TNVR & Community Cat Initiative

       St. Johns County has long been resistant to adopting effective, humane approaches to community cat management. The result is that St. Johns County continues to euthanize unowned, free roaming and unsocialized cats that end up at Animal Control, even if they are otherwise healthy and thriving in their environment. As has been proven in other states and counties across the U.S. and abroad, this inhumane approach to community cat management has little to no effect on the overall population. In addition to being ineffective, the killing of unowned, unsocialized cats goes against community members altruistic and compassionate nature.
       It is the belief of community members like ourselves, that St. Johns County officials have a duty to implement legislation and support programs that effectively and humanely address the needs of residents, human and animal alike. 
      Reforming problematic legislation like leash laws and abandonment laws and implementing new legislation that specifically addresses the particular needs of community cats and their caregivers is essential to making positive changes. In addition, to truly be effective we must all work together, therefore the implementation of new policies at St. Johns County Animal Control is essential. By adopting policies and procedures that promote and put into practice Return-to-Field and TNVR, SJC can make a positive difference in many more lives and be more effective than ever before.