Update: WE WON!!! Toronto council voted against the proposed anti roaming bylaw, and will instead use an educational approach. Read Toronto's press release here.
Toronto is currently a leader in humane cat bylaws and policies. Toronto's municipal shelters have a Spay Neuter Your Pet low cost mobile clinic, and a free community (feral) cat spay neuter (TNR) program in which under socialized cats can choose to stay outdoors. Toronto can easily run these programs, because Toronto allows cats to "run at large" (be outside).
However, this may change in just two weeks due to proposed bylaw changes. Thanks to divided opinions about cats being outside, Toronto may now create a roaming cat ban for all "owned" cats. Impounding healthy cats causes stress to the animal, and costs the city space and money that could be used to rescue, spay/neuter, and treat sick or injured cats.
It will be difficult to tell who is a community cat (feral), or "owned" (unless the feral cat is ear tipped and neutered). Many more cats will likely get euthanized. Pet cats who get lost or go outside will also be at an increased risk of euthanasia. According to the city, last year, out of 2125 cats in care, 516 cats were euthanized, while only 151 were returned to their homes. Less than 10% of the pet cats who were lost between 2016 and 2021 were claimed by their family.
We would like the City of Toronto to keep the current bylaw of allowing cats to roam outside. We would also like the City of Toronto to remove the definition of a "nuisance" cat. Instead of a cat at large/roaming cat ban, we would prefer an education approach regarding the benefits to keeping cats indoors, and make microchipping mandatory.
Please email councilmeeting@toronto.ca before July 19.
http://app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgendaItemHistory.do?item=2022.EC31.5&fbclid=IwAR32GBG5k9fo_QfglOHMuYC031sBHnGKUPFLDoq0FgXBYmiRamJ_ChywOoQ
