Analysis signifies that there are roughly 2 million free-ranging cats within the state of Virginia, roughly 1.2 million of them are unowned. Many of those collect in colonies which symbolize critical well being dangers to the neighborhood, nuisance to neighborhoods, and have a devastating impact on wildlife–not to say the intense dangers to the well being and well-being of the cats themselves. 

After years of effort to reach at wise methods and regulatory pointers to assist tackle the issue, there’s now a invoice within the Common Meeting to empower localities to successfully tackle and handle out of doors cat populations of their space. The invoice, HB 221:

• Authorizes localities, in the event that they so select, to undertake free-roaming cat administration plans by ordinance
• Directs the Virginia Division of Agriculture and Shopper Providers (VDACS) to create a mannequin Free-Roaming Cat Administration Plan to cut back and management the inhabitants of free-roaming cats and the abandonment of cats to cut back damaging impacts on public well being, wildlife, and the welfare of the cats
• Directs VDACS to determine minimal requirements for a Free-roaming Cat Administration Plan
• Requires VDACS to seek the advice of with related stakeholders in fulfilling these duties

Sadly, an energetic foyer of out of doors cat supporters is working to mischaracterize and defeat this invoice. We’re asking supporters of wildlife to make their voices heard on this difficulty.

Sources and Background

What You Can Do

The invoice is at the moment in committee within the Home of Delegates. In case your Delegate is on the Home Agriculture Subcommittee, PLEASE WRITE AND CALL to allow them to know that HB 221 is necessary to you and to the well being of wildlife throughout the Commonwealth.

Agriculture Subcommittee members:

Please ONLY COMMUNICATE WITH A DELEGATE IF YOU ARE A RESIDENT OF THEIR DISTRICT. 

Use Who’s My Legislator to seek out your district and representatives.

In case your Virginia Delegate is on the primary Home Agriculture, Chesapeake, and Pure Sources Committee, please write to allow them to know that you just help HB 221.

Major committee members: 

Pattern e mail textual content you may ship:

Expensive Delegate ________

As one in every of your constituents, residing at ___________, ________, I’m writing to ask in your help of Home Invoice 221 on Free-Roaming Cat Administration Plan Laws.

You will need to me that this laws will help the event of wise mannequin laws for:

1) decreasing the devastating impression of out of doors cats on native wildlife

2) decreasing the specter of feline-borne ailments, and

3) supporting the well being and well-being of cats themselves.

This invoice is supported by:

American Chook Conservancy

Affiliation of Avian Veterinarians

Audubon Society of Northern Virginia

Bat Conservation & Rescue of VA

Blue Ridge Wildlife Middle

Bristol Humane Society

Cape Henry Audubon Society

Capital Naturalist, Alonso Abugattas

Middle for Conservation Biology

Danville Space Humane Society

Ernesto Dominguez, DVM,

DACVPM, CWR

Margaret B. Mitchell Spay Neuter Clinic

Nature Ahead

Northern Virginia Chook Membership

Individuals for the Moral Remedy of Animals (PETA)

Piedmont Virginia Chook Membership

Southwest Virginia Wildlife Middle

Wildlife Middle of Virginia

Virginia Alliance for Animal Shelters (VAAS)

Virginia Animal Management Affiliation (VACA)

Virginia Chapter of the Wildlife Society

Virginia Conservation Community

Virginia Ornithological Society

Virginia Veterinary Medical Affiliation (VVMA)

Virginia Zoo

Thanks in your help of this matter.

Sincerely,   __________________________