Palmerton finds compromise with Cat Project

After weeks of collaboration, Palmerton borough has embraced a trap, neuter, vaccinate and release policy to deal with stray cats in the borough.

The policy, adopted during Thursday’s council meeting, is the result of a joint effort between borough council members and representatives from the Palmerton Cat Project, an organization dedicated to the welfare of stray cats in the area.

And while it allows the trapping, neutering, vaccinating and releasing of “community cats,” it gives that ability only to those who “have been properly educated and trained through local, state and national TNVR (Trap, Neuter, Vaccinate, Release) programs,” per the policy guidelines.

“The borough of course was looking to be able to enforce responsible cat ownership that does not cause any type of burden to neighbors, any public health or safety concerns,” Councilwoman Holly Sell said when introducing the policy.

“Those are the things we were working on and trying to find some common ground, which I think we found a lot of as we were working together.”

The policy restricts the trapping of and caring for a “community cat,” defined as “a free-roaming cat that is unable to be domesticated or socialized by adoption,” to people affiliated with or educated by animal organizations.

Examples are The Humane Society, Palmerton Cat Project, No-Nonsense Neutering and others.

If community cats that go through the program are not adoptable, they must be ear-tipped under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian and returned to their trapping location.

It also affords “community cat caregivers” the ability to reclaim impounded community cats to neuter, vaccinate, or if they have already gone through TNVR, return them to their trapping location, without having to provide proof of ownership. Caregivers will be allowed to feed community cats twice a day during daylight hours; the feedings must take place on the resident’s property and cannot exceed one hour. At the end of each session, feeding dishes must be removed.

“Generally, the community cats become aware of the schedule of when they’re being fed, and it doesn’t take them long to eat,” Kristin Lucykanish, Palmerton Cat Project volunteer, said. “They eat, and they go.”

Ordinance in effect

Sell said the policy is not a replacement for the borough’s Ordinance 728, an animal ordinance adopted in 2017 that bans the feeding of feral cats. Instead, the policy and the ordinance are meant to work together.

Meaning, those who care for community cats will be allowed to feed them within the parameters mentioned above. If another resident feels a stray cat is being a nuisance, they can submit a complaint to the borough’s animal enforcement officer Peter Luzzo, who will investigate their grievance.

The policy states that “the animal control officer will not trap or shelter cats within the Borough of Palmerton unless the cat is an immediate health or safety concern.”

“Our animal ordinance is still discouraging those irresponsible pet owners,” Sell said. “The policy is there for the organizations that are running their programs to be able to do that, but to discourage people who have no idea what they’re doing from just randomly trapping cats and feeding cats.”

The policy’s adoption comes after weeks of negotiation. Meetings first started taking place earlier this year, after council agreed to sit down with the cat project when residents and other animal advocates packed a January meeting, voicing their opposition to Ordinance 728 and the borough’s citing of two residents for violating it. Both admitted to feeding cats, but said they hadn’t done anything wrong.

“Technically, I’m guilty of your violation, but I don’t feel that I am guilty. I’m proud of what I did. I don’t think I’ve done anything wrong,” Sandy Buchalter, whose hearing regarding the fine was rescheduled for May, said in January. Fines against the other resident, Faye­Ann Reiner, were dismissed on April 22.

Palmerton Cat Project President Barbara Greenzweig said the policy is a step in the right direction.

“We’re very pleased about the policy, however the real celebration will be when the ordinance is revised,” Greenzweig said. “We look forward to ongoing negotiations and working together with the borough.”

Council introduced their new cat protocols as a policy, rather than an ordinance, because a policy is easier to adopt and amend. For Humane Society Officer Donna Crum, that’s an issue.

Crum said council did not give the public a chance to weigh in on the policy. She added that the policy itself is restrictive, and by requiring residents to “hook up with an organization” in order to spay and neuter, it might deter residents from helping in the trap, neuter and release process.

“To me, it’s band-aiding, and it’s not going to stick very well,” Crum said. “It’s a start in the right direction, I will agree with that. But we got a long way to go.”

Council President Terry Costenbader said that if problems with the policy, which goes into effect immediately, do arise, the borough and the Palmerton Cat Project can “massage” it “to try and make it work better.”

“The borough is trying to work with everybody,” he said. “I see the possibility that this is going to be a good thing.”

In the end, Sell said, the policy’s goal is to ensure responsible pet ownership and compliance with the borough’s ordinance.

“There isn’t anyone in here who lacks compassion for the animals,” she said. “Their circumstance is a product of people making poor decisions. We’re trying to right that as much as we can.”