Non profit hopes to spay, neuter feral cats

Dumfries, Va. –– One organization is working to spay and neuter feral cats, one feline at a time.

Residents who live near feral cat colonies may soon be able to call the Prince William County Animal Shelter, which will then have someone from the non-profit Save a Dog Save a Cat organization teach them how to trap the cats, so the residents then take them to the animal shelter to have them spayed or neutered, and then bring them back to the colony, as part of the “One Spay at a Time” program.

“The concentration of feral cat colonies is widespread, although they may be more often found near strip malls, apartment complexes…anywhere there is not only a food source,” said SADSAC president Sherry Meier. “They will breed to the available food source, so that is where the numbers are highest- where people leave food out for them, dumpsters, farms, etc.”

Though organizers are still waiting to meet with officials at the county’s animal shelter in Independent Hill to discuss the finer details of the prorgam, but the One Spay at a Time program is funded through the sale of Virginia’s Animal Friendly vanity license plates. The county has collected $6,000 through the sale of the plates so far, and Meier hopes more residents will purchase the plates and donate to their cause.

Organizers say that many people are willing to feed feral cats because they like to have them around their homes to keep the rodent population down, but add they should go the extra mile and have the cats spayed or neutered to control the cat population.

“Neutering and vaccinating feral cats stops the population growth, eventually ending the colony, reduces the possibility for Rabies exposure, decreases the number of adult feral cats (that are unadoptable) being brought into the shelter, decreases the amount of unwanted kittens brought into the shelter – thus reducing euthanasia rates – saves the shelter and county money to trap, pick up, house, feed and euthanize these cats, and is a public service to the citizens of the county,” said Meier.

Organizers hope the service will be in place by Jan. 1, and hope they can offer it as a free service that would mirror a similar service in Fairfax County, said Meier.

The group is looking for monetary donations for the program, which can be mailed to SADSAC, P.O. Box 972, Dumfries, Va. 22026.

Donations of toner cartridges, cat food, and traps can be brought to the Independent Hill Vet Clinic, 13444 Dumfries Road.

This story has been corrected.