Concern for the plight of feral cats has risen in the Richmond area as the community’s attention has focused on the fate of a feral cat colony that has long resided in the 1900 block of Westmoreland Street. While humane groups have joined together to call for and work to implement a Trap-Neuter-Return program, concerned citizens have asked for ways to get involved.

The seminar is free and designed to educate about this proven technique for managing feral cat colonies. This is a forum for anyone who wants to better understand TNR as well as those who would like to become active in trapping, neutering and caring for feral cats. The format will include a panel discussion with experts from various areas of animal welfare.
# Angela Ivey, DVM, is the director of veterinary services at the Richmond SPCA. She oversees Smoky’s Spay/Neuter Clinic, where more than 11,000 spay/neuter surgeries are performed annually, including approximately 1,200 surgeries for feral cats.
# Jody Jones is manager for Richmond Animal Care and Control. She sees TNR programs as a way to effectively and humanely reduce the number of free-roaming cats and the volume of associated nuisance complaints, allowing Animal Care and Control officers to focus on serious public safety issues.
# Deanna Denny has more than 10 years experience as a feral cat caregiver. She is a practiced trapper who has brought hundreds of cats through the TNR program at the Richmond SPCA.
# Karrie Pawlak is a licensed veterinary technician at the Richmond SPCA. Since joining the staff, she has been involved in the neutering of feral cats on a daily basis and educates trappers in post-operative care.