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Animal welfare board reports falling feral‑cat counts, seeks donations and nonprofit status
Summary
The chair of North Bay Village's Animal Welfare Advisory Board updated the commission on the TNR program, reporting fewer stray cats, recent medical expenses of about $3,000, 12 volunteers, and plans to formalize donations through a nonprofit, Meal Matters.
Maria Cruz Marquez, chair of the Animal Welfare Advisory Board, told the commission the village’s TNR (trap‑neuter‑return) program has reduced the local feral‑cat population from roughly 245 in 2017 to under 150 today, supported by a team of 12 volunteers who feed and coordinate veterinary care. Marquez said recent medical bills for senior cats totaled about $3,000 over six to eight weeks and that volunteers work with a trapper who charges roughly $100 per trapping and care event.
Marquez said she plans to formalize fundraising by creating a nonprofit, Meal Matters, to accept donations that will cover veterinary costs and sustain the program; she asked residents to volunteer or donate and offered follow‑up with staff on any conflict‑of‑interest questions about board members participating in the nonprofit. Commissioners thanked the volunteers and asked staff to prepare a budget breakdown for the board’s expenses during the next budget review.
Maria also answered questions about feeder locations across the islands and pledged to provide more data in the next board report.
