Cat TNR enthusiasts might face challenges from California court ruling

[u/GullibleAntelope]

Dec. 21, 2024: Judge Rules Against San Diego Humane Society’s Community Cat Program

A California court has issued a landmark ruling that could reshape how shelters across the country manage free-roaming cats. Judge Katherine Bacal ruled against the San Diego Humane Society (SDHS), finding that its practice of releasing friendly, adoptable cats under its Community Cat Program (CCP) violates California animal protection laws...

The decision underscores the legal and ethical obligations of shelters to care for stray and abandoned animals and raises critical questions about the future of animal welfare policies nationwide...

At the heart of the case was whether SDHS’s policy of categorizing adoptable cats as “community cats” and releasing them outdoors constitutes illegal abandonment....SDHS defended its program as a humane solution to shelter overcrowding and a model for reducing euthanasia rates...

Plaintiffs alleged that SDHS recategorized thousands of adoptable cats as “community cats,” releasing them outdoors where they faced risks such as starvation, predation by coyotes, traffic accidents, and human cruelty...

This ruling has far-reaching implications for shelters...Many shelters have embraced these programs as part of the “No Kill” movement, which aims to reduce euthanasia rates by managing free-roaming cat populations through Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) initiatives. While TNR is appropriate for feral cats, critics argue that lumping friendly, adoptable cats into these programs undermines their welfare and shifts responsibility onto economically challenged communities.

[u/AutoModerator]

Thanks for posting to r/AnimalRights! 🐥

Be sure to check our sidebar for all of our rules :)

🌱 Are you a developer, designer, editor, researcher, or have other skills to contribute to saving animal lives? Check out the 3 links below to help animals today!

1) Check out Vegan Hacktivists, and apply as a volunteer! 🐓

2) Join our huge Vegan volunteer community "VH Playground" on Discord! 🐟

3) Find volunteer or paid opportunities to help farmed animals by clicking here! 👊

Last but not least, get $1000 USD for your activism! Apply by clicking here. 🎉

Thanks!

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/Available_Mango_8989]

It is abandonment. A friendly cat should not be released to the streets