A judge ruled that the San Diego Humane Society's policy of releasing outdoor cats without a caretaker is unlawful. The Humane Society's Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program spays or neuters cats, vaccinates them, and releases them back into the community. While the program aims to manage the cat population, some advocates argue that healthy, adoptable cats should be given the chance to find homes instead of being released back outdoors.
Staff favorite Caesar the cat is available for adoption at the Carlsbad location of the San Diego Department of Animal Services on Oct. 4, 2024. A judge has ruled that the San Diego Humane Society ’s policy of releasing some outdoor, domesticated cats without a caretaker is unlawful. The Humane Society's program spays or neuters outdoor cats , vaccinates them, and then releases them back to where they were found. The goal is to keep the population healthy and shrink it over time.
There are more than 300,000 unowned, free-roaming cats in San Diego County, according to the Humane Society. The program previously included friendly cats without signs of ownership — like collars or microchips — if they appeared to be doing well outdoors. Some advocates have argued that those cats could be put up for adoption instead. Last month, Judge Katherine Bacal ruled that releasing domesticated cats without a known caretaker violates the law. She said the court considered things like the definition of animal abandonment and the Humane Society’s contract with the county. Attorney Bryan Pease represents the organizations and individuals that filed the lawsuit. He said they didn’t want friendly, adoptable cats to lose the opportunity to get adopted and saved from hazards like cars and predators. “We're looking for the San Diego Humane Society to do what they already acknowledge the law requires them to do anyway,” he said. “When a stray or abandoned cat is brought to them, they are, in fact, supposed to bring that cat into the shelter.” On its website, the San Diego Humane Society encourages pet owners to get their pets microchipped, especially cats that go outdoors. They say shelters can expose healthy outdoor cats to On Friday, a Humane Society spokesperson said the program “will remain active without any changes until further clarification from the court.”“We are carefully reviewing the judge’s decision and collaborating with our legal team on next steps,” the Humane Society wrote in a statemen
Animal Welfare San Diego Humane Society Trap-Neuter-Return Outdoor Cats Lawsuit
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