National Support

Many national organizations support TNR programs. Some of the major ones include:

1. The International Municipal Lawyers Association, which produced the People, Pets and Policies: Toward Community Supported Animal Sheltering handbook in cooperation with Best Friends Animal Society.
2. The American Bar Association, which in Resolution 102B (August 2017) urged state, local, territorial, and tribal legislative bodies and governmental agencies to interpret existing laws and policies, and adopt laws and policies, to allow the implementation and administration of TNR programs for community cat jurisdictions.
3. The National Animal Control Association supports TNR programs and states, “NACA advises officers to take proactive steps to divert intake of “stray cats” while offering services that support the goals of community animal management and protection programs.“
4. Alley Cat Allies, an international advocacy organization for community cats, supports non-lethal and humane practices that address community cat populations. We support and promote Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) programs.
5. The ASPCA supports TNR and states they, “support humane, lawful, and effective strategies for humanely managing community cat populations, including programs involving trap-neuter-return-monitor (TNRM), return to field (RTF) or, as a last resort, community cat relocation (CCR).  Such community cat programs not only provide life-saving options for cats who might otherwise be euthanized when admitted to a shelter but also can stabilize, and even reduce over time, the population of community cat colonies.
6. The Association of Shelter Veterinarians supports and promotes trap-neuter-return (TNR) in the management of free-roaming and community cat populations as part of a comprehensive population control strategy.
7. Best Friends Animal Society, which provides resources for shelters and rescues internationally, “endorses and practices trap-neuter-return (TNR) as the most humane and effective way to manage community cats. Killing, by contrast, is simply a revolving door. Any cat removed from a colony and killed will likely be replaced by another.”
8. The American Association of Feline Practitioners position statement on free-roaming, abandoned and feral cats supports non-lethal strategies to promote population reduction of free-roaming, abandoned and feral cats. This position was also endorsed by the American Animal Hospital Association.
9. The American Veterinary Medical Association “encourages the use of non-lethal strategies as the initial focus for control of free roaming abandoned and feral cat populations. Public, private, and not-for-profit humane organizations and individuals must make every effort to promote adoption of acceptable unowned cats and implement sterilization programs.”
10. The Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association position, “advocates community-based Trap-Neuter-Return programs with ongoing responsible management as the most viable, long-term approach available at this time to reduce feral cat populations.”
11. The American Humane Association, “supports the reduction in the number of free-roaming abandoned and feral cats in a humane and ethical manner.”