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Feral Freedom Leads the Way for Community Cats

November 20, 2008, 10:35PM MT

By Jennifer S Hayes

Innovative collaboration already saving feline lives

1,266 – that is the number of cat’s lives saved so far, as announced today during a press conference in Florida featuring the Feral Freedom program, a groundbreaking collaborative effort between the City of Jacksonville, First Coast No More Homeless Pets (FCNMHP), Jacksonville Humane Society, and Best Friends Animal Society.

Since August 1, all feral cats taken in by Jacksonville Animal Control now bypass the shelter system and instead are brought directly to FCNMHP where they receive the “full spa treatment;” sterilization, vaccinations, microchip, flea treatment, and an ear tip. After a night of recovery, they are then released back to where they were captured.

This is an entirely new scenario for animal control, one which not only saves the lives of the cats, but also frees up kennel space at the shelter for adoptable animals. It is no wonder the program has been embraced by the city.

“Whether it is through innovative programs like Feral Freedom or other efforts to bolster adoptions through strategic partnerships such as the one with the Jacksonville Humane Society, we are always looking for ways to increase the number of live releases of animals from our shelter,” said Ebenezer Gujjarlapudi, director of Jacksonville’s Environmental and Compliance Department. “I believe this new program is another step in the right direction toward accomplishing that goal.”

Rick DuCharme, founder of FCNMHP further noted, “So not only is it going to save 4,000 some cats this year, but it will bring us all together and teach us all how to work together better.”

Overwhelming success

This level of cooperation between non-profits and municipalities is revolutionary, particularly when it comes to ferals.

“Our goal is to create a paradigm shift in the way society relates to community cats,” said Paul Berry, chief executive officer of Best Friends Animal Society. “These cats are not nuisances to be destroyed. They are part of the fabric of our communities.”

In fact, the response by the local community has been fantastic; beyond their wildest dreams. Previously hesitant to contact animal control, now that caring individuals are realizing that the cats will not be killed, they are more likely to ask for help, thus controlling populations in a humane way.

A model to follow
“What is so exciting to me about this particular project is there are a lot of communities looking to Jacksonville to see how it turns out,” noted Shelly Kotter, feral cat program manager for Best Friends. “So this is a really unique opportunity for not only Jacksonville to save a lot of lives, but it’s also a huge opportunity for other communities, cities and towns that are looking at this project to potentially do the same thing.”

FCNMHP is maintaining data on all cats who go through the program which will be provided to Dr. Julie Levy, DVM, Ph.D., of the University of Florida’s College of Veterinary Medicine. Those statistics will then be used to create a model that Best Friends will make available for others to utilize in their own communities.

Beaucoup cats

While the majority of the felines through Feral Freedom are re-released, there have been a few instances of cats going to local rescue organizations. Only last week Beau and Coup were brought to animal control; however, a false address was given, thus there was no way to return them.

“We’re never going to turn a cat away if it needs help,” stated FCNMHP program manager, Cameron Moore.

Sensing an opportunity, the brothers turned on the charm. Displaying impeccable litter box habits, in addition to their extremely affectionate dispositions, they made it a point to purr whenever a person entered the room.

Their plan worked and both were transferred to Lucky Cat Adoptions rescue, where it is hoped they can be adopted together.

Promising opportunity
One can not argue with success and Best Friends has pledged to support the program through December 2009.

“What makes this so exciting and promising is that it’s essentially a way of drastically reducing—if not stopping altogether—the chance that free-roaming cats are summarily brought in for euthanasia,” added Berry. “Best Friends is committed to providing help to local groups to solve difficult animal welfare issues. The Feral Freedom program is a home run for Jacksonville, and as a model program, could change the way that community cats are treated throughout the country.”

HOW TO HELP:

1. Please help be a part of this innovative solution. Your donation to the Feral Freedom program will support their life-saving mission.

2. Volunteer help is needed for both the Feral Freedom program and at the FCNMHP clinic. If you wish to help, e-mail Debbie Fields at dlfields@bellsouth.net.

3. Does your home seem empty without the twin purrs of Beau and Coup? Contact Lucky Cat Adoptions or come to their adoption events every Saturday afternoon at the PetSmart on Southside Blvd. in Jacksonville.

4. Those in the Jacksonville area are encouraged to bring their pets to the First Coast No More Homeless Pets free and low-cost spay/neuter clinic. They will soon be celebrating the grand opening of their new facility on the north side of Jacksonville, where they will also offer low-cost veterinary services.

For more information:
• Want to see the Feral Freedom program in action? Watch the video on YouTube.
• Feral Freedom in Florida
• Feral Freedom | Jacksonville, Florida blog

Posted by Jennifer Hayes, Best Friends staff
Photo credit: taken by Clay Myers, Best Friends photographer

Comments

Posted November 23, 2008, 3:3PM by starsmom44

this really sounds wonderful, but my only concern is: how can they either neuter or spay a cat and then only give them one 'recovery night' and then put them back in the wilds? Won't their incision get infected? It sounds like they might need more recovery time than that....I am not a vet, but this sounds like an infection waiting to happen......any responses would be appreciated...

However, kudos to this group for doing what most have not been able to do! Sounds like a great program...

Posted November 22, 2008, 3:25PM by summerlomba

Paul Berry CEO of Best Friends said, "These cats are not nuisances to be destroyed. They are part of the fabric of our communities.”

I could not agree more. They have every RIGHT to be here just as much as any other animal. Whether they live in a home or not, shouldn't be a deciding factor why an animal should live or die. It has been engrained in our society that animals either belong in homes or they should be rounded up and killed in mass numbers. This is so far from any ethical or moral standards a society should live by. It is more like living in Communist China under some authoratative dictator.

The name of the program Feral Freedom is perfect. The photos also in this story should be used in TNR material to hand out to people. The more visuals the better so they can see how TNR works.

Posted November 21, 2008, 2:2PM by cambridgeratmom

Another fantastic program. They don't go into the shelter, but to a point where they are cared for as ferals. How forward-thinking! Keep up the good work.