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Home My WebLink AboutASAB Attachments A & B e era � un Orange County seeks feral - cat `fix ' with barn - cat birth control BY OHRIE HASEGAWA NOVEMBER 1 J , 2018 06: 00 AM Orange County assists in controlling an abundance of barn cats CHAPEL HILL At first glance , Teer Farm is still and quiet . The only discernible activity comes from a herd of Holstein cows strolling along the pond. But then the farm comes to life : two cats appear from behind a bush , and one approaches the house . Yet another dashes beneath the porch . Long-haired cats and short-haired cats . . Tabbies , gray and black cats . These are the barn cats of Teer Farm . Barn cats keep a farm's rodent population in check. Because rats and mice can feed on crops and transmit disease , the cats are critical to a healthy farm. When cats are left unsterilized and free to roam, however, they can multiply at an alarming rate . And a farmer's rodent problem can quickly become a feline - overpopulation problem . " [The cats] take over, " said Sarah Holt, owner of Teer Farm . At one point, she had more than 6o cats on the farm between her house , the barn , and her parents ' house . Adding to the problem, she said, were people dropping off their unwanted cats , assuming they would be taken care of. r v � .., .. a f N. iL - ..u. 14 Sarah Holt , owner of Teer Farm in Grange County , reeds a large group of barn oats on Friday , Nov . 16 , 2018 . Holt and a rarnily member worked with Orange County Animal Services to get rabies shots and Sterilization for 60 cats . Julia Wail jwall c@newsobserver. com Feral cats Most offspring of barn cats get little exposure to humans . The lack of interaction can make kittens fearful or aggressive toward people . " Feral cats are a big problem everywhere , " said Tenille Fox, Orange County Animal Services ' spokeswoman , especially since they are difficult to domesticate after a certain age . In 2017, the Orange County Animal Shelter took in 1, 459 cats . While most were adopted, 273 cats were euthanized, nearly half of them for feral-related reasons . In an attempt to humanely decrease the number of unwanted cats in the community, Animal Services has launched the Working Barn Cats Program, offering free sterilization for Orange County barn cats . According to program coordinator Cooper Hatch , the department has spayed or neutered 147 cats (over 60 of which came from Teer Farm) since October 2017 , The program , which works with North Carolina 's Spay Neuter Association Program (SNAP) , was made possible by a $ 5 , 000 grant from the Triad Foundation based in Ithaca , New York. In addition to the sterilization surgery, the Working Barn Cat Program provides vaccines for rabies and other infectious diseases . After the procedure , one of the cat's ears is clipped to show that it has been sterilized . eel el r v. Feral barn cats gather to eat food given to them by Sarah Holt , owner of Teer Farm in Orange County , on Friday , Nov . 16 , 2018 . Holt and a family member worked with Orange County Animal Services to get rabies shots and sterilization for 60 cats . Julia Wall jwall@newsobserver. com Outdoor cats Although the program is beneficial in many ways , it may also encourage people to keep more outdoor cats . " Cats are terrific pets as kept indoors , but free -roaming cats are a huge problem for the environment — a huge problem for birds , " said Walker Golder, director of Audubon North Carolina 's Wilmington Coastal Office . He advises that, when possible , feral cats be confined. While acknowledging the issue , Animal Services says most cats brought in are already outdoor animals and sterilizing them prevents more feral cat births . The center also educates cat owners on subjects such as how to place a bird feeder on their property to reduce the harm their pet might cause . It is beginning to grow dark, and the farm is still again . The cats are out of sight, leaving behind foggy paw prints on the car windshield . Anyone interested in the Working Barn Cat Program or in acquiring a barn or stable cat should contact Cooper Hatch at (919) 932 -4965 or Andi Morgan at (919) 932 -4961 . Go to htt sm w . heraidsun . co / news local/counties/orange ® county/article221776675 . html to view this article with video . Orange County Animal Services Legislative Agenda Items : North Carolina Dangerous Dog Laws North Carolina Dangerous Dog Law ( 67-4 . 5 ) : A provision to revoke a potentially dangerous dog declaration when there is substantial justification for doing so , in order that a dog does not needlessly live out its entire life with restrictions such being muzzled . Beginning one year after a dog is declared to be potentially dangerous, an owner may request annually that the local authority responsible for making it review the declaration . The request shall be made in writing and shall be accompanied by an overall assessment of the animal completed by a competent person accredited by the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers or another recognized and approved professional body . The assessment shall have an emphasis on the behavior underlying the declaration and the owner or keeper' s ability to manage the animal . The local authority shall consider revocation of the declaration only if no violations of this Chapter or, if applicable, local animal control ordinance, have occurred within the twelve ( 12 ) months preceding the date of application for review . The local authority shall further consider the following matters when reviewing the declaration : 1 . The outcomes of the assessment mentioned above . 2 . The nature of the original bite or attack and the reasons for the original declaration . 3 . The manner in which the animal has been cared for and managed since the declaration was made . 4 . Evidence of whether the animal' s behavior has changed since the declaration due to the animal' s age, environment, training, or other factors . The local authority may revoke the declaration after considering the application, the assessment, and the considerations identified above . It shall issue written findings to the owner or keeper stating the reason ( s ) for his or her decision and , if the revocation has been denied , the date upon which the owner or keeper may request another review of the declaration . North Carolina Dangerous Dog Law ( 67 -4 . 2 ) : Provisions for professional training without a muzzle in a secured setting : An exception to the requirement for the dog to be muzzled and leashed off the owner' s property exists for professional training in a secured setting . Professional training refers to training with a person accredited by the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers or another recognized and approved professional body . A secured setting is physically enclosed and includes only the dog owner, trainer and other individuals directly involved in the training . AS Legislative Agenda November 21, 2018 Page 2 North Carolina Dangerous Dog Law ( 6T4 . 1 ) : A provision is needed to allow fighting dogs to be further assessed to determine whether their behavior warrants their declaration as a dangerous dog . Support legislation to change current law so that dogs from dog fighting investigations and seizures are not automatically deemed dangerous without further determination that the dogs alleged to have been owned or harbored for fighting demonstrate an increased potential for unprovoked attacks on persons or domestic animals, in order to alleviate the requirement to destroy these animals "sight unseen . " Additionally, clarify at what point in the legal process a dog is "owned or harbored . . . for fighting, " be it upon seizure, arrest, indictment, or conviction . Approved by the Animal Services Advisory Board November 21, 2018 Contact: Bob Marotto, Orange County Animal Services Director (919. 932. 4963)