POLK COUNTY, Fla. — Animal welfare groups in Polk County are working around the clock to tackle cat overpopulation.
SPCA Florida is treating stray cats that were burned in a house fire in Auburndale on New Year's Eve.
WATCH: Local groups work to curb cat overpopulation in Polk County
“This gentleman has a big heart and would allow the animals to come in to get warmth when it’s cold or air when it’s hot and also for food. So, the door would be open, and they could come and go as they wanted,” said Randa Richter with SPCA Florida.
Their story highlights a much bigger issue. There are an estimated five cats for every person in Polk County.
To prevent more cats from ending up on the streets, SPCA Florida offers free and low-cost spay and neuter services through its Backyard Cat Program.
“Healthwise, it’s going to be helpful for them to be neutered and help decrease the addition of more into the population,” said Dr. Lindsey Hidenrite, SPCA Florida veterinarian.
Another group tackling the issue is the Street Cat Project of Polk County.
“When we saw how many cats were running at large here in Polk County, we knew there was a problem and it had to be addressed,” said Eve Salimbene, President of Street Cat Project of Polk County.
The non-profit is dedicated to humanely reducing the number of free-roaming community cats through its trap-neuter-release (TNR) program.
“We work the trapping list every week to trap cats, get them fixed and return them to their outside homes. We have done over 6,000 cats in 4.5 years,” Salimbene said.
Salimbene believes TNR is the most effective way to control feral cat populations, especially those that can’t be adopted.
“In the last eight years, they’ve killed 40,000 animals at Polk County Animal Control. Obviously, that’s not working, so we want a new program,” Salimbene said.
Both groups told me spaying and neutering is key to saving lives and reducing suffering.
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