On Tuesday, September 3, Nazareth Borough Council passed two important motions concerning animal control in the Borough. The motions, proposed by Council Woman Jessica Teel Sadler, address the feral cat issues of the Borough and a course of action for lost/found dogs. The first was to hire No Nonsense Neutering of the Lehigh Valley to assist in regulating the feral cat population. For the past decade, No Nonsense Neutering, owned by Martha Kahan, has had immense success resolving feral cat problems in surrounding areas. The non-profit organization spays/neuters the feral cats after humanely trapping them and returns the animals back to their original locations. In addition, the cats will be cleaned and dewormed and then ear-tipped which “marks” them as having already been caught and fixed.
The motion agrees to pay No Nonsense Neutering $1,050 (the amount to process 30 cats) for their services which will cover the borough until the end of 2019. The council woman plans to request that this service be built into the yearly budget. Over the past four years, No Nonsense Neutering has treated over 300 cats in the 18064 zip code.
Vouchers will be available at the borough office and all residents must present their ID to receive them. There is a limit of five vouchers per person. Those who have caught feral cats can contact No Nonsense Neutering in Allentown for an appointment and bring in the animals where they will be taken care of at no charge to the residents.
The council is also in the process of working on an ordinance to address feeding in coordination with the trap/neuter program.
In the second motion passed, the Nazareth borough agreed to participate with the COGS (Council of Governments) Animal Control Officer program for lost canines through Pibbles Paws Safe Haven Dog Rescue of Bath. The Council of Governments is a group of local municipalities that work together to provide support and resources to their neighboring communities.
Currently, Nazareth does not have an animal control officer or any procedures in place for dogs found in the borough, which can burden the town with the high costs of kenneling the animals and the responsibility of reuniting them with their owners or finding other arrangements. By partnering with COGS, Nazareth can now utilize the services of PPSH, where the animals will be housed and well cared for. Citizens that find lost dogs are to contact the Nazareth Police Department at 134 S. Main St. or on the non-emergency number: 610-759-2200.
No Nonsense Neutering of the Lehigh Valley has been an advocate for animal population control and has performed over 100,000 surgeries since opening in 2008. For more information on No Nonsense Neutering and the Trap, Neuter, Return Program (TNR), visit their website at nnnlv.org or call 866-820-2510. The clinic is located at 1044 N. Quebec St., rear, Allentown, PA 18109.
Pibbles Paws Safe Haven is a state-licensed, nonprofit dog rescue that accepts all breeds. All dogs receive a full physical exam and temperament evaluation. PPSH also educates and assists new owners. The rescue is located at 545 Creek Road, Bath, PA 18014. For more information, please consult their Facebook page or pibblespaws.wixsite.com or 484-735-1431.
