What conservation biologists can do to counter TNR

Lepczyk, C., Dauphine, N., Bird, D., Conant, S., Cooper, R., Duffy, D., Hatley, P.J., Marra, P.P., Stone, E. & Temple, S. (2010). What conservation biologists can do to counter trap-neuter-return: response to Longcore et al. Conservation Biology: 24(2), 627.

Suggestions:

1-     Conservation biologists, wildlife ecologists and the like should have open dialogues with the animal welfare, sheltering, veterinary and public-health communities

2-     The wildlife and conservation communities need to challenge policies that are put forth to allow or promote feral cat colonies and TNR.

3-     The wildlife and conservation communities should advocate for policies that encourage responsible pet ownership as well as for enforcement of existing policies.

4-     Releasing cats into the wild and supporting feral cat colonies is a violation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Endangered Species Act, as well as laws prohibiting animal abandonment.

5-     We should seek laws making it illegal to maintain cat colonies on public lands

6-     We need to increase public awareness about being a responsible pet owner not just for the benefit of cats but also for individuals of wildlife species and the environment

7-     We need to move away from the prevailing view that depredation of individual species does not matter as long as their populations are intact. If we consirde cats from an individualistic viewpoint, then the same argument must be made for wild animals.

See also here