Residents in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, are raising concerns about the way the borough is enforcing its animal control ordinance, particularly in relation to a trap-neuter-return (TNR) program for stray cats.
A cat controversy in a Cumberland County borough is sparking some confusion, and it all starts with how an ordinance is being enforced. People in Mechanicsburg who are trying to reduce the stray cat population through a well-established program called trap, neuter, return ( TNR ) say they’re being targeted. One woman told CBS 21 in December police warned her she was violating the borough's animal code by feeding and sheltering the stray cats.
The question dozens of people wanted to know at a borough council meeting Tuesday night: How can they participate in the program, which has been in the borough since 2022, without punishment? 'Directing residents to stop feeding will only increase the number of complaints you are getting,' one borough resident said. 'It really does work—make a difference. But we can never trap them if we weren't permitted to feed them,' another woman said. At the meeting, the Mechanicsburg council heard the community's requests to update the current animal control code to reflect the TNR program during public comment. Their request comes after years of waiting. Council President Kyle Miller confirmed the borough financially and politically supports the program. 'We were able to implement the program without making any changes, so there has been no issue until the most recent issue with the fine, and there have been no fines to date ever in the borough,' Miller said. The most recent issue, however, was when Sandra Webb, a TNR volunteer who was at the meeting, received a warning from police that she was in violation of the code. 'That's under review,' Miller said. 'That issue is under review with the police department. So I can't answer that question right now.' 'There's no fine specifically regarding feeding of cats in the ordinance. There was an interpretation made by the police department related to the ownership of cats,' he said
CATS TNR ANIMAL CONTROL MECHANICSBURG BOROUGH ORDINANCE
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