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michigan residents: help promote tnr 

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Michigan House bill 4596: To promote community cat welfare, care, and programs 

Update: Bill not passed.  Died with Agricultural Committee.

Community cats and caregivers in Michigan would benefit from new protections under a bill being considered in the state’s House of Representatives. The bill, HB 4596, would define terms, such as community cat, caregiver, and colony, while exempting free-roaming cats and those who care for them from certain laws and regulations. These changes would benefit cats and caregivers by clearing away hurdles to implementing successful trap-neuter-return (TNR) programs.

Importantly, this bill would make clear that returning cats during the TNR process is not abandonment, and that caregivers are not owners of the cats they care for. This recognizes the important and unique role that caregivers play providing daily fresh water and food for free-roaming cats without burdening them with traditional ownership responsibilities, such as licensing and “at-large” requirements.

House bill 4596 also exempts community cats and caregivers from feeding bans as well as makes clear that stray hold periods at shelters do not apply to community cats, thus allowing them to proceed through TNR programs without delay.

"The proper care and treatment of community cats ensures that they’re healthier, safer additions to our communities,” bill sponsor Rep. Laurie Pohutsky (D-Livonia) said in a release, adding, “if passed, I’m confident that my bill would benefit community cats and caretakers throughout the state.”

Please contact your state legislators today and ask them to help save cat lives by supporting HB 4596. ​
Click Here to Find Your delaware state legislator
**​Use this sample letter to tell your elected representatives to support HB 4596, and add a personal note to increase your impact:
​Subject: Please Support House Bill 4596

Dear [Representative],

Please support House Bill 4596 and help make Michigan a safer and more welcoming place for community cats and their caregivers. This bill contains crucial provisions that, when enacted, will allow for better understanding and management of free-roaming cats as well as the process of trap-neuter-return (TNR). The programs this bill would encourage also help control the pet population overall.

TNR is the humane process used in communities across the country for effectively managing free-roaming cats. During TNR, cats are trapped and then brought to a veterinarian for a health check, sterilization, and rabies vaccination. After that, the cat is returned to the place she was trapped and provided with daily fresh water and food by a dedicated caregiver.

Community cat programs are proven to reduce shelter intake and euthanasia and HB 4596 would make it easier to promote and implement these life-saving initiatives. The bill defines important terms, such as “community cat”, “caregiver”, and “ear-tip”, and exempts community cats and caretakers from regulations that don’t fit their unique needs.  

For example, by making clear that caregivers are not owners, and that the return phase of TNR is not animal abandonment, Good Samaritans and groups can move forward to help the cats in their communities without fear of repercussion.

Thanks to this bill, we have a wonderful opportunity to help lead the way at the state level for the humane care of community cats. This measure would also empower the kind-hearted Michiganders who take it upon themselves to care for community cats and who generously support the life-saving work of animal shelters and non-profit welfare groups in our state. 

Please support HB 4596 and help put Michigan at the forefront of humane care and management of free-roaming, community cats.


Sincerely,

[Your Name]
[Your address]
[Your city, state, zip]
[Your email address]
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  • Home
    • About >
      • Mission
      • Our Team
      • Board of Directors
      • Financial Information
      • Email Sign-up
    • ACR in the Press
    • ACR Publications >
      • Newsletters
      • Blog
      • Press Releases
      • National Surveys
    • Adoptions >
      • Adoption Application
      • Cats available for adoption
      • New Cat Checklist
      • Introducing A New Cat
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Contact Us
    • Partners
  • Action Alerts
    • Spay Neuter Pledge
    • No Declaw Pledge
    • Campaigns >
      • TNR Support Letter
      • The Feral Fix
      • Working Cats Program >
        • Shelters with Working Cat Programs
      • End Deadly Eradication Methods
      • "Fix the Family"
  • Spay/Neuter
    • Early Age Spay/Neuter
    • Misconceptions About Spay/Neuter
    • State Low Cost Spay/Neuter
  • How to Help Community Cats
    • Find a Stray Cat?
    • What is a Feral Cat? >
      • Feral vs. Stray Cats
      • Benefits of Feral Cats
    • TNR-- What does this mean? >
      • TNR Statistics
      • TNR Step-by-Step
      • Targeted Trapping
      • TNR Tips
      • Hard to Catch Cats
      • TNR Equipment Loan Resources
      • Where to Buy TNR Equipment
      • TNR/Community Cat Care Financial Resources
      • Helping Shelters Implement TNR Programs
      • Common Complaints
    • Providing Shelter
    • CAT Action Teams: TNR Groups by State
    • Health Care
    • Cat Overpopulation
    • Relocation
    • Feral Kittens >
      • What to do if you find kittens
      • Stages of Kitten Development
      • Orphaned Kittens
      • Socializing Feral Kittens
      • Fostering Kittens
    • How Rescuers Can Effectively Adopt Out Cats >
      • Adopting Adult Feral Cats
    • Winter Tips for Protecting Cats
    • Summer Tips for Cats
    • Feral Cats and the Law
    • Cats and Wildlife >
      • Cats and Predation
      • Where have all the birds gone?
      • Debunking the Myths and Misinformation: Cat Predation
      • Why Eradication Methods Fail
    • Handbook Download
  • Cat Health & Supplies
    • Health Care for Your Cat >
      • Vaccines
      • Wellness Vet Checkups
      • Microchiping
      • Nail Trimmings
      • Effects of aging
      • Hospice Care and Euthanasia Decisions
      • Vet Care Financial Assistance
      • How to Prepare for an Emergency
    • FIP, FeLV, FIV >
      • Testing for FeLV/FIV
    • Common Cat Health Issues >
      • Feline Panleukopenia
      • Fleas
      • Zoonotic Diseases
      • Rabies
      • Toxoplasmosis
      • Ringworm - Symptoms and Treatment
      • Ringworm Myths Debunked
      • Obesity in Cats
      • Diabetes
      • Indoor/Outdoor Cats
    • Cats & Claws
    • Animal Cruelty Against Cats
    • Hazardous Poisons
    • Poisonous Plants
    • Cats and COVID-19
    • Cat Supplies
    • Pet Food Banks
    • Pet Disaster Preparedness
  • Cat Behavior
    • Solutions to Prevent Surrendering your cat >
      • Rehoming
    • Common Cat Behavior Issues >
      • Litter Box Problems
      • Scratching and Destructive Behavior
      • Aggressive Cats >
        • Cat on Cat Aggression
      • Meowing and Yowling
      • Urine Marking
      • Behavior Issues in Elderly Cats
    • Introducing Cats
    • Cat Enrichment
    • Tips for Entertaining an Indoor Cat
    • Cat Supply Resources
    • Lost Cat
  • African Wildcats
    • AWC Conservation Projects
    • Press Release on African Wildcat Campaign
    • Differences between AWCs and domestic cats
  • Donate
  • Store