Fulton's Forgotten Furry Friends

Our adoption fee is $60. Community cats (aka stray or free-roaming cats) risk losing their lives simply because they've made a home in the outdoors. In many cases, they are brought to the local shelter, where they are unlikely to get adopted because many of them aren't socialized to people. In Fulton, over 100 cats are euthanized every year, which means that for every 10 cats that enter the shelte

r 8-9 of them are killed. It’s time for Fulton residents to take action to protect the livelihood of all cats. Join us in urging the Fulton City Council to adopt ordinances that support humane Community Cat Programs and remove the mandatory cat leash laws that result in many cats being picked up and killed in the shelter. What is a Community Cat Program? Community Cat Programs use trap-neuter-vaccine-return (TNVR) to save cats. Trap-neuter-vaccinate-return is an animal-friendly, veterinarian-approved, and cost-effective method for keeping free-roaming cats safe, healthy, and out of shelters — while reducing their numbers over time. The cats are humanely trapped then sterilized and vaccinated before being returned to the place where they were found. How can I help? Changing city ordinances can take time and perseverance, and we will need ongoing support in many forms. Right now, our most urgent need is to demonstrate to the Fulton City Council that our community supports ordinance changes that remove the leash law for cats and implementation of a humane Community Cat Program. You can write a letter to the Fulton City Council using the sample language below and submit via Messenger or email ([email protected]). You can also message us to have your name added to our joint letter. Dear Fulton City Council:

My name is _____. I have lived in Fulton for ___ years. I am writing to express my concern with the current ordinance regarding leash law for cats and the lack of humane community cat management. Leash laws for cats threaten any cat outside with impoundment, whether they are owned or unowned. This law is particularly dangerous to community cats because they are unowned and do not have traditional “owners” to leash them. Their home is outdoors. Community cats are often unsocialized and therefore, unadoptable, so upon impoundment, up to 100% are killed. Our goal should be to implement humane programs to manage our community cat population. Please consider supporting a Community Cat Program that’s focused on Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return (TNVR). TNVR is the only humane and effective way to stabilize the community cat population. During TNVR, cats are humanely trapped, spayed or neutered, vaccinated, ear-tipped for identification, and returned to their outdoor homes. The community cat population stabilizes and decreases over time. TNVR stops the breeding cycle, so no new kittens are born, and eliminates mating behaviors, such as yowling, spraying, roaming, and fighting. I urge you to support the proposed ordinance changes that remove the cat leash law and implement a humane Community Cat Program focused on TNVR. Thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely,

[Your Name]