It took just a couple hours Tuesday for hundreds of the city’s spay/neuter vouchers to be snapped up by cat lovers keen on helping Windsor’s wild-roaming felines.
As part of the 2014 budget, city council allocated $50,000 to provide free $75 vouchers to help sterilize unwanted cats.
Half the available 650 vouchers were offered at four per household for ferals, and they were gone fast. The other half goes to low-income Windsorites to pay for their domestic cats, and some of those vouchers still remain.
The program is making a difference in reducing the need to euthanize unwanted cats in the city, according to Melanie Coulter, executive director of the Windsor-Essex County Humane Society. Last year, 3,943 cats were put down compared to 4,529 the previous year and 5,918 in 2011.
“It’s a really good program … and we’re pleased others are coming on board,” said Coulter.
Last year, the Town of Essex started its own voucher program for cats and dogs, and this year both LaSalle and Tecumseh started modest voucher programs.
One of the problems, said Coulter, is well-intentioned people feed strays and ferals off their back porch but then face growing numbers of mouths to feed as the cats keep expanding their families. “That’s how it can get out of hand,” Coulter said, adding a well-fed feral can average three litters of four to six kittens per year.
“It’s absolutely a great program,” said city cat rescuer Mike Gabor. He’s the founder of Earn Your Wings, a volunteer-based organization whose mission is caring for local stray (abandoned or lost) and feral (wild) cats. The group totals about 1,000 members now, and Gabor will argue with anyone claiming Windsor has got a handle on its wild cat population.
“We’re absolutely swamped with calls,” said Gabor. He’s also critical of the humane society claiming the voucher programs are the reason for lower numbers of surrendered cats being put down.
“Their intake’s down because people are terrified to take them there and have them euthanized,” said Gabor.
Coulter said 5,611 cats were surrendered to the local humane society last year, compared to 6,271 in 2012 and 7,344 the year before. There are currently about 50 cats up for adoption at the society’s Provincial Road facility.
The vouchers are redeemable at participating veterinary clinics or at the humane society, where Coulter said the $75 from the city covers the full cost of a spay or neuter.
To get one of the 325 vouchers for low-income families, a declaration of income is required, and a maximum of two vouchers per household can be issued.
Call the city’s 311 service for more details or to register.
Earn Your Wings hosts its annual fundraising pasta dinner at the Teutonia Club on March 29, with doors opening at 4 p.m.
“We’re going to fix this city, you watch,” said Gabor.
dschmidt@windsorstar.com or on Twitter @schmidtcity
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