At times we find ourselves at odds with the effects legislation before the General Assembly will have on animals. However, a bill currently before the Virginia Senate Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources committee that seeks to help the feral cat population is something we can definitely get behind.
Introduced by Senator Creigh Deeds on Jan. 11, Senate Bill 359 would clarify the existing Virginia code in order to protect individuals who compassionately care for feral cats. Under current law, returning a spayed or neutered feral cat to his outdoor home in a feral cat colony may be construed as the crime of “abandonment,” a true distortion of reality if there ever was one. In some municipalities, this means that feral cat caregivers are prevented from engaging in the responsible practice of trap-neuter-return (TNR) and threatened with charges and stiff penalties by local police or animal control offers who claim the caregivers become “owners” of the feral cats once they trap them. You read that correctly. TNR reduces the spread of disease, overpopulation, territorial fights and yowling during mating, yet the flawed application of the term “abandonment” threatens to impede this life-saving practice.
That’s where the new legislation comes in. Under the proposed Senate bill, returning a feral cat to its colony after it has been spayed or neutered would no longer be considered abandonment. Animal abandonment is a Class 3 Misdemeanor in the Commonwealth, which carries a fine of $500. Not even taking the economic impact into account, such a fine levied against compassionate, proactive individuals could seriously hinder TNR participation, damaging the many thriving feral cat programs in the process. By amending the existing law, this bill would not only reaffirm Virginia’s commitment to animal welfare, but would also serve as a bulwark against many of our elected officials whose knowledge about these issues we find embarrassingly lacking.
Unfortunately, uninformed politicians are not the only group we are at odds with over Senator Deeds’ proposed legislation. The Virginia Animal Control Association has come out against the bill, a troubling decision considering the amendment is guaranteed to protect a significant percentage of Virginia’s animal population, one of VACA’s stated duties. VACA’s official code of conduct has this to say on the subject:
“The fundamental duties…include serving the community, providing protection for the public and animals, and enforcing laws in that regard.”
Sadly, none of these enumerated obligations are served by opposing this legislation. By standing in the way of TNR, VACA leaves the impression the organization would rather forgo the benefits of TNR, and instead have feral cats immediately turned over to a local animal control organization. The problem is that feral cats are not socialized to humans, and are often unadoptable. As a result, once they enter an animal control facility, it is almost certain that they will be killed.
This process serves neither the community, who has roundly embraced TNR, nor the animals, who would almost certainly rather live. It also does not serve the local governments who will have fewer willing participants working toward the non-lethal reduction of feral cat populations through TNR, and therefore, more feral cats entering government shelters where staff will be forced to take their lives.
It’s high time we stopped defining TNR caretakers the same way we define irresponsible pet owners and animal abusers. The liberal usage of “abandonment” in this context only works to muddle the meaning and make it harder to identify true offenders. By amending the existing code, we can ensure that caretakers can return feral cats to the trapping site where they will continue to provide the care and compassion these cats need, without fear of charges levied by animal control. We at the Richmond SPCA support this bill because like it or not, politicians and bureaucrats can’t tell us not to care.
We need your help in demonstrating to the members of the Virginia Senate Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources Committee that this bill has strong support among Virginia voters. We expect SB 359 to come before the committee at their next meeting on Thursday, Jan. 26. Please take the time to call or email the members and voice your support for this legislation.
Sen. Emmett Hanger, Chair (R-Mount Solon): 804-698-7524, district24@senate.virginia.gov
Sen. Dick Black (R-Leesburg): 804-698-7513, district13@senate.virginia.gov
Sen. Harry Blevins (R-Chesapeake): 804-698-7514, district14@senate.virginia.gov
Sen. Adam Ebbin (D-Alexandria): 804-698-1049, district30@senate.virginia.gov
Sen. Dave Marsden (D-Burke): 804-698-1041, district37@senate.virginia.gov
Sen. Don McEachin (D-Richmond): 804-698-7509, district09@senate.virginia.gov
Sen. John Miller (D-Newport News): district01@senate.virginia.gov
Sen. Ralph Northam (D-Norfolk): district06@senate.virginia.gov
Sen. Mark Obenshain (R-Harrisonburg): 804-698-7526, district26@senate.virginia.gov
Sen. Chap Petersen (D-Fairfax): info@fairfaxsenator.com
Sen. Phil Puckett (D-Tazewell): 804-698-7538, district38@senate.virginia.gov
Sen. Frank Ruff (R-Clarksville): 804-698-7515, district15@senate.virginia.gov
Sen. Bill Stanley (R-Moneta): 804-698-7519, district19@senate.virginia.gov
Sen. Richard Stuart (R-Westmoreland): 804-698-7528, richard@stuartforsenate.com
Sen. John Watkins (R-Midlothian): 804-698-7510, district10@senate.virginia.gov
Eric Steigleder is the community relations coordinator at the Richmond SPCA. To read the biographies of our regular bloggers, please click here. Before posting a comment, please review our comment guidelines. Please note that our comment policy requires a first and last name to be used as your screen name.
Senators, please support Senate Bill 359 regarding feral cats. I now have 13 cats from one feral cat. I have spayed and neutered all but two. This a very serious matter and should be rewarded not punished.
It is also very expensive to incur these expenses. I also care and feed these animals. I also endorse a law to protect all animals from abuse. The laws are not strict enough for crimes against animals.
Posted by: Teri Ann Tingen | January 25, 2012 at 12:09 PM