Small Town News

Rehoboth committee debates feral cats on Baltimore Avenue

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To meet with property owners to discuss TNR

If a Baltimore Avenue property owner agrees, volunteers may finally have the chance to control the feral cat population in the beach block through the trapneuter-return program.

The issue of the feral cats on Baltimore Avenue was brought to the attention of the committee after businesses in the area complained of the smell, health and breeding habits of die cats.

Commissioner Paul Kuhns, chairman of the Rehoboth Beach Animal Issues Committee, said the committee made two recommendations at its July 16 meeting. First, committee members, along with the city manager and representatives from the Rehoboth Beach Police Department, have scheduled a meeting with the owners of the Lord Baltimore Lodge, which has been the subject of many of the complaints.

Kuhns said the committee and city representatives are hoping to get the go-ahead from the owners to trap, neuter and return the cats, otherwise known as the TNR program.

The city's policy toward feral cats is that property owners must register a complaint with the city before a trapper is called in Kuhns said the second recommendation is to draft an ordinance built around the TNR program, which is implemented countywide. Kuhns said an enforceable ordinance would help volunteers trap the cats.

One of the problems volunteers have run into is a local resident who feeds the cats and breaks the traps they use to catch cats. Kuhns said once the cats have been in the trap and then let out, the cats will not go back into the trap ever again.

"We're hoping to get the city more involved with the problem," he said.

Committee member Bob Harrison, one of many volunteers who has helped trap, neuter and release 4,000 cats in Sussex County, said there are several managed feral cat colonies in Rehoboth, most on private land but some on city land.

The TNR program is simple. First, the trappers determine where the cats are eating and establish a feeding pattern Once a clinic is notified and ready, the traps are put out with food inside. Once the cats are trapped, they are taken to the clinic for spaying or neutering. Afterward, the cats are put back in the trap to recuperate before being returned to where they were found.

Harrison said TNR was the only humane solution in dealing with the feral cat population. However, he said, it is not an overnight solution.

TNR helps control cat populations by attrition, since they can't reproduce, but the process takes time. The problem on Baltimore Avenue, Harrison said, is that the cats have been left free to feed and reproduce, leaving too many cats in a location with several businesses - such as the Atlantic Sands Hotel, Celebration Mall and the back entrance of Carltons.

Harrison said the purpose of the meeting with the Lord Baltimore is to get the property owners' permission and cooperation to place traps on their property.

He said one way the city can help is by providing money in the budget to help treat the cats. While it doesn't necessarily matter how much the city provides, Harrison said he believes the city should put a line item in its budget to help volunteers with the TNR effort.

Kuhns said besides volunteer work, Delaware Humane Association also provides spay/neuter vans as part of its annual dog walks on the Boardwalk. For every $10,000 raised, the association will provide a van for a day. Kuhns said this year, the city will have at least three, maybe four vans coming down.

The city and the association are still working out dates in the off season for the vans to come down. Kuhns said he hopes to space out the dates in order to treat a lot of cats.

ABSENTEE BALLOT COUNT BEGINS AT 4 P.M.

The Rehoboth Beach Board of Elections will meet at 4 p.m.,

Saturday, Aug. 8, in the conference suite at the Rehoboth Beach

Convention Center, to count absentee ballots submitted in this year's municipal election.

The absentee affidavits will be available for inspection from 2:30 to 4 p.m., one and a half hours before the opening of the absentee ballots.

The Rehoboth Beach municipal election will be held at the convention center from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Three candidates are running for two open seats - incumbents Kathy McGuiness and

Paul Kuhns and former board of adjustment member Willis

Sargent.

For more information, call City Hall at 227-6181.

ABSENTEE BALLOT COUNT BEGINS AT 4 P.M. The Rehoboth Beach Board of Elections will meet at 4 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 8, in the conference suite at the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center, to count absentee ballots submitted in this year's municipal election.

The absentee affidavits will be available for inspection from 2:30 to 4 p.m., one and a half hours before the opening of the absentee ballots.

The Rehoboth Beach municipal election will be held at the convention center from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Three candidates are running for two open seats - incumbents Kathy McGuiness and Paul Kuhns and former board of adjustment member Willis Sargent.

For more information, call City Hall at 227-6181.





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