McKinney ordinance change allows trap-neuter-release activities for feral cats

An ordinance amendment passed in January means trap-neuter-release, or TNR, activities for feral cats are no longer prohibited within McKinney’s city limits.

What happened?

McKinney City Council members passed the ordinance amendment during a Jan. 6 meeting following two work session discussions held in October and December. Code Services Director Phillip Hubbard said the amendment is intended to no longer prohibit TNR activities within the city.

TNR activities were technically illegal to perform within the city before the amendment was passed, according to city officials. Part of that is due to how the city defined an animal owner.

Trap-neuter-release refers to trapping, spaying or neutering, vaccinating and ear tipping feral cats for identification before releasing them. The target population is feral cats which are different from stray cats, according to city officials.

“A stray cat is going to be an owned animal or an animal that has potential to be owned and is socialized,” Animal Services Manager Hannah Golden said during an October work session. “Feral cats are going to be unsocialized animals that have grown up outside and are, by all intents and purposes, a wild animal.”

The details

The amendments add definitions of “feral cat” and “trap-neuter-release” while creating defenses for residents who participate in TNR activities, according to a city document. The city’s ordinances had restricted the amount of animals that a resident can have in the home, Hubbard said.

“What we’ve done is, we’ve made defenses to that,” he said. “As long as those animals are part of a TNR program that a resident is operating.”

The amendment passed by council does not require any additional staff involvement, Hubbard said. Some council members voiced support for a citizen-led TNR option during the December work session.

“Our understanding was that was council’s intent—to say ‘Hey, if we have residents who are concerned about feral cat populations and they want to engage in TNR activities, let’s make it so we can do that',” Hubbard said. “That’s what we’ve done with the amendment.”

More information

Since the amendments were passed, Animal Services’ website has been updated to include information about TNR in McKinney. The website also includes a list of veterinary clinics in the area who offer services for TNR programs, Hubbard said.

“This simply allows people who feel it’s in their best interest to begin doing this,” Hubbard said. “To try to help the feral cat population and make sure that they’re safe and healthy, and we want them to do that if that’s what they want to do.”

Clinics currently listed on the website include:

• Legacy Humane Veterinary Clinic
  • 5121 Collin McKinney Parkway, Ste. 1200, McKinney
  • Spay or neuter: $25
  • Rabies vaccine: $10
  • Additional $20 charge for any pregnant female cat
• Texas Coalition for Animal Protection
  • 111 N. Greenville Ave., Ste. A, Allen
  • Spay or neuter: $20
  • Rabies vaccine: $5
• Petvise Animal Hospital
  • 5200 Stacy Road, Ste. 400, McKinney
  • Neuter: $120
  • Spay: $160
  • Ear tipping: complimentary
  • Rabies vaccine: $15

To learn more about TNR in McKinney, visit www.mckinneytexas.org/216/Animal-Services.