staff responding in the meeting denied organized retaliation. A township representative told the audience, "There is no retaliation. I can assure you." Town officials explained that nuisance enforcement typically follows neighbor complaints and said the township would investigate any evidence of improper staff conduct.
Shelter figures were discussed but not reconciled in the hearing: one speaker said the shelter performed 68 TNR procedures over the last 15 months while another commenter referenced a much larger 500‑cat figure. The council did not take policy action at the meeting but offered to collect documentation and follow up with the commenters and the health department.
The exchange highlighted two unresolved items for the council: whether to pursue a dedicated funding mechanism for TNR and animal services, and whether enforcement procedures and complaint handling need new public guidance to address perceptions of inconsistent enforcement. Several commenters urged clarification of what counts as official shelter TNR activity versus volunteer efforts.
Town staff said they would look into social-media posts that commenters provided and asked residents to deliver documentation directly to the administration for review.
