City Code
What is TNR?
The Ankeny City Code has several modifications that would be needed to support TNR. Two sections are in play. Before we start delving into that, lets talk about what the TNR process entails.
- Trap - Trapping cats in live traps for the purpose of getting them neutered. Any kittens that are caught are ideally socialized and put up for adoption through local shelters. Those that can't socialize either find homes in barn cat programs or follow the TNR process.
- Neuter - Making sure any caught cats cannot procreate by having surgery performed to remove their ability to reproduce
- Return - Return the neutered cat to its original location so it knows its environment and can find its known safe spaces. The female cats will live out their natural lives without having litters of kittens every 3-4 months. Male cats become much less territorial. In both sexes, marking and territorial natures are calmed.
The Code
Ankeny has two ordinances that directly affect community cats.
The primary ordinance concerns the definition of a community cat, as opposed to a pet that is simply at large. It also defines their caregivers.
9. "Community cat" means a member of the Felis catus species that is allowed
to roam freely within the city and meets the following requirements:
A. The cat has been scanned for microchips and no person owns the cat,
B. The cat has been assessed by a veterinarian and deemed healthy,
C. The cat has been spayed or neutered,
D. The cat has been vaccinated for rabies, feline rhinotracheitis, calcivirus,
and panleukopenia, and reasonable attempts have been made to revaccinate the
cat in accordance with the direction of a veterinarian, and
E. The cat has been ear-tipped by the same veterinarian that made the health
assessment after having made an affirmative determination for each of the
requirements in subsections A-D above.
10. "Community cat caregiver" means a person who, acting within the procedures
of a trap-neuter-return program, provides care to a community cat. This care
includes providing food, shelter or medical care. A community cat caregiver is
not the owner, harborer, shelterer, controller or keeper of a community cat.
It further established the expectations regarding a community cat's care and the ability of a colony caregiver to provide care and food to their charges.
55.17 COMMUNITY CATS
1. The Community Cats initiative is to protect the residents and community members
of the City against the hazards brought about by the growing feral cat population
and to provide a safe and humane process by which those health and safety hazards
can be reduced through the use of a Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) Program to reduce
and/or effectively manage the feral cat population within the city limits.
2. Property owners carrying out allowed trapping, as set forth in Ordinance
Section 41.12(3), for the Trap-Neuter-Return Program must promptly transport a
community cat to a veterinarian for the sterilizing, vaccinating and ear notching
for identification, and the cost for same shall be paid by the property owner. A
community cat shall be returned to the area where it was captured unless said cat
is sick and/or injured or unless the property owner has requested that said cat be
removed from the property, or the cat is deemed adoptable and may be adopted out,
or the Police Chief or their designee has declared it a nuisance.
3. Community caregivers shall make reasonable attempts to revaccinate community cats
in their care in accordance with the directions of a veterinarian.
4. Nuisance. Community cats that create a nuisance, as determined by the Police
Chief or their designee, shall be captured and shall not be eligible for
continuation in the Trap-Neuter-Return program. For purposes of this section, a
nuisance is any violation of any section of this article for which there is not
an express exception for community cats or any other behavior or condition which
interferes with the health, safety or enjoyment of life or property of a human
or another domestic animal.
5. Leash requirements. Community cats are exempt from city leash requirements.
6. Prohibition on Feeding. No feeding station shall be located on property owned
by the City or be located two hundred (200) feet of a playground or school
district property.
7. Liability. The city shall have no liability for the disposition of any
community cat or for damages or injuries caused by any community cat.
The second ordinance that affects community cats is actually the hunting/trapping ordinance, with respects to the fact we must trap these cats to provide them care. That is chapter 41 of the ordinances.
3. Allowed Trapping. All traps used in the City must be humane, live traps,
except that instant-kill traps may be used solely for small rodent pest control.
Trapping for the purpose of a trap-neuter-return program in accordance with
chapter 55 is allowed. Allowed trapping may only be conducted on privately owned
property and traps shall not be placed on Public property, as defined in
Ordinance Section 55.01(22), unless done so by Officers of the Iowa Department
of Natural Resources, the Ankeny Police Department, or the City’s animal
control officer or designee.