Editorial
Of the 3,500 cats turned into Sheriff Grady Judd Polk County Animal Control so far in 2022, approximately 59% have been euthanized, according to Polk County Animal Control. It’s an average of 191 euthanasias per month, according to the sheriff’s office.
Increasingly, animal shelters are realizing that they can be a part of Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) programs that provide a life-saving option for community cats.
Shelters can enact humane approaches for community cats by connecting them with TNR programs, or performing those services in the shelter if they have the resources. This ends the cycle of impounding and killing healthy community cats and allows shelters to focus more resources on adoptable animals, which is what they are designed for.
Alley Cat Allies helps shelters implement programs and policies that save cats’ lives, and works with local governments to change ordinances that prohibit TNR. We know that change can be difficult, both for shelters and the community, but we also know that shelters and residents win when communities adopt humane programs for cats. We work with shelters nationwide to help explain TNR programs to the public and to shape successful, life-saving policies.
Letter: The truth has come out about Polk County Animal Services
Sheriff Grady Judd needs to fix his Animal Services today!
The Immorality of Killing Cats
Polk Sheriff Grady Judd refuses to answer questions, why?
Resources
- Transforming Shelters to Save More Cats: A Blueprint for Change
- Talking to Your Community About Cats: A Guide for Shelter Staff and Municipal Leaders
- Reducing Shelter Admissions and Saving Lives with a Cat Help Desk
- Saving Cats and Kittens with a Foster Care Program
- “What about Complaints?” Managing Communications When Your Shelter Adopts a SNR or TNR Policy
- How to Support Trap-Neuter-Return in Your Community without Doing It All
- Trap-Neuter-Return Ordinances and Policies in the United States: The Future of Animal Control