Mayport Ends TNR, Orders Pet Registration

(How many of our endangered animals did this effort cost?)

Naval Station Mayport, Fla., about 15 miles east of downtown Jacksonville, recently shut down a three-year-old trap-neuter-release program. Officials there claimed TNR didn't work.

"The cat population on base outpaced our manning and funding to do the program," Lt. Cmdr. Kelly Merrell told the Florida Times-Union in June. Mayport's policy since May 17 has been to trap the cats and hold them 10 days to allow people to claim lost pets or to adopt. After that, what remains goes to Jacksonville Animal Care and Control or the Jacksonville Humane Society.

At present, Mayport officials said, about 150 neutered and spayed cats remain free. They must fend for themselves, though, because the May 17 policy prohibits feeding cats.