Hoof & Paw, the West End nonprofit dedicated to helping stray animals, is working on a trap, neuter and release (TNR) program for cats to be implemented this summer. Laura Denny, of Naturita and a long-time volunteer for Hoof & Paw, is the coordinator.
The program will happen in June for Naturita and Nucla, and in July for Norwood.
“That’s what I am hoping,” said Denny, though she’s waiting on confirmation from the Town of Norwood for its portion.
The program is made possible by the Telluride Foundation, which gave Hoof & Paw $5,000 of the $7,000 that was requested. Kat Burroughs and Susan Kelley wrote the grant. Denny told the Forum the funds are wonderful, and money that the West End nonprofit didn’t have.
Local municipalities contributed to the award for a matching grant. In this way, Nucla pledged $1,500, Naturita pledged $500 and Norwood said they’d like to give $1,000. The amounts correlate to the number of cats which can be treated.
Cats have to be kept overnight for two nights. The first night is to prepare for the spay or neuter procedure. The second night is for safety after the surgery. Denny said it’s important to note that cats can’t regulate their body temperatures well, and they must be protected after surgery, not simply turned out.
For this round of trap, neuter and release, Hoof & Paw will be using Second Chance of Ridgway for services, due to cost savings. Sometimes Hoof & Paw uses the Moab vet, and sometimes the Norwood vet too.
What if someone’s pet cat gets trapped though?
Denny said it’s possible, but volunteers are working to not have that happen. She recommends cat owners collar their cats with identification. Some free break-away collars will be available at Hoof & Paw, at the thrift store, the week before the trapping, and those collars will be free.
“I deeply apologize if we trap your house cat,” Denny said. “We want to give plenty of notice. Your house pets should be safe.”
Volunteers look, though, for signs of ownership, spay or neuter. And, they check for ear-tipping. Cats who’ve been through the TNR program previously have their right ears tipped. Denny said she wants people to know the ear-tipping is not painful for the cat and is standard practice.
If anyone is concerned their cat has been trapped, they can come to the base camp where cats will be waiting for their surgeries. Volunteers can help cat owners identify a cat that does’t need to be treated.
Regardless, all cats will be released to the original place they were trapped after the second night.
Anyone with questions should contact Hoof & Paw. Denny said they can also call her personally at 970-729-0970.
Denny said the trapping program is important. She agreed it helps control the cat population and reduces the number of hungry, sick and inbreeding animals. She said while in the past, the feral cats, or stray cats, were not a priority, local communities have come to see that treating these cats is a real need.
The last West End spay and neuter clinic (not the trapping program) saw 23 cats and 15 dogs, for which owners brought pets in.
“The community is aware and supporting us, and we appreciate them,” Denny said.
Hoof & Paw is a volunteer organization. Denny said nobody is paid, and so many people help. She’s been involved since 2008, the nonprofit’s inception, along with Tonya Stephens and Britta Harris.
She added the thrift store has been a game-changer for the nonprofit’s success, though she misses the old days when the chili cook-off and auction brought in funds. She said Hoof & Paw might hold another chili cook-off for fun — and fundraising.
