Walking through the front door of the facility, visitors are greeted by the characteristic curiosity of the friendly felines who unabashedly jump up on the counter just inside the door.
No More Homeless Pets in Utah, a non-profit organization started by Best Friends Animal Society (BFAS) CEO Gregory Castle, has worked toward eliminating the euthanasia of homeless dogs and cats since its creation in 2000.
Since 2000 the animal euthanasia rate in Utah has dropped by 50 percent, and over 100,000 lives have been saved. NMHPU is definitely making a big difference, but according to Marketing Specialist Jaimi Haig, that is not enough.
With somewhere around 363,000 homeless dogs and cats in Utah, NMHPU and their animal-loving allies certainly have their work cut out for them. By the sound of Haig’s confidence in her boss and NMHPU founder Gregory Castle, it seems hopes are high.
“He’s seriously one of the most passionate and compassionate people I’ve ever met in my life,” Haig said. “He’s willing to do everything possible to make this work.”
Castle recently announced an upcoming merger with BFAS to provide Utah facilities with national resources. Haig talked about the new partnership with excitement and passion in her voice, highlighting how widespread support through brand recognition would enhance their abilities to meet goals.
“From a marketing standpoint we’re moving more to the Best Friends branding, but we’re going to stay true to our programs,” Haig said, as one of the cats living in the facility jumped onto the table, eager to be part of the conversation and center of attention.
The three main areas of NMHPU’s mission that will get the support boost Haig is so excited about include their spay/neuter, adoption and Feral Fix programs. The spay/neuter and adoption programs resemble common shelter programs, but the Feral Fix program is somewhat unique. Similar programs have proven successful in places like Jacksonville FL, but according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the methods are not used as much as they should be.
ASPCA research indicates that the trap-neuter-release techniques used in the Feral Fix program are far more effective than other outdated methods. “Not only are some of these methods horribly cruel,” ASPCA writes on their website, “they are also highly ineffective.” Killing or relocating the feral cats, Haig agrees, will only propagate the problem since natural processes would only fill any void left by the missing cats.
That’s why with their limited resources, provided through grants, donations and volunteer work, NMHPU provides food and care for communities of feral cats that have been trapped, neutered and released.
These techniques will decrease feral cat population over time and, of course, eliminate the need for euthanasia. Unfortunately, many people either don’t know about this successful feral cat management process, or have been misinformed.
The most disappointing issue according to Haig, though, is the “disconnect” between spaying, neutering and buying from breeders with what’s happening in shelters.
“A lot of people don’t realize there’s a connection between letting their pets breed, or buying from a breeder and keeping that breeder in business,” Haig said, “and how many animals are dying in the shelters.”
Despite the drawbacks, Haig is excited about the promising future of NMHPU. The Facebook page has nearly 10,000 likes, and the upcoming partnership with BFAS will certainly allow for more widespread education about animal care, and ultimately save the lives of thousands of animals.
For more information about NMHPU and the services they offer, visit www.utahpets.org or call 1-866-PETS-FIX.
By Jeff Jacobsen – Online Content Manager
How TNR-MATH works:
“In NYC there are currently 465 registered TNR colonies. When TNR began in these colonies, 6047 cats were present – today, there are 4523 cats present, a decline of approximately 25 percent.” (Quoted from Alley Cnt Allies who are SO proud of this.)
If you TNR 4 cats and 3 get flattened by cars this is 75% less feral-cats statewide.
Of those 6,047 cats they’ve only REDUCED the total by 1,524 cats. That’s only 0.08% of the 1,806,310 feral-cats in NYC. (data taken direct from TNR-advocates’ own resources)
Feral-cats born IN THE LAST 6 MONTHS:
(1/2 total = females) 903,155 X 5 (avg. litter) = 4,515,775 NEW CATS. The number of them that have been reduced by TNR idiots is only 0.024%. THEY ARE GOING BACKWARD.
Alley-Cat-ALL-LIES can’t even reduce cats in their own city, yet they promote it as a worldwide solution. Then even bigger fools fall for it…
I did the research. _NO_ TRAPPING PROGRAM HAS EVER TRAPPED MORE THAN 0.4% IN ANY AREA. TNR IS AN _ABJECT_FAILURE_ SINCE DAY-ONE. MORE THAN 99.6% of cats breed out of control where TNR is practiced. I used a .22 with illuminated-reticle scope and laser-sight for a humane-kill every time. Hundreds shot. EVERY LAST ONE IS GONE FROM MY LAND FOR 2 YEARS. NO CATS REPLACED THEM. THE “VACUUM EFFECT” IS A TOTAL LIE. I got 100% success in 2 seasons for less than the price of a few coffees. Did you?
Cats are listed in the TOP 100 WORST INVASIVE SPECIES of the WORLD in the “Global Invasive Species Database”!
CATS ARE NOT EXEMPT FROM INVASIVE-SPECIES LAWS! IT IS A CIVIC AND MORAL RESPONSIBILITY TO DESTROY THEM ON-SIGHT WHENEVER FOUND AWAY FROM CONFINEMENT. If criminally irresponsible cat-lovers absurdly make them into “Community Cats”, then just raise Community Pet Black-Mambas and release them in backyards and parks, claiming the same protections for them. It’d only be fair!
Human Territorial Behavior By Expendable Proxy —
“Cat-lovers” that let their invasive-species roam free are only (cowardly) using cats as a proxy for their own territorial behavior. Like uneducated inner-city youth that will disrespectfully use loud music to stake-out a territory for themselves. As long as they can have one of their cats defecate in another’s yard or destroy their property, animals, and wildlife; and the land-owner not have any recourse; the cat-owner owns that territory. It’s time to put a stop to them using their “cute kitty” excuse for usurping and stealing others’ property. They’re using underhanded and manipulative means, putting (and sacrificing) live animals in the path of their envy and greed.
They can’t be stopped from their behavior. They psychotically believe they are doing “god’s work” for themselves. So you must destroy their cats. It’s…
Try as they may, there has yet to be a credible success story for TNR. Woodsman has a definite point in that the meager showing is due to just plain everyday life that does kill off cats via cars, coyotes, neighborhood punks. TNR is the ultimate cruelty to cats and in my opinion it should be charged as abuse and abandonment.
I have no idea what Woodsman is talking about. I’m not going to debate the veracity of the statistics he posted; his other comments, however, are hateful and border on racism. Just because you don’t like a cat taking a dump in your yard is no reason to shoot on site. Do you do the same for dogs? Birds? How about talking to your neighbors?
And as for HonestyHelps: Are the neighborhood punks’ actions and death by car more humane than TNR? Being skinned alive or burned alive or suffering for hours before dying, while leaving a litter to starve to death, is not a superior solution to animal over-population.
How about promoting responsible pet-ownership? I am the owner of seven cats of varying ages and two pure-bred dogs that have all been neutered as soon as they were old enough. The cats are exclusively indoors. The dogs are allowed out only in the fenced yard or on a…