Throughout April, Alley Cat Allies is honoring the work of dedicated animal control agencies, animal shelters, and their staff with our Animal Care & Control Appreciation Month! National Animal Care & Control Appreciation Week is April 9-15, but we’ve decided to extend the celebration. Animal control officers (ACOs) and animal shelter staff are on the front lines helping cats and have the power to make a positive impact for cats in their communities.
We’ll be highlighting exceptional animal shelter staff and animal control officers weekly, and we’re also hosting two webinars: The Benefits of a Community, Animal, and Shelter Supported Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) Program on April 13 and Working With Animal Control and Shelters to Save More Cats on April 26. These are just a few of the things we’re doing to celebratestay tuned for more throughout the month!
Macomb County Animal Control, Michigan
Getting communities on board with Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) or Shelter-Neuter-Return (SNR) takes time and effortbut officers with Macomb County Animal Control know it’s an essential part of saving cats’ lives!
After extensive outreach and education, Macomb County’s 27 cities all support animal control’s SNR program, which has saved the lives of more than 1,200 community cats since it started in 2014. For its accomplishments implementing SNR and saving cats, we’re proud to honor the department as part of our Animal Care & Control Appreciation Month!
Macomb County Animal Control’s Shelter-Neuter-Return (SNR) program has saved the lives of more than 1,200 community cats.
Under the SNR program, cats who may have otherwise been euthanized “are given a chance to live out their lives,” says Chief Animal Control Officer Jeff Randazzo.
The animal control officers made it a priority to educate the public, using Alley Cat Allies’ print and online resources, and get the community involved in SNRand their efforts worked. With the increased awareness officers built around SNR, they’ve won over even the reluctant communities.
Like other shelters that implement SNR, Macomb County Animal Control has found that this humane approach has numerous benefits, besides the direct effects of saving community cats’ lives and effectively stabilizing the cat population. For example, because there is a decreased cat population at the shelter, the adoptable cats have a lower risk of upper respiratory infection and other illnesses.
This improves the cats’ adoptability and frees up staff to increase lifesaving efforts for other animals, says Randazzo.
Because of its SNR program, animal control officers can focus more on lifesaving efforts for adoptable animals.
Celebrating Animal Care & Control Month
Thanks to all of the officers of Macomb County Animal Control for helping cats like Casper and working to improve their lives!
Read about the other featured officers and organizations for Animal Care & Control Appreciation Month: Sgt. Erin Brogan (Shenandoah County Sheriff’s Office), City of El Paso Department of Animal Services, and Johnson County Animal Control