April 11, 2024 |
Photo – Cats – Courtesy Adobe Stock
Hanna officials are asking residents of the town to contact Pet Partners of Carbon County to remove feral cats from their property.
Pet Partners of Carbon County is a non-profit, volunteer led organization that works to keep the local feral cat populations down using the trap-neuter-return method. Pet Partners also offers cats and kittens for adoption and low cost spay and neutering.
At Tuesday’s Hanna town council meeting, Pet Partners volunteer Melanie Chaffin asked the council if she could set cat traps on town-owned property.
Chaffin said once the cats are trapped, they’re fixed, their ears are tipped, and the healthy cats are released back where they were found, unless someone requests to adopt them.
Chaffin said the trap and release program is good for residents of Hanna. The Pet Partners volunteer said the program removes cats in poor health and lowers the population of feral animals in the area.
Chaffin said the traps are baited with normal cat food. Councilman Jayson Nordquist asked how Chaffin will avoid unintentionally capturing residents’ pets. The Pet Partners volunteer said she can tell by a cat’s demeanor if the animal is feral or not. Domesticated cats will be immediately released, said Chaffin.
Chaffin said she would like to start by setting a few traps around Hanna on town-owned property. Clerk Vivian Gonzales asked Chaffin to compile a list of potential trap locations so the town can notify residents.
Chaffin said in 2023, Pet Partners removed more than 22 cats from Hanna. The Pet Partners volunteer said her organization spent roughly $5,000 taking care of the animals.
Chaffin said Pet Partners offers discounted spay and neutering services through the Carbon County Veterinary Hospital in Rawlins. She said to contact the organization for a coupon to help offset the cost of fixing your pet.
On top of the coupons, Chaffin said Pet Partners has a program to spay and neuter barn cats for $35 apiece. Also, owners may surrender their cats to Pet Partners for a $25 fee.
The Hanna town council denied Chaffin’s request to set up traps on town property. Instead, the council asked residents to voluntarily contact Pet Partners to have the organization remove cats from their land.
For more information about Pet Partners of Carbon County’s trap-neuter-return program, call 321-4024 or visit the Hanna town hall.
