Tompkins Brings SPCA of Niagara’s Orange Cat Campaign to Council Vote – Councilman Secured $2500 Donation to Launch Program

Niagara Falls City Councilman Kenny Tompkins announced that he has been working with the SPCA of Niagara to help bring their Orange Cat Campaign toNiagara Falls to provide a humane option to reduce the feral cat population in the city. The resolution to support this measure will be voted on at the June 13 City Council meeting. To launch the program, Tompkins announced that he was able to secure $2500 from private
donors.

According to SPCA of Niagara’s Executive Director Amy Lewis, “We’re excited to begin
implementing the Orange Cat Campaign in the city of Niagara Falls. The campaign began in the
Village of Lewiston last year as a means to reduce their community cat population by way of
spaying/neutering. If endorsed by the Niagara Falls City Council, the SPCA will go to work
approaching businesses in the city to help raise funding for the program by selling orange paper
cats for $1.”

Money raised from this campaign will go towards Trap-Neuter-Release (TNR) practices which
have shown to be effective in other cities with growing populations of free-roaming cats. It was
estimated last fall that there are 60,000 feral cats within the city limits.

“There was a resolution for an ordinance put forth earlier in the year to address this issue that
created quite a stir with animal lovers and was subsequently tabled,” said Tompkins. “Some
aspects of that ordinance were viewed as not providing humane treatment for these cats. I was
able to work with Ms. Lewis and SPCA of Niagara board member Jennifer Pitaressi, who shared
this program with me and asked if we might support it. This is an extremely positive solution
that I believe everyone can get behind. I am honored to be able to bring this to the council.”

“The City has needed a program like Orange Cat to help get its feline population under control
for a while now,” said Lewis. “We’re elated that Councilman Tompkins saw the value in the
Orange Cat campaign and agreed to bring it before the council. If approved, this will be a really
progressive move by city officials. The city’s cats aren’t going anywhere, so it makes sense to
embrace them. The SPCA hopes to work with volunteer trappers to begin the Orange Cat
Campaign this summer.”