Salt Lake City, Utah -- Utah’s House may not like feral cats, but the Senate does. On March 10 Senators overwhelmingly passed SB 57and sent it to Gov. Gary Herbert for his signature. If signed, the bill will save feral cats through Trap Neuter Return programs. At the same time, they “let die without action the controversial HB 210 by Rep. Curt Oda, R-Clearfield, which would have allowed shooting them,” reported the Salt Lake Tribune.
SB 57, sponsored by Sen. Dennis Stowell, R-Parowan, sets up specific standards for feral cat management. The new bill
- Defines a community cat as “a feral or free-roaming cat that is without visibly discernible owner identification of any kind, and has been sterilized, vaccinated, and ear-tipped.”
- Defines a sponsor of a feral cat colony as “a person who actively traps cats in a colony for the purpose of sterilizing, vaccinating, and ear-tipping before returning the cat to its original location.”
- Exempts community cats from the three-day mandatory hold requirement in animal shelters.
- Allows feral cats to be transferred from the shelter, where nearly 100% are killed, to a sponsor.
- Exempts cats in TNR programs from feeding bans and licensing requirements.
- Clarifies that TNR is not abandonment, and makes sure that caregivers returning cats after neutering cannot be charged as such.
This is great news for feral cats throughout the state. The Salt Lake Tribune reported Stowell earlier said, “The overall effect will be that, down the road, there will be fewer feral cats because they are spayed and neutered. It’s a way to handle the problem.”
Sources: H.B. 57, Alley Cat Allies, The Salt Lake Tribune
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