Jefferson, Iowa is ending it’s inhumane policy of trapping and shooting cats, under pressure from animal welfare organizations and local residents. With the help of Alley Cat Allies, the Animal Rescue League (ARL) of Iowa and the Animal Protection and Education Charity, the city will review its trap and kill policy and hopefully replace it with a Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) policy right away.
The ARL responded to Jefferson residents’ concerned calls that trapped cats weren’t being taken to shelters. Scott Wilson of the ARL traveled to Jefferson, where he met with the mayor and police chief to uncover the horrible truth that the cats deemed “unadoptable” or feral were being fatally shot. It’s implausible that cops were “trained” to make this decision, and furthermore there is no way for anyone to make this decision with certainty.
City Councilman Matt Wetrich told KCCI that “cats don’t belong outside….If one started becoming a nuisance, police would be called, and if they didn’t think it was owned by someone, they would take it out to be shot…Many citizens weren’t aware this was happening.”
A bullet was this city’s most cost-effective solution to controlling feral cat communities. Not only is this unbelievably cruel, it provides no long-term answer to the overpopulation problem.
Until last week, residents could request and set traps, and under city code cops could “humanely destroy feral cats.” Shooting a cat is not humane. Thankfully, residents can no longer get traps.
Trap-neuter-return (TNR) has shown to be the most effective and humane way to control the cat population. Recklessly killing cats causes a “vacuum effect:” new cats enter the area previously occupied to take advantage of the food source. Cats who manage to escape being killed, along with new cats entering the area, will continue to breed. The population will never stabilize and this practice causes unnecessary suffering.
Neutering and spaying cats is the only sane way to control their numbers. Releasing them back into the community with a clipped ear allows them to remain unharmed. And a clipped ear is the universal sign of a fixed feral cat, so wherever they may roam they can be safe.
Wilson has seen supervised cat programs in other Iowa communities lead to fewer feral cats in shelters, which means there is less reproduction. Animal Protection and Education Charity has helped other cities in Iowa with spay and neuter, vaccination, and microchipping. All of these are viable, safe, and proven methods of controlling population, backed by organizations and people who consider the welfare of animals. Jefferson’s administration would have done well to contact these groups while deciding on this policy years ago. Let it be a lesson for other cities who practice — or are considering practicing — barbaric policies when dealing with animals.
Photo by Jared Belson
Great decision, Iowa — there IS a God — THANK YOU.
This is INSANE!!! These sweet cats don’t deserve to be killed. Why not shoot the low life monsters that let the cats roam free instead of keeping them indoors and getting them fixed? The people who DESERVE to DIE are the ones who don’t take care of their animals. These cats don’t know any better. Killing them won’t made a difference. For every cat you kill there are 4 more strays born.. THINK ABOUT IT STUPID LOWLIFE ASSHOLES!!!!!!
stop these
WONDERFUL ! I COUND’T BE HAPPIER. NOW THIS CATS / KITTENS CAN HAVE A LIFE AGAIN. PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEZE A D O P T !
Cruelty should not be happening.
BASTA
I am soooo pleased and couldn’t be happier. Thank you for doing the right thing. There are many other ways to control the Cat population in Iowa City than the cruel shooting of them. These Cat didn’t ask to be born ! It’s up to humans to catch them and sterilize them. IT’S OUR JOB TO DO THIS ! !
Stop this disgusting and inhumane practice. There are better ways.
Stop this please
I agree with what everyone is saying. It’s better to trap and neuter than to trap and kill. It’s safer and it’s the humane way to do it. Yours sincerely
Miss Tiana May
I agree with what everyone is saying. It’s better to trap and neuter than to trap and kill. It’s safer and it’s the humane way to do it. Yours sincerely
Miss Tiana May
STOP THE KILLING OF HOMELESS ANIMALS NOW
its about time
We already know that the capture / neuter campaigns have worked VERY successfully in cities or areas that have chosen to try it ….STOP ABUSE OF ANIMALS NOW !!! …….there is no excuse to choose to be backward and Barbaric in correcting any situation …( this one being about excessive feral cats ) …..WE KNOW BETTER …..WE MUST CHOOSE TO ACT BETTER ……Further IGNORANCE on our part is a reflection of our own intelligence and society …..SHAME ON US if we don’t do what we already know is both humane and successful ……
I do so agree. Killing animals for whatever reason is unforgivable. God gave us certain animals for food, NOT to shoot to kill when they become what cops think is a problem. These are sweet, precious animals and deserve much better.
once again the incestuous, interbreeding, ignorant scum of iowa have demonstrated they have nothing i n their lives but having sex with their relatives and killing anything that moves… a whole state of sick ass perverts…
Every living Species TREMBLES in FEAR !!!!! SOUL BREAKING . TO EVERY ANIMAL ON THIS PLANET – WE ARE THE TERRORIST !!!!!
Please use more humane methods ! ! !
Trap, neuter, return is a much kinder and efficient way of controlling overpopulation of felines. Residents of Ogunquit, ME discovered that, and there are no longer feral cats there. Thank you, Jefferson, Iowa, for adopting a better way of dealing with this issue.
Being a cop doesn’t give you that right to kill. They are living beings who fell and suffer, it is not fair to be shot. Be more compassionate