City officials seek help with feral cat problem
Cash match furnished by residents will help fund neuter program

By Scott Ford
Argus Observer
Thursday, August 13, 2009 9:46 AM PDT

Ontario—The city faces a growing problem with feral cats, but a united effort between three animal clinics and Ontario police may translate into success if residents contribute cash to fund a neuter program.

Anne Wickersham of Eastern Oregon Animal Health, said that there could be thousands of feral cats within the Ontario city limits.

“We get calls every day about feral cats,” Wickersham said. “The issue is the city of Ontario has a lot of abandoned or wild cats in the area. They are over running neighborhoods and occupying houses. They are sick, and they are reproducing and it is overwhelming.”

The coalition, consisting of The Eastern Oregon Animal Health, the Ontario Animal Hospital and the Four Rivers Veterinary Clinic, plans to ignite a solution to the problem with a program dubbed “TNR,” or “Trap-Neuter-Release.” The idea was initially pushed by the Ontario Police Department. The department copied the idea from a similar concept used with success in Baker City.

In June, the Ontario Budget Committee signed off on a proposal to set aside $5,000 in the Ontario Police Department budget for a community-run program to trap, spay or neuter and then release feral cats.

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Under the program, feral cats will be captured, neutered/spayed and released back into the local environment.

The only challenge is an age-old one: money.

A $5,000 match must be provided from the community in order to implement the program.

This donation by Ontario citizens will be tax-deductible.

Donations can be made at any of the three vet clinics or at the City Hall.

The program will also accept volunteers to help trap the cats.

“We will trap, vaccinate and neuter/spay the cats then release them back to where they were trapped,” Wickersham said. “Feeding stations will be set up for the cats so the cats will stay in the area they were trapped because they will not be out looking to reproduce or searching for food.”

Four Rivers Veterinary Clinic Veterinarian Erin Robinson said having a project like this in place will decrease the populations over time.

“Are we going to be able to make everyone happy? Probably not,” Robinson said. “But it is a proven method that has worked in other communities. Spaying and Neutering cats is extremely important and residents need to consider having their cats spayed or neutered.”

Anyone interested in making a donation, which is tax deductible, can mail a check out to the city of Ontario, noting on the check the funds are for the feral cat program, or people can take them into City Hall and obtain a receipt.

Ontario Police Chief Mike Kee said the donations will be kept in a separate fund, and, once the $5,000 is collected, the program will begin.

If not enough money is collected within one fiscal year — or until next mid-June — the program idea will be abandoned and the money returned.

For more information about the program, contact Kee at (541) 889-5312.

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