Pet Resource Center

PET ResourcE
CenTER

Every Pet DEserVES
A HaPpY, hEalTHY LifE

The Lawrence Humane Society is committed to nurturing the human-animal bond by providing shelter, care, and advocacy for homeless and abused animals, and resources for the people and pets in our community.

Whether you’re looking for a new furry family member, or are a proud pet parent in need of resources, we are here to help.

MEDICAL CLINIC

Going the Extra Mile to
Deliver Second Chances.

We believe every pet owner should have access to spay & neuter and microchipping services for their pets. That’s why Lawrence Humane Society’s Medical Clinic offers the following options for low-income families:

LOW-COST
SPAY &
NEUTER

LOW-COST
MICrOCHIPPING

COMMUNITY CAT PROGRAM

Combating Feral Cat OverpopulatioN.

Lawrence Humane Society is proud to partner with the City of Lawrence to offer our community a comprehensive approach to managing unowned, feral cats in our community.

Thanks to the dedication and hard work from our partners, new ordinances went into effect on May 1, 2019 that will ultimately help our organization save more lives AND reduce the number of unwanted cats in our community by allowing Trap, Neuter, Vaccinate, and Return (TNVR) programs in the community.

This community-focused approach relies on the assistance of animal lovers like you to be a success! For more information, reach out to us at tnvr@lhs.bluesym7.work or 785-856-0174.

What is Trap, Neuter, Vaccinate, Return?

Trap, Neuter, Vaccinate, Return (TNVR) is a humane practice of decreasing community cat impact.

First, a community cat is trapped in a humane cage by a member of the public (usually a caretaker, a neighbor, or someone who has an interest in reducing the number of community cats in their neighborhood). This effort can be coordinated through community outreach groups, clinics, or the Lawrence Humane Society, and does not always require Animal Control involvement.

Second, the cat is taken to an organization such as the Lawrence Humane Society or a veterinary clinic that will perform surgery and administer vaccinations. There the cat is inspected to make sure it is a Community Cat and not simply an owned outdoor cat. Then, the cat is vaccinated, altered, and ear-tipped. Finally, the cat is returned to its colony.

Who will provide the TNVR services?

TNVR services may be provided by any veterinary clinic, the Cat Clinic, the Lawrence Humane Society, or any organization outside of the city of Lawrence. This service is provided at the discretion of the clinic or organization, and fees may vary. This is not a taxpayer-funded initiative and the change in the ordinance is only for allowing the practice, not making it something residents must engage in.

Who is responsible for trapping?

For TNVR with the Lawrence Humane Society, the caregiver (defined as who is feeding the cat) is responsible for initiating the TNVR process. The caregiver will set traps, coordinate vetting services, and return cats to their colony location. Lawrence Humane Society will provide support through volunteers and clinic services as needed.

Where do I get traps?

You can provide your own, or rent traps from the Lawrence Humane Society.

What is ear-tipping?

Ear-tipping is a humane way of signaling that cat has already been through the TNVR process. While the cat is being fixed the veterinarian will remove the tip of the cat’s ear. Ear-tipping prevents a cat from being seized and impounded multiple times, because the animal is thereafter universally recognized as a community cat.

Where are the cats returned to?

Community cats will be returned to their colonies as soon as possible after their surgery. Returning them back to their colony will prevent the colony from filling the void with another community cat.

What if someone doesn’t want Community Cats near their property?

You can remove the food source and eliminate shelter access. You may also use deterites like scent repellents, motion activated, etc. For more information, click here.

If you have a cat on or near your property that is unowned and not ear-tipped, you may call Animal Control. The community cat ordinance only applies to cats that exhibit an ear tip.

When will the decrease of Community Cats be noticeable?

The population decrease will be gradual. The more cats that go through the TNVR process, the quicker the decrease will take place in our community.

Will Community Cats kill exotic or endangered birds?

Although some birds are killed by cats, cats are not generally a major threat to the bird population. Quite frankly, birds are hard to catch, and rodents are much easier prey. In 2011, the Smithsonian released a study that said cats were killing birds at an extreme rate. In reality, the study found that cats only accounted for the death of nine of the 69 birds studied. Humans, in fact, are far more threatening to birds than cats. Approximately 180 million birds die each year from flying into windows, buildings, and automobiles. Furthermore, the long-term effect of implementing TNVR is the reduction of the community cat population. With a smaller cat population, the amount of birds threatened by community cats would grow smaller, too.

Has TNVR worked other places?

The City of Topeka (KS) enacted a similarly worded ordinance in 2010, allowing for the TNVR of community cats. Animal Control saw an increase in requests for cat traps to TNVR cats immediately after the ordinance was enacted, and today has seen a noticeable decrease in nuisance calls about community cats. Additionally, the Helping Hands Humane Society in Topeka has seen a 20% reduction in the intake of all cats since the ordinance was enacted. This was due to the assistance of community partners including the Topeka Community Cat Fix, which has TNVR’d a total of 2,662 community cats in just 4 years.

The city of Jacksonville, Florida, is another example of a community that has capitalized on non-lethal alternatives for controlling free-roaming cats. Over a three-year period (2007-2010), Jacksonville saved approximately 13,000 lives and $160,000 through its TNVR initiatives. Equally important, feline nuisance complaints decreased during this period.

The Feral Fix Program in Salt Lake City, Utah, has also proven to be quite successful. From 2008 to 2010, Salt Lake City’s “save rate” of cats improved over 40%, equaling a total cost savings of approximately $65,000. Shelter cat intake for the years 2009-2010 decreased over 21%. During this same period, there was no increase in feline nuisance complaints.

What is a feral cat?

A feral cat is an outdoor cat that lives within a colony in a specified area due to having a resource; usually that resource is a source of food (someone is leaving food out or there is an abundance of prey) or shelter from the elements (an abandoned building, home, garage, or outbuilding). A feral cat is unsocialized to humans. A feral cat becomes a “community cat” as defined by our ordinance once it has gone through the trap, neuter, vaccinate, return process.

What is a “community cat?”

Under our city code, a community cat means a cat that is unsocialized to humans, has a temperament of extreme fear or resistance to contact with humans, and exhibits a straight-line cutting of the tip of its ear to indicate that it has been sterilized. (ref. City Code Sec. 3-102)

Why the change?

The primary purpose for the change in law is to reduce the number of feral cats in our community and to further reduce the number of cats impounded at the LHS. The change was made to allow for the trapping, then spaying/neutering and vaccinating, and returning the cats to the colony in which they came a legal practice. This also was done to allow residents to trap cat colonies for vetting in order to assist in controlling the population. Feral cat colonies are trapped, spayed or neutered and vaccinated, then returned by two primary ways: The Public The public (a caretaker or neighbor) traps community cats for spay/neuter and vaccinations, which can be administered by the Lawrence Humane Society or a participating clinic. Members of the community may rent traps from LHS and receive support and guidance on use, as needed. Volunteers Lawrence Humane Society coordinates volunteers to be utilized by a neighborhood or member of the public interested in a targeted effort for a specific colony. Community members interested in becoming a part of the Community Cat Program please reach out to us at 785-856-0174 or tnvr@lhs.bluesym7.work. This community-oriented approach to life-saving and population management is dependent on the help of supporters like you!

How CaN I Get INVolVED?

There are three primary ways that you can get involved:

Volunteers
The Lawrence Humane Society offers a unique community cat volunteer program for interested members of the community. This team plays an integral role as liaisons between the community and the Lawrence Humane Society. They will educate, help trap and transport, and coordinate services PRIOR to trapping. Volunteers will also canvas neighborhoods of known feral cat colonies to initiate the conversation of TNVR with community members and caretakers.

Volunteer opportunities include:

Transporting cats to and from their colonies.
Power-washing traps after the TNR.
Sewing trap covers.
Organizing special events.
Canvassing neighborhoods.

This is a separate volunteer entity from our standard volunteer program. It has its own training programs, orientations and requirements. There will be no minimum hours required each month as the needs of the program will depend on services needed within the community. You do not have to be a current Lawrence Humane Society volunteer to participate in this program. You must be 18 years or older to participate without an associated adult present.

Community members interested in becoming a part of the Community Cat Program please reach out to us at 785-856-0174 or tnvr@lhs.bluesym7.work.

Monetary Donations
Your generosity can help directly grow this program. By giving a gift to our TNVR fund, you will help us provide resources to the community, assist with surgery expenses, and more! Click here to make a contribution today.

In-Kind Donations
Presently, traps and trap covers are our primary need as we get this program off the ground. Additionally, we are in need of falcon gloves, bag nets, tarps, and canned cat food. For detailed information and links to recommended products, please contact us at 785-856-0174 or tnvr@lhs.bluesym7.work.

HUMANE iNVESTIGATIONS

A Voice for the Voiceless.

The Lawrence Humane Society’s Humane Investigation Department is the only humane investigation program in Northeast Kansas.

We are committed to seeking justice for animals throughout the state by assisting animal control and law enforcement in investigating reports of animal neglect and abuse.

We collaborate with law enforcement on cases from the seizure, to case management, to the disposition of the animal. Our team consists of an animal welfare attorney and three humane investigators. Our education, training, and experience makes our team a premier resource for cities and counties needing assistance on these critically important cases.

If you are animal control, law enforcement, or a government staff member working on an animal abuse investigation or pending prosecution, our Humane Investigation department is happy to help.

Suspect an animal is being intentionally or unintentionally abused or neglected?

Please take action and contact your local animal control or law enforcement department immediately!

City of Lawrence Animal Control:

785-832-7509

Want to report abuse, but can't reach animal control? Contact our Humane Investigation Department:

785-371-0473 (9:00 am – 6:00 pm daily)

If you witness an animal in immediate distress (i.e. hit by a car, being beaten, locked in a car), please call 911 immediately!

Additional Resources:

Lawrence City Code: Regulation of Animals

Douglas County Animal Ordinances

LoST & FOUND

Reuniting Lost Pets with
Their Loving Pet Parents.

The most updated information can be found on our Facebook page. If you’re looking for a lost pet, please follow us on Facebook.

PET SURRENDER

Your Pet Will Get Its Second Chance.

We understand that sometimes it may be necessary to give up your pet. Our staff is here to help you in those difficult situations, and we will work with you to ensure the best possible solution for you and your pet. In some instances, the Lawrence Humane Society may be able to offer resources help you keep your pet through our Project HELP (Hope for Every Loved Pet) Retention Program, including supplies and scholarships for services. To inquire about Project HELP opportunities, please contact our Pet Resource Center Supervisor, Tia Ezell, by email mezell@lhs.bluesym7.work or at 785-856-0334.

Schedule an Appointment to Surrender Your Pet.

The Lawrence Humane Society accepts owned animals by appointment to ensure we are able to help all animals who need our care. By managing this service, we will always have space for the animals who need the shelter safety net the most — lost, hungry, homeless, injured, or sick animals.

To schedule an appointment, please email us at admissions@lhs.bluesym7.work or call 785-371-0473.

Appointments are scheduled from 11:30 am to 5:30 pm and, occasionally,

due to space restrictions, may be scheduled as far as two weeks.

The Lawrence Humane Society is an open-admission, nonprofit animal shelter that accepts all animals, regardless of reason for surrender, health, or temperament. We do not assess animals prior to completion of the surrender appointment; a health examination, behavior assessment, and/or history review after your appointment will determine if your pet is suited for our adoption program.

To offset the cost of this evaluation and the care provided to your pet, an Admissions fee is required when you relinquish your pet:

Owner Surrender (within Douglas County): $40
Owner Surrender (outside of Douglas County): $60

There is never a limit on how long an animal may stay in our shelter and 100% of friendly, healthy, and treatable animals find homes. However, we cannot guarantee placement of any animal. Animals that display aggressive behavior, are unable to thrive in the shelter environment, or are suffering from medical conditions that we cannot treat, may be humanely euthanized.

PRoJEct HELP

Hope for Every Loved Pet.

The Lawrence Humane Society understands that, sometimes, the unexpected happens and your family may be facing the difficult decision to surrender your furry family member to a shelter like ours. Our goal is to keep pets with their families whenever possible.

Project HELP (Hope for Every Loved Pet) is designed to provide pet parents with the resources they need to keep their pets in their homes, instead of surrendering them to our shelter.

Resources that may be available include:

If you are having challenges keeping your pet, fill out the form below to request a Project HELP appointment.

Project HELP is generously funded by the ASPCA, the Douglas County Community Foundation, and The Beth and Donna Fund.