FREDERICK, Md. Alley Cat Allies, the global engine of change for cats, is monitoring reports of two cats testing positive for rabies from Frederick County, Md., and reaching out to offer its assistance to local volunteers and municipal leaders in the county. 

Becky Robinson, president and founder of Alley Cat Allies, said that the people of Frederick County need to use common sense and best practices (available at www.alleycat.org) when they find community cats. But Robinson also stressed that it’s important to put these cases into proper context. 

“People are now safer than ever from rabies in the United States,” Robinson said. “There has not been a single case of a human catching rabies from a cat anywhere in the U.S. since 1975, so rabies does not represent a major health threat. When it comes to community cats, Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) is the best practice and sound public health policy. In fact, TNR is often the number one provider of rabies vaccinations in the community, and therefore an important contributor to public health, so we encourage the city of Frederick and Frederick County to begin using TNR and taking advantage of the many benefits it offers.” 

Trap-Neuter-Return is the only humane and effective approach to outdoor cat populations. With TNR, cats are humanely trapped, spayed or neutered, vaccinated, eartipped as universal TNR identification and returned to their outdoor homes. Thousands of towns and cities across the U.S. conduct TNR programs. 

TNR is also good public policy. It effectively and humanely manages the community cat population, reduces shelter intake and “euthanasia” numbers and reduces calls to animal control agencies, which saves taxpayer dollars in the process. 

Alley Cat Allies is engaging with local volunteers and municipal leaders in the Frederick area to develop an action plan regarding the situation. 

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About Alley Cat Allies 

Alley Cat Allies, headquartered in Bethesda, Md., is the global engine of change for cats. We protect and improve cats’ lives through our innovative, cutting-edge programs. We are seen around the world as a champion for the humane treatment of all cats. Founded in 1990, today Alley Cat Allies has more than 650,000 supporters and helps tens of thousands of individuals, communities and organizations save and improve the lives of millions of cats and kittens worldwide. Its website is www.alleycat.org, and Alley Cat Allies is on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+ and YouTube.