Title
Approval of an Ordinance Amending Olympia Municipal Code Sections 6.04.030 and 6.04.040 Relating to Joint Animal Services and Regarding Definitions, Licensing and Registration Requirements to Support the Community Cat Program
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
Not referred to a committee.
City Manager Recommendation:
Move to adopt on second reading, the Ordinance relating to Animal Services regarding definitions and licensing and registration requirements by amending OMC 6.04.030 and 6.04.040 to support the Joint Animal Services community cat program.
Report
Issue:
Whether to adopt on second reading, the Ordinance relating to Animal Services regarding definitions and licensing and registration requirements by amending OMC 6.04.030 and 6.04.040 to support the Joint Animal Services community cat program.
Staff Contact:
Mark Barber, City Attorney, 360.753.8338
Presenter(s):
None - Consent Calendar Item.
Background and Analysis:
Background and analysis have not changed from first to second reading.
"Community cats" are outdoor, free-roaming cats that live in and are cared for by the community. While cared for by individuals, a community cat is not a pet and is not owned by any individual. For decades, community cats have been trapped and removed in a failed attempt at population management, which causes shelters to struggle with resources, staffing, and space to keep up with the number of cats coming into the shelter.
The most common approach for managing community cats is the catch-and-kill method which relies on an ineffective and expensive model where animal control officers round up cats (generally based on nuisance complaints), attempt to adopt out the cats as appropriate, and then euthanize the remaining cats at the local animal shelter. However, data continues to demonstrate that the catch-and-kill method does not work to control cat populations as cats reproduce faster than a typical animal control department can catch them.
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