The City of Oshawa Should Fund a Trap-Neuter-Return Program for Stray Cats.
The city of Oshawa has long had a feline overpopulation issue and has been cause for complaint from both local residents and local shelters. The only solution that is put forth time and again by the City Council and Oshawa Animal Services is the euthanizing of these cats to control population. This is an expensive and flawed solution that is not effective against population control long term. The statistics show OAS has euthanized 2,151 kittens and cats between 2010-2012 (Letter to City Council, 2013, para. 4), with the average euthanasia costing $150 to $180 per feline (Kitchener-Waterloo Humane Society, n.d.). The statistics also reflect that this operation had to be performed more than a single time in three years. A trap-neuter-return program is more cost effective for the
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On the low end of the scale this puts the cost for euthanizing 2,151 cats in three years at $322,650 of tax payer’s money. This doesn’t even include the cost of animal service employees, or other resources used. Also, the catch-kill method requires repetition, often every 2-5 years and eliminating resident colonies creates a “vacuum effect”, where new cats merely move into the newly vacated territory to take advantage of the resources. However, many shelters and organizations offer low cost spay and neuter clinics for feral/stray cats. The cost is around $95 per cat and generally includes the spay/neuter, vaccines, a microchip, and if needed medication (Toronto Humane Society, n.d.). The low impact surgery has rapid recovery time and most cats can be released in the same day, eliminating any additional fees to monitor recovery. Additionally, many people volunteer their time and resources for these programs, including those in the veterinary industry, thus significantly reducing the expenditure on employment wages and