TNR Handbook - Neighborhood Cats

The Neighborhood Cats TNR Handbook
3) Is the sanctuary in good standing with local authorities? Call the local health
department to see if there have been violations. The local animal control or law
enforcement agency will tell you if any complaints for cruelty or neglect have been
filed. A call to the Better Business Bureau or Chamber of Commerce may be
informative as well. Most states have some type of charity bureau that provides
oversight for nonprofits. It’s often part of the Attorney General’s Office.
4) How is the sanctuary funded? It takes a great deal of money to run a good
sanctuary, between mortgage or lease payments, staff, veterinary bills, property
upkeep and food. Preferably, the facility will be a nonprofit registered with the state
and the IRS. If so, request a recent financial statement. At least in New York, you
have the right by law to inspect the books at the corporate headquarters. If the
sanctuary is not run by a nonprofit, find out who pays the bills and how long have
they been doing it. Remember it’s much harder for someone to raise funds if they are
not part of a nonprofit.
If you determine that on balance, the sanctuary is on sound legal and financial
footing, you’ll still need to inspect the actual physical facility. Pay close attention to your
first impression when you first walk in. Does the place appear to be friendly and
adequately staffed? Is there literature describing the facility? Walk around the whole
place – not just the part where the feral cats live – and see if the living conditions for the
animals are clean and spacious as opposed to crowded and unsanitary. Are the facilities
warm and dry? Are FIV or FeLV cats kept separate from others? How do they go about
adding a new cat – is there a transition period and separate enclosure within the larger
space (as there should be) or do they just toss them right in (as they shouldn’t)?
Find out if the sanctuary staff is sensitive to the special needs of ferals and
understands that ferals are not just “scaredy-cats.” Look to see that there are lots of
places for the ferals to hide and that all the cats have plenty of scratching posts, toys and
comfortable napping places. Ask what kind of food they use and how often the cats are
fed. Make sure the animals look bright-eyed and healthy. Other questions to ask include:
How do they handle sick cats – are there veterinary services available on site? What is
their euthanasia policy? Do they have a cap on the number of cats they’ll take in? Do
they have a relocation program for ferals where they will send a number of them to a barn
or the like? If so, what are the guidelines and will your cats possibly be included?
Once you’ve inspected the grounds and gotten the answers to all your questions, you
can now make a well-informed decision on whether this is going to be a responsible,
healthy place where your cats will live in comfort and have a good chance of leading a
happy life. If you’re not satisfied, don’t settle but keep looking for other alternatives. As
the cats’ sole guardian, you’ll be at peace knowing you’ve done all you can to ensure
their future well being.
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