For years, the Humane Society of Greater Dayton has been working methodically and strategically to provide effective solutions to address community cats in the region through their Community Cat Initiative.
They’ve had staff and volunteers with their feet on the ground humanely trapping these cats through the Trap-Neuter-Return program. However, with the announcement from the Montgomery County Animal Resource Center earlier this year stating that they are no longer accepting cats, the community has been concerned to know what to do now about the cats in their neighborhoods.
“This is a time for our community to focus on two things,” said Brian Weltge, President and CEO for the Humane Society of Greater Dayton. “One, we should be celebrating the fact that cats are no longer dying in shelters in our community. In fact, for the first time ever, this year the Miami Valley can call itself a no-kill community and that is definitely something we need to celebrate. Secondly, it is a time for our community to come together and be proactive about addressing the cat overpopulation that is plaguing our cities. Whether you learn more about the programs, donate your time or money or start TNR efforts in your community, we need to come together to move forward and make an impact.”
Each year, the Humane Society of Greater Dayton, which is a no-kill animal welfare agency, spays or neuters more than 4,000 animals at their shelter. In the very near future, this number will substantially increase to make an even greater impact on our community.
For several years now, the Humane Society of Greater Dayton has been working behind the scenes to raise the designated funds needed to build a high-volume spay/neuter clinic for the community. The organization hopes to break ground on the new structure by the end of this year. This structure will be an extension of their current facility located at 1661 Nicholas Road in Dayton.
“We have a clear vision for animal welfare in the Miami Valley and we are so excited that our high-volume spay and neuter clinic will be coming to fruition soon,” said Weltge. “Cat overpopulation is a community issue and we are so excited to not only expand our programs to address this issue, but to also see additional organizations step up to talk about community cats in the Greater Dayton area as well.”
Until the high-volume clinic is open, we encourage residents who may have a community cat that they would like to get spayed or neutered through our Community Cat Initiative to please call our Cat Helpline at 1-833-4CAT-HELP (1-833-4228-4357). We will have someone reach out to you with information on the process for your specific area.
Trap-Neuter-Return has been a proven method for battling cat overpopulation in communities all across the nation. Through the process, stray or community cats are humanely trapped, brought into the shelter where they are spayed or neutered and eartipped. Eartipping a cat is when a small bit of the cat’s left ear tip is removed while in surgery. This is the universal sign of a community cat that has been altered. Once the cat recovers from surgery it is placed back into the community where it was trapped.
“As a community we need to come together and get on board regarding how we are going to address this overpopulation issue,” said Weltge. “We are proud that we are your community humane society and are prepared to help with cat overpopulation. We encourage everyone to get involved or at least learn more about the program, too. Please consider volunteering with our program. Please consider thoughtfully donating cages or funds to help with the costs. We encourage you to come and see how this program is working every day and learn how you can help us lower the cat population in our community by the tens of thousands. If your community doesn’t have an agreement with us, speak to your city officials on why they should partner with the Humane Society of Greater Dayton. Become trained as a TNR trapper or become a leader in your community to coordinate a TNR initiative. We are your resource and are here to help you along the way! Together, we can do this!”
The Humane Society of Greater Dayton has been helping the people and pets in our community for 117 years. They are a no-kill facility and the area’s most-established animal welfare agency. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, they rely solely on donations from individuals, companies and grants to fund 100% of their programs and services. They are dedicated to the animals and work every day to ensure all animals are valued and free from suffering. For more information about the Humane Society of Greater Dayton, call (937) 268-PETS (7387) or visit www.hsdayton.org/what-we-do/
