A group of animal lovers met with the Carbon County administrator for a second time regarding the feral cat problem in the county.

During the meeting with Randall Smith on Tuesday evening, a handful of area residents, who included animal lovers, Carbon Animal Response Team members, shelter groups, and a veterinarian; again talked about potential options to help curb the feral cat colony problem in various municipalities throughout Carbon. Options included spaying and neutering the felines; as well as euthanizing the colonies.

Smith handed out a letter that he received about the Amazing Grace Spay/Neuter program, in which financial assistance could help residents with feral cat colonies on their properties to TNR (trap, neuter, release) the felines.

Some of the properties, Donna Crum, a member of the CART team and an animal cruelty officer, explained have dozens of cats that have bred and colonized. The locations of the colonies have not been released for the safety of the animals.

Susan Yaich, a Carbon County Friends of Animals member, explained that this particular instance outlined in the letter Smith received, was the first time Amazing Grace came to aid the feral cat problem in the county.

The Amazing Grace program that aimed to help solve this growing issue was only recently formed by the organization, with the help of the Mahoning Township Lions.

But, Yaich said, the program is dependent on a person's income and certain guidelines; which she felt would deter people.

Smith asked if this could be a resource.

Yaich said possibly, adding that a great resource could be the Eastern Pennsylvania Animal Alliance, which has a mobile van for spaying large quantities of animals. This option was discussed briefly, but the problem of funding is stopping residents from doing anything because "the residents don't want to hear that it's their problem because the cats are on their property."

Crum added that more resources are available that would give the county options but the major issue all groups are experiencing is finding the funding to make these resources available at a feasible cost.

Smith said funding is something that needs to be handled on the municipal level because the county's hands are tied.

Crum said she spoke with municipal officials and they don't know what to do.

"The county has much more pull," she said, asking if the county could contact the Department of Agriculture to see if funding options are available.

Smith said he would make that call but is not optimistic.

Smith then asked if any grant opportunities were found for this purpose.

The group told him that there were some grants out there but nothing has been secured.

Smith noted that he felt the groups would have a better chance of securing a grant if a countywide organization, like CCFOA, applied for the grant. He also said that if a government entity was needed for the application, he was sure the county would step up and help.

Dr. Renny Shoop, a veterinarian in Jim Thorpe, asked why the county can't make cat licensing/microchipping mandatory.

Smith explained the county does not have the authority to make a countywide ordinance about that, but each municipality can make an ordinance to make cat licensing mandatory.

Shoop then suggested the option of euthanizing the animals instead of TNRing them because the life span of a feral cat is around a year and a half.

Some residents in attendance somewhat agreed that the option could be a potential solution for some, but not all the colony cases in the county.

Shoop said he felt this was a more realistic solution because these felines are dangerous to the ecosystem, endangered species in the area and to children and other animals.

He said catch and release does nothing to solve the overall problem.

According to American Veterinary Medical Association, which Shoop cited, the AVMA policy on free-roaming, abandoned and feral cats is that the AVMA "encourages and supports actions to eliminate the problem of free-roaming abandoned and feral cats. As a result of irresponsible societal attitudes, millions of these cats exist in the United States. Unfortunately, most of these cats will suffer premature mortality from disease, starvation, or trauma. Their suffering is of sufficient magnitude that it constitutes a national tragedy of epidemic proportions. These free-roaming abandoned and feral cats also represent a significant factor in the mortality of hundreds of millions of birds, small mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and fish. This population of cats also poses a zoonotic disease risk for the public."

Smith asked if this would be a feasible option as well.

"Your proposal may not be popular with all," Smith said, "but maybe with some it would be."

Crum said that some of the feral cats can be domesticated.

"There's different situations which need different things," she said.

Following much discussion about possible options to solve the problem, the group decided that they would do more research and meet sometime in September. The meeting, which has not yet been set, will take place in the commissioner's meeting room, located on the third floor of the courthouse annex in Jim Thorpe. The entrance to the meeting room is located on the upper level of the building.