Pemberville searches for feral cats solution

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PEMBERVILLE – Village residents say so many feral cats are gathering in backyards and behind businesses
they’ve lost count of how many there are in the village.
Kay Chapman of the Wood County Humane Society spoke at a public meeting with Pemberville village council
earlier this month about a trap, neuter and return program that could be the solution council members
and residents have been looking for.
"We all know there’s a huge cat problem everywhere in the United States. We also know that killing
cats for the last hundred years hasn’t worked anywhere, no matter how aggressive," she said.
Instead, Chapman’s strategy involves trapping the cats, having them spayed or neutered at Humane Ohio in
Toledo and returning them to Pemberville.
The program, which Chapman said has been successful in Washington, D.C., would also provide the cats with
food, water and shelter.
"This will keep them away from where people don’t want them. They’ve learned some behaviors where
they’re always looking for the next best place for food or for shelter," she said. "A lot of
their needs to roam are taken away by being neutered. You won’t have all the fighting going on, no more
nighttime yowling. They’re not interested in each other so much and they won’t be mating."
The program’s preliminary costs would include a $50 deposit for Humane Ohio’s cat traps, which would be
returned when the cats are brought back to the village, Chapman said.
Each cat would cost $25 to be spayed or neutered and Humane Ohio’s truck can hold 40 to 50 cats per
transport.
Each transport would cost $15 round trip, she said.
Should council decide to implement the program, the Humane Society will cover half of Pemberville’s
expenses for the first year, hopefully with a grant, Chapman said.
After the first year, the village must pay for the program without the Humane Society’s assistance.
Council president Randy Rothenbuhler said the question of how to fund the program needs to be addressed.

"While we need to do something, I’m concerned about initial cost of the program," he said.
"We’re going to need additional funds to make this happen."
Councilman James Opelt said he would support the implementation of the program.
"We worked on this program when I was mayor several years ago because a grant came through and we
were going to try to jump on top of that," he said. "I think some of our council members
didn’t want to trap cats, so we kind of let it drop and missed the monies that was available at that
time. I’m very much in favor of it."
Opelt also suggested a leash law similar to that of Bowling Green to help decrease the feral cat
population.
Chapman said the leash law has done little to solve the problem and that she would not suggest it as a
solution for council.
"I’ve been doing this for 30 years now and I can tell you they’re still picking up cats and having
them euthanized after three days," Chapman said. "I don’t think their numbers have dropped at
all, and almost never has anybody claimed a cat."
At the end of the meeting, Mayor Gordon Bowman created a committee to meet monthly to discuss what needs
to be done to take care of the village’s cat problem, starting with finding out how many feral cats
inhabit the village.
The Wood County Humane Society will have a booth at the Pemberville Free Fair Aug. 13 to 16 to educate
residents on the benefits of spaying and neutering pets.

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