§ 11-46-301 . Title
§ 11-46-302 . Definitions
§ 11-46-303 . Community cats
§ 11-46-304 . Permit process for community cat colonies
§ 11-46-301. Title
This part is known as the “Community Cat Act.”
Credits
Laws 2011, c. 130, § 12, eff. May 10, 2011.
§ 11-46-302. Definitions
In addition to the definitions in Sections 11-46-102 and 11-46-202, as used in this part:
(1) “Community cat” means a feral or free-roaming cat that is without visibly discernable or microchip owner identification of any kind, and has been sterilized, vaccinated, and ear-tipped.
(2) “Community cat caretaker” means any person other than an owner who provides food, water, or shelter to a community cat or community cat colony.
(3) “Community cat colony” means a group of cats that congregate together. Although not every cat in a colony may be a community cat, any cats owned by individuals that congregate with a colony are considered part of it.
(4) “Community cat program” means a program pursuant to which feral cats are sterilized, vaccinated against rabies, ear-tipped, and returned to the location where they congregate.
(5) “Ear-tipping” means removing approximately a quarter-inch off the tip of a cat's left ear while the cat is anesthetized for sterilization.
(6) “Feral” has the same meaning as in Section 23A-1-101.
(7) “Sponsor” means any person or organization that traps feral cats, sterilizes, vaccinates against rabies, and ear-tips them before returning them to the location where they were trapped. A sponsor may be any animal humane society, non-profit organization, animal rescue, adoption organization, or a designated community cat caretaker that also maintains written records on community cats.
Credits
Laws 2011, c. 130, § 13, eff. May 10, 2011; Laws 2023, c. 34, § 14, eff. July 1, 2023.
§ 11-46-303. Community cats
(1) A cat received by a shelter under the provisions of Section 11-46-103 may be released prior to the five-day holding period to a sponsor that operates a community cat program.
(2) A community cat is:
(a) exempt from licensing requirements and feeding bans; and
(b) eligible for release from an animal shelter prior to the mandatory five-day hold period in Section 11-46-103.
(3) Community cat sponsors or caretakers do not have custody, as defined in Section 76-9-301, of any cat in a community cat colony. Cats in a colony that are obviously owned, as evidenced by a collar, tags, microchip, or other discernable owner identification, are not exempt from the provisions of Title 76, Chapter 9, Part 3, Cruelty to Animals.
(4) Sterilization and vaccination records shall be maintained for a minimum of three years and be available to an animal control officer upon request.
Credits
Laws 2011, c. 130, § 14, eff. May 10, 2011.
§ 11-46-304. Permit process for community cat colonies
(1) A county or municipality may create a permitting process for community cat colonies.
(2) Any permitting process created by a county or municipality shall provide notice to adjacent property owners by:
(a) mailing notice to the record owner of each parcel within parameters specified by the permitting process; or
(b) posting notice on the property with a sign of sufficient size, durability, print quality, and location that is reasonably calculated to give notice to passers-by.
Credits
Laws 2011, c. 130, § 15, eff. May 10, 2011.