by Berks Alliance
Berks Alliance will host a live Zoom webinar entitled “Spotlight on Addressing the Community Cat Crisis with the Animal Rescue League” on Thursday, May 2.
Did you know that much of Berks County has a community cat crisis—feral cats living outdoors? The Federal Emergency Management Agency estimates that there are between 30,000 and 60,000 free roaming cats in Berks County and the number is growing. Some communities have developed strategies to address these challenges, but they are often not successful. Some residents have taken to feeding and providing outdoor shelters. And many just ignore the problem. Feral cats can affect other animal species as well and, in fact, are a contributing factor to declining wildlife populations.
What has caused this problem? How big of a problem exactly is it? And what do experts say are the best ways to tackle it?
The Animal Rescue League of Berks County is a non-profit organization that will share its insights into addressing these challenges. The ARL cares for over 5,000 animals a year, helping them improve the quality of their lives and often finding a second chance for a good home.
The Community Cat Crisis is just one indication of a greater challenge in our region.
Animal control—providing care and treatment for our pets—is a challenge in Berks County. Many municipalities have no animal control services available for their residents and their pets. Animal control is much more than just managing stray animals. It includes disease management and control to ensure public safety in the event of rabies cases in domestic animals, addressing the community cat overpopulation and dealing with stray animals. It often involves police assistance and taking legal action, when necessary, but it is more than humane law enforcement. What can we do to address these challenges?
The Animal Rescue League and their colleagues at Best Friends—Save Them All will share their understanding of the challenges we and our pets face and how we can address them.
Register in advance for this meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwudeCvpjMjGN0A9xXZEWcSpI89O9ENzlXE. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
