Hi AV City Council,
I am writing today because I am deeply concerned over the daily heartbreaking pleas coming from the Apple Valley Animal Shelter. Something has to change because what the cat rescue community is seeing everyday is simply heartbreaking. The trap, wait a day or two and kill policy is costing the city tripple what a proper TNVR (Trap, Neuter, Vaccinate and Release) program would cost not to mention the emotional toll and the tragic loss of life. Euthanizing these cats does not fix the problem and costs approx $280 per cat. To TNR these cats is a much better option and costs an estimate of only $100 per cat based upon nearby observation. This is significant savings for the AV taxpayers and the cats get to live out their lives and get a second chance at finding a good home. Please educate yourselves on the benefits of a TNR policy for the management of stray cats in the city of Apple Valley.
Trap and Kill does not work, you never fix the problem. Many neighboring counties implement successful TNR programs including Los Angeles, Riverside and San Diego Counties. Please update the laws in your city to reduce the burden of killing multiple cats a day to include TNR, along with updating the leash law for cats so they can be free to roam around fixed and not trapped and killed. AVAS killed over 2,500 cats last year and this year looks to be even more.
Thank you,
Matt
--
Matt Torian