by naca-web | Mar 22, 2021 | Announcements, Blog, Field Services, Position Statements
Animal Control Intake of Free-Roaming Cats
It is the position [policy] of the National Animal Care & Control Association that, at every opportunity, officers should [will] work to educate the public regarding humane and responsible co-existence and care of pet and community cats, to include education on the benefits and resources for spay/neuter and vaccination; responsible feeding and management practices for those choosing to care for community cats; and effective methods to humanely deter and exclude animals from homes, structures and targeted areas. It is the position of NACA that indiscriminate pick up or admission of healthy, free-roaming cats, regardless of temperament, for any purpose other than TNR/SNR, fails to serve commonly held goals of community animal management and protection programs and, as such, is a misuse of time and public funds and should be avoided.
- Impoundment of healthy adult cats reduces the likelihood of reuniting families with pets:
Lost cats are 10-50 times more likely to be reunited with their owners if they stay in the neighborhood of origin than through an animal shelter. In fact, the most successful reunification method for cats is the cat returning home on its own. A family may not consider their free-roaming cat lost until the point when the cat is removed from the neighborhood and transported to a shelter.
- Impoundment of healthy adult cats may disproportionately impact under-served and marginalized communities
- Only 16% of participants in a program supporting low income pet owners have ever called or visited an animal shelter, and only 3% of pets in the same demographic were adopted from a shelter (compared to 30-40% for the general U.S. population), suggesting that impoundment is likely to be a one way journey for pets belonging to low income community members.
- Only ~40 % of people in the lowest income bracket (<$30,000 annual income) that lost cats were reunited with them, compared to > $90% reunited for those making $50,000 or more per year.
- Impoundment has the potential to increase cat populations and impact: The haphazard removal of individual cats is not population management. Removal of cats without concurrent control of the food source has been linked to paradoxical increases in cat populations by as much as 200%.
- Kittens pose a greater risk than adult cats for shedding and spreading parasites with wildlife and/or public health implications (e.g. toxoplasmosis, Toxocara cati, Ancylostoma spp.),
- therefore removing adult cats and destabilizing population age structures further increases risks to the environment.
- Impoundment fails to resolve the inciting factors for nuisance situations: if cats are simply impounded, community members may not be motivated to identify and remedy factors such as open garbage containers that may be attracting cats as well as nuisance wildlife. TNR programs that leave cats where they are have been associated with significant reductions in nuisance complaints.
- Impoundment of healthy free roaming cats reduces capacity to respond to critical community needs: historically “stray cats” have made up the majority of intake at North American shelters. This can leave shelters overwhelmed, overcrowded and less able to provide appropriate care and outcomes for those animals that do require sheltering (such as sick and injured animals, those whose owners can no longer keep them, and animals that have been neglected or abused).
Impounding healthy cats is not the best way to provide services to these cats and the residents in the area in which the cats are found. NACA advises officers to take proactive steps to divert intake of “stray cats” while offering services that support the goals of community animal management and protection programs:
- Refer the public to local organizations or other staff/programs within the shelter that focus on trap-neuter-return, low-cost spay/neuter clinics, or utilize a return-to-home program within the agency if outside resources are not available or accessible.
- Support ongoing care of community cats with information on best feeding practices, referrals to pet pantries and sources for outdoor cat shelters, etc. to reduce likelihood of future complaints and contribute to the wellbeing of the individual community cats. Feeding bans are not effective strategies for dispersing congregations of cats or mitigating complaints.
- Work with residents to mitigate nuisance complaints, deploying a range of available tools (e.g., humane deterrents) and collaborating with caregivers and local TNR and rescue groups.
Exceptions to this policy should be made to mitigate exigent risk or to alleviate significant nuisance situations that can’t be otherwise remedied (e.g. with counseling/education of caretakers, sterilization and vaccination of cats, use of humane deterrents). These circumstances are best identified through a managed admission program that includes contact and counseling prior to intake. Staff should be informed and encouraged to use their judgement on a case by case basis. Exceptions may include the following:
- Evidence of abandonment: Most cats in good body condition are receiving care, however in some circumstances it may be known that a cat has been recently abandoned, e.g. because it is known that the former owners moved and are not returning to care for the cats, or because the structure where the cat was known to be living was recently destroyed.
- Evidence of being lost and unable to reunite: While cats are more likely to return home on their own or through posting in their neighborhood of origin, it may be appropriate to admit a healthy free roaming cat if efforts have already been made to reunite it with the owner (e.g. posting in neighborhood of origin and social media without results; cat has been seen for an extended time without encouragement by feeding).
- Issues with larger groups: Large aggregations of cats may be associated with greater nuisance and risks than individual free roaming cats. A multi-faceted approach should be taken in these cases that leads to gradual reduction or elimination of the group, such as: a combination of caretaker education, sterilization and gradual removal to adoption, and relocation to working cat homes.
- Specific risks identified for wildlife: Removal may be part of a multi-faceted approach to cat management in protected habitats for sensitive wildlife species. However, even in these cases, ad hoc removal (lethal or non-lethal) has not been demonstrated to be effective and in some cases has led to paradoxical population increases in target areas. Unless new arrivals can be excluded by fencing, removal must be sufficiently intensive and sustained to outpace new immigration and breeding, the natural consequence of a decrease in population density. Community buy-in is critical for success and a multi-faceted approach is required that includes input from natural resource personnel, animal services staff and cat advocates.
CONTRIBUTOR CREDIT: Dr. Kate Hurley
REFERENCES:
- Lord, L.K., et al., Search and identification methods that owners use to find a lost cat. J Am Vet Med Assoc, 2007. 230(2): p. 217-20.
- E. Weiss, M. Slater, L. Lord, et al. Frequency of Lost Dogs and Cats in the United States and the Methods Used to Locate Them. Animals (Basel). 2012 Jun; 2(2): 301–315.
- Pets For Life 2017 Program Report. 2017. p. 16
- Hill, et al. Humans and Animal Vulnerability Study.
- Lazenby, B.T., Mooney, N.J., and Dickman, C.R. (2014). Effects of low-level culling of feral cats in open populations: a case study from the forests of southern Tasmania. Wildlife Research, 41, 401-420.
- Finkler H, Gunther I, and Terkel J. “Behavioral differences between urban feeding groups of neutered and sexually intact free-roaming cats following a trap-neuter-return procedure.” Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 238, no. 9 (2011); 1141–1149.
- Levy JK, Isaza NM, Scott KC. Effect of high-impact targeted trap-neuter-return and adoption of community cats on cat intake to a shelter. Vet J. 2014 Sep;201(3):269-74.
- National Feline Research Council: Feral cat feeding bans: The reasoning, risks, and results, 2020
![2020 NACA Award Receipients]()
by naca-web | Feb 17, 2021 | Announcements
There are an incredible number of professionals in the animal welfare field doing such amazing work. The 2020 recipients are as follows:
NACA 2020 – ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER OF THE YEAR – Recipient – Officer Michael Northrup
This award is given to an individual that has been directly involved in the animal care and control profession for a minimum of five years. Recipients may be nominated for a single outstanding achievement in animal one of the three specific groups, or long-term exceptional performance in the animal care and control field.
ACO Northrup is has shown tremendous passion for his position this year, working in the busiest and most populous zone within the county, consistently handling the highest case load and responding to over 1,000 animal control calls this year. In addition to his daily case load, Michael always finds time to assist citizens in need with special cases such as TNVR support. Michael goes above and beyond for the citizens of the county.
In the past year ACO Northrup assisted a motorist on the highway to extinguish a car fire, aided a citizen who was the victim of elder abuse to receive the appropriate treatment and care after responding to a loose dog complaint, and aided another citizen suffering from a mental health issue who was running in a dangerous street.
ACO Northrup is a valuable member of the community as an ACO and serves as an example of ACO’s being first responders.
NACA 2020 – HUMANE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER OF THE YEAR – Recipient – Officer Daniel Achuff
This award is given to an individual that has been directly involved in the animal care and control profession for a minimum of five years. Recipients may be nominated for a single outstanding achievement in animal one of the three specific groups, or long-term exceptional performance in the animal care and control field.
Officer Daniel Achuff was able to achieve his childhood dream of working to protect animals in 2015 when he was hired as a Humane Society Police Officer. Officer Achuff is a criminal justice graduate and is a member of the Army National Guard. Officer Achuff holds a 95% prosecution rate in court and has shown incredible passion to the animals in the community he is sworn to protect.
“After adopting my German Shepherd, I ran into Daniel. Not knowing who he was, he ran up to my dog, calling her name and hugging her. Daniel was the officer on duty when my dog had been taken from her abusive owner. Several months later we again saw Daniel. My sweet pup remembered her rescuer and both Daniel and my Shepherd shared a sweet hug. There’s an obvious bond that Daniel has to every pet he rescues. The warmth he displays is natural for him. This isn’t just a job for Daniel but a personal mission to be these animals’ hero. I respect him as an officer and a lovely human being.” – excerpt from nomination
NACA 2020 – ANIMAL CARE PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR – Recipient – Gina Botticello
This award is given to an individual that has been directly involved in the animal care and control profession for a minimum of five years. Recipients may be nominated for a single outstanding achievement in animal one of the three specific groups, or long-term exceptional performance in the animal care and control field.
Botticello works as a Pet Services Supervisor and manages the animal transfer and rescue program, the foster program, the volunteer program, and customer service for Pasco County Animal Services. Botticello was a contributing member of the Guiding Coalition that helped Animal Services achieve the Service Enterprise Certification from the Point of Light Foundation recognizing Animal Services for excellence in volunteer programming. This included creating a program of volunteer inclusion, skills-based volunteer
opportunities, and a vision to achieve the mission of Pasco County Animal Services through strategic use of their volunteer force.
“Her passion for life saving and her dedication to the mission of animal care and control are clearly the why she comes to work every day. She is resolved in her efforts to make PCAS a premier organization and a lifesaving resource for pets in need… Her dedication to serving others and creating positive customer experiences is just one of her great attributes that won her the 2020 Florida Animal Control Association Supervisor of the year Award.” – excerpts from nomination
NACA 2020 – OUTSTANDING STATE ASSOCIATION – Animal Control Officers of Massachusetts
This award recognizes the State Animal Control Association that best promotes and exemplifies professionalism in the animal care and control field. Factors considered in granting this award include the number of active members, increases in new members, improved quality of animal care and control programs within their state, active sponsors of seminars and training for members, and engaged in NACA sponsored training and events.
“For nearly 40 years, communities across the Commonwealth (MA) have benefited from the knowledge and expertise provided by ACOAM. Since its inception, ACOAM has worked tirelessly to create a better and safer world for humans and animals by providing trainings in specialized fields, which is additional to the 96-hour academy. Further, ACOAM has helped bring Massachusetts to the forefront of animal control and care. Through the hard work and dedication of their members, ACOAM has helped draft and support legal protections for animals before the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. Due to their high standards, ACOAM serves as an example; which out entities outside of Massachusetts model themselves after.” Anne Gobi, Massachusetts State Senator
*Pictured are current and past board members of ACOAM*
2020 NACA – BILL LEHMAN MEMORIAL AWARD – RECIPIENT – DDA Christopher Day
This award is given to an individual not directly employed in the animal care and control field, but who has shown an exceptional awareness in animal care and control related matters, which merits distinction. The recipient will be recognized as a “friend” of animal care and control, for contributions and outstanding action that has helped further the positive image of animal care and control professionals through local, state, or national animal control associations.
Deputy District Attorney, Christopher Day has been a key advocate for animals in Washoe County, Nevada by assuring that justice is served in a number of animal cruelty cases. DDA works with the Washoe County Regional Animal Services (WCRAS) with misdemeanor, gross misdemeanor, and felony animal cruelty cases. In addition, DDA Day provides training workshops to WCRAS to further develop their investigation skills and case preparation. DDA Day developed a streamlined process for felony case submissions and is a recognized voice for Washoe County’s animals.
2020 NACA – DIANE LANE MEMORIAL AWARD RECIPIENT – Dr. Darnice Pettigrew
This award is for outstanding volunteer service. The nominee selected to win this award is someone who is not directly employed in the animal care and control field but serves in a volunteer capacity within the animal care and control field or other animal welfare-related activities. He or she will have demonstrated exceptional dedication or performed outstanding work far beyond the volunteer position’s requirements.
Dr. Darnice Pettigrew DVM is the owner and operator of the North Fork Veterinary Hospital in Timberville, VA. Dr. Pettigrew volunteers each week to provide shelter exams to the animals at the Rockingham-Harrisonburg SPCA, serves as their board president, and shares her time and knowledge to assist ACO’s with their cases. When not helping the animals of the community, Dr. Pettigrew is a dedicated turtle rescuer. Many baby turtles have made it back to sea due to Dr. Pettigrew’s dedication.
NACA 2020 – OUTSTANDING ANIMAL CARE AND CONTROL AGENCY – Charlotte-Mecklenburg Animal Care & Control
This award is presented to an individual agency that best promotes and exemplifies professionalism in the animal care and control field. This award’s selection criterion includes effective training programs for personnel, outstanding/innovative public education programs, active community involvement, and average officer response time to calls for assistance.
Instead of things slowing down during the COVID-19 pandemic CM AC&C was able to turn the situation into many positives. Not only were they able to adapt and continue to save more lives from a sheltering perspective but were able to find creative ways to provide seamless response with their field service. Officers were able to continue training through virtual learning environments on topics such as dog fighting, animal abuse, and handling wildlife issues. CM AC&C transitioned 11 ACO’s to Human Animal Support Services Officers who were assigned to work in the community to assist pet owners.
by naca-web | Feb 12, 2021 | Blog, News, Press
The National Animal Care & Control Association wants to recognize the support we have received from Petco Love. Petco Love has made a commitment to NACA for the next three years totaling $225,000 in funding support. The Petco Foundation has been a longtime supporter of NACA and the professionals working the frontlines of their communities every day.
by naca-web | Dec 14, 2020 | Announcements, Blog, News, Position Statements
Animal Control Officers Should Be Considered First Responders
The National Animal Care & Control Association (NACA) believes all animal field services professionals (animal control, animal protection, etc.), should be considered and treated as first responders. The Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management Systems define first responders as “individuals who in the early stages of an incident are responsible for the protection and preservation of life, property, evidence, and the environment”. Animal control officers and other animal field services professionals meet this definition.
The very core of the work of an animal control officer is deeply rooted in community engagement, public safety and the welfare of non-human animals. Historically, animal control officers were on the frontline of protecting communities and addressing public health concerns such as preventing the spread of the rabies virus. Their early role has now been dramatically expanded to include providing community support and outreach, investigating animal cruelty and neglect, and saving animals who are in immediate danger. Additionally, they work alongside other first responders such as law enforcement, EMTs, and firefighters on a regular basis during weather emergencies, natural disasters, and other catastrophic events.
Communities and local municipal agencies should view and support their animal control officers at the same level as other first responders. Additionally, communities and local government agencies should provide on-going training, equipment, and resources necessary to support the work of their animal control officers working at the frontline of their community.
Homeland Security Act of 2002. (2019, May 28). Retrieved December 06, 2020, from https://www.dhs.gov/homeland-security-act-200
Download: NACA First Responders Position Statement (pdf)
by naca-web | Nov 14, 2020 | Announcements
Members. For information on the upcoming discussion on a potential merger please login to the members page to see the latest updates. The discussion’s Zoom information is provided on that page.
Additionally, the IRS 990’s from 2013 through 2019 have been added for your review as well.
The NACA board is working to compile meeting minutes, both recent and historical, to be released in the coming days.
by naca-web | Sep 12, 2020 | Announcements, News
NACA members will vote to fill four (4) regular Board of Directors, three (3) year term positions during the 2020 election.
The online polls will open at 8 a.m. Eastern Time on September 25, 2020, and will close promptly at 12 noon Eastern Time on October 7, 2020. You must be a current Individual member in good standing to vote.
Voting information will be emailed to each member, beginning at 8 a.m. Eastern Time on September 25, 2020.
The voting system will use the member’s current email address in their profile. Members are responsible for providing a working email address to vote. Each member should
sign in to their NACA member profile and verify their email address is current.
[maxbutton id=”2″ url=”https://www.nacanet.org/elections/” text=”View Candidate Bios” ]
by naca-web | Jun 3, 2020 | Announcements, Blog, News, Position Statements, Press
NACA Statement on Officer Safety
In this challenging time, we are deeply concerned for the safety of animal control officers around the nation, who continue their work of saving lives and protecting pets and people. Despite the varying situations happening in many of our cities, we want you to know we are with you and thinking of you during this troubling time. We are here for you. Please be safe out there!
In an effort to provide guidance to agencies operating the essential service that is Animal Control, NACA has developed the following recommendations:
– Receive direction from local law enforcement on areas that will be of risk, closed or otherwise have restricted access, and those determined safe for regular responses.
– Agencies should adjust responses as appropriate per the direction received from law enforcement.
– If an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is active in your community, ensure that an Agency representative is available to receive briefings and coordinate with other Agencies quickly. Time and effective communication are paramount in these situations.
– Establish policies for the protection of officers to include individual safety measures, personal protective equipment, and law enforcement support as needed. Refer to the NACA guidelines specifically on the safe use of personal protection equipment
– Provide daily briefings of the evolving situation in the community (non-animal related).
– Ensure any staff working in the field or in a vulnerable position always have at least 2 forms of communication (cell phone, radio, laptop, etc.) in help ensure emergency communication, if needed, is available.
Download: NACA statement on officer safety (pdf)
by naca-web | May 26, 2020 | Blog, Shelter Operations
COVID-19 has changed our profession, possibly forever, and in many ways, for the better. We have started having real discussions with our state and local governments on what it means to be essential. We have adapted our shelter intake models, seeing intakes drop and adoptions soar. In light of these remarkable changes, you would expect to see the staff morale at our facilities sky-high, right? And maybe you are seeing that. But, if you, or your teammates are in a slump right now, it’s okay.
If your agency stopped taking non-critical intakes or calls for service, you likely feel like you’ve been running from one emergency to the next. That your kennels only have profoundly ill, injured or aggressive animals in them. That your citizens are stressed out and overwhelmed and those emotions are getting thrown at you, and if any of these feelings resonate with you, know that you are not alone.
Loudoun County Animal Services (LCAS) is a municipal animal services agency, in a community of about 400,000 people. Normally, this time of year, kittens are arriving at our door by the boxload, while calls for service on dogs running at large and concerns over wildlife keep everyone busy. This year, however, after closing to intakes, other than stray dogs (per county code) and urgent surrenders, our intake numbers dropped by over 70%. One the outside, this seems amazing- and it is! But while the animals still arriving are the same critical or aggressive cases we would normally receive, the boxes of kittens and “I’m moving” dogs aren’t coming in. This means that our staff are missing out on the happy endings that we all got into the field to experience, and don’t quite get the break in between tough cases that we are used to. And those tough cases might either feel harder, or they might actually be harder. Here in Loudoun, we have seen a sudden, substantial increase in violent crimes against animals locally, and bites where owners are the victim have gone up 72% in the past two months. While we should all be proud of the hard work we have done to make positive change, there is no shame in admitting that the current environment is a challenging one for us and our teammates, and these challenges go well beyond our trucks and kennels. Some of our colleagues are struggling to balance childcare, vulnerable family members and compromised income, along with the new stresses of work in a different environment. While we are all going through this pandemic together, we all have our own lives to balance with an already complex profession.
At LCAS, we are trying to keep the environment as low stress as possible- starting a staff garden, hosting grill-out Thursdays in the employee parking lot, permitting pets at work for our shelter staff and dispatchers, making sure everyone has PPE and what they need to feel safe, while allowing telework as much as possible and being flexible with staff schedules. No one has ever said that being essential is an easy job, but it is one that we have taken on with pride. And while the community trusts us to take care of their animals, we need to make sure we are also taking care of ourselves. Reduced intakes does not mean reduced stress.
There is no better time than the present to look after your own mental well-being. If you need to take time for yourself or your family, related to COVID-19, there are federal workplace protections in place for you. If you are feeling overwhelmed, you are not alone. Don’t hesitate to reach out to colleagues, to your locality’s EAP, professional therapists, hotlines or other support networks. Times are changing, and in many ways, it is for the better, but it doesn’t mean that your struggles should be discounted. Recognizing our challenges is the first step in resilience, and while our stats, our resources and our communities are different, we are all in this together. And when we come out on the other side (are we there yet?), I want you all here alongside me to try to tackle the next round of progress in animal services.
Nina Stively is the Director of Loudoun County Animal Services, a municipal agency in northern Virginia, handling animal sheltering, humane law enforcement and community programs for a community of about 400,000 people, full of companion animals, livestock and wildlife.
