[Adopted 2-11-2019 by Ord. No. 656]
A.
COMMUNITY CAT
COMMUNITY CAT CAREGIVER
EAR TIPPING
TRAP-NEUTER-RETURN
Definitions. For purposes of this article, the following terms shall
have the following meanings:
A free-roaming cat who may be cared for by one or more residents
of the immediate area who is/are known or unknown; a community cat
may or may not be feral.
A person who, in accordance with and pursuant to a policy
of trap-neuter-return, provides care, including food, shelter or medical
care, to a community cat, while not being considered the owner, harborer,
controller, or keeper of a community cat.
The removal of the distal one-quarter of a community cat's
left ear, which is approximately 3/8 inch, or 1 cm, in an adult and
proportionally smaller in a kitten. This procedure is performed under
sterile conditions while the cat is under anesthesia, in compliance
with any applicable federal or state law, and under the supervision
of a licensed veterinarian. Ear tips are designed to identify a community
cat as being sterilized and lawfully vaccinated for rabies.
The process of humanely trapping, sterilizing, vaccinating
for rabies, ear tipping, and returning community cats to their original
location.
B.
Permitted acts. The following actions shall be permitted in City
of Sunbury, Pennsylvania, as part of trap-neuter-return:
(1)
Trapping, for the sole purpose of sterilizing, vaccinating for rabies,
and ear tipping community cats, in compliance with any applicable
federal or state law, and under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian,
where applicable.
(2)
An ear-tipped cat received by local shelters will be returned to
the location where trapped unless veterinary care is required. A trapped
ear-tipped cat will be released on-site unless veterinary care is
required.
(3)
Community cat caregivers are empowered to reclaim impounded community
cats without proof of ownership solely for the purpose of carrying
out trap-neuter-return and/or returning ear-tipped community cats
to their original locations.
(4)
A person who returns a community cat to its original location while
conducting trap-neuter-return is not deemed to have abandoned the
cat.
(5)
Trap-neuter-return shall be the preferred disposition for impounded
community cats. Animal control and the local shelter are authorized
and encouraged to conduct trap-neuter-return or to direct impounded
community cats to a trap-neuter-return program.
