Fact Sheet| Cats and the Law, Trap-Neuter-Return
Alley Cat Allies assisted with and provided language for the TNR ordinance in Sebring, OH, which passed in July 2016. The ordinance is basic and doesn’t overregulate TNR programs, which can impede the process.
The ordinance also takes two important steps to protect community cats: It states that TNR is not abandonment and includes community cats among the animals with legal protections against being injured or killed. This shows that the city grew in its understanding of the value of community cats’ lives and how TNR improves cats’ health.
What we like about the ordinance:
- It adds straightforward definitions of the terms community cat, caregiver, eartip and Trap-Neuter-Return.
- It specifically and unequivocally states that TNR is permitted within the city.
- Community cats are permitted to be “at-large” and exempt from “at-large” regulations.
- It clarifies that returning community cats to their outdoor homes during the TNR process is not abandonment.
- It adds community cats to the section of the law that prohibits killing or injuring animals.