BARC ANIMAL SHELTER AND ADOPTIONS
Get Involved In Our TNR Program
What is a TNR Colony Manager?
The City of Houston promotes TNR for the management of our city's community cats, and citizens. Any citizen feeding community cats must be actively working towards getting all cats in the colony spayed and neutered (i.e. accomplishing the TNR of the colony), must be feeding in a way that does not attract raccoons or possums, and must have the permission of the property owner/manager to be feeding the cats if the colony location is not on either their own property or on city property. As long as citizens are in accordance with these requirements, they are encouraged to feed and care for the community cats within their colony and can submit an application to become an official colony manager.
According to Houston City Ordinance section 6-22, "It shall be unlawful for any person intentionally to cause, suffer, or permit the maintenance of an attractive environment for the assembly of a congregation of unconfined and unlicensed stray cats or dogs by the placement of dog food or cat food," however colony managers who follow city TNR guidelines are permitted to feed community cats "subject to a trap, neuter, and return program approved by the Director."
Get Involved!
Become a colony manager!
Are you feeding community cats in your community? Have you been trapping them and getting them spayed and neutered? If so, you might be interested in becoming a colony manager.
We appreciate and value our colony managers. By Trapping, Neutering, and Returning community cats of your neighborhood, colony managers make an impact on stopping the cycle of community cat overpopulation in the City of Houston.
The City can help you and the cats in your colony by providing spay/neuter appointments for feral cats. Colony managers who follow the City’s TNR guidelines will have the City’s support. To be in accordance with City of Houston ordinance, all citizens feeding feral or stray cats must adhere to the following requirements:
- Citizens must be actively working towards getting the entire colony of cats spayed, neutered, and ear notched.
- Citizens must be feeding in a way that does not attract raccoons or possums. Cats must be fed at set times and food cannot be left out after the cats have finished eating.
- Citizens must have the permission of the property owner or manager to be feeding unless they are feeding on either their own property or on city property.
If you are following the above guidelines and are interested in becoming a colony manager:
- You must live inside the Houston city limits. The colony must also be located inside the Houston city limits.
- Fill out the application listed below.
- Fill in the spreadsheet we will provide with information on all the cats in your colony. Update this spreadsheet and submit it again at regular intervals so we can keep track of all the cats in your colony.
- Provide us with written, signed proof of permission from the property owner/manager where you are feeding, unless you are feeding on either your own property or on Houston city property.
Need to Borrow a Trap?
- Traps are available and can be reserved by emailing barctnr@houstontx.gov. BARC has limited number of traps available and MUST be reserved ahead of time.
- There is no cost to reserve a trap, but a credit card form must be completed and if the trap is not returned within 30 days a credit card will be charged
Did You Trap a Cat?
If you are looking to spay or neuter a cat and have a preferred day you would like to bring the cat in for surgery you can schedule a surgery appointment for a feral cat by emailing barctnr@houstontx.gov .
BARC Information
Houston, TX 77026
Call 3-1-1 for more information
Get Involved
