DANIA BEACH, Fla. – Feral cats are overrunning one neighborhood in Dania Beach and the irate homeowners contacted Local 10′s animal advocate Jacey Birch to initiate change.
But digging deeper into the laws surrounding community cats, she found out that cat feeders take on a much bigger responsibility when it comes to caring for the felines.
“We have about 200 cats just in this area right here, and it’s overwhelming,” resident Rafael Kercado said.
“We have a huge overpopulation of cats, raccoons, ducks, birds -- you name it,” added neighbor Tori Anne Brown.
Outraged homeowners are joining together after being outnumbered by wild animals on their personal property.
“Do you know what it is to have to come to your home and all you smell is cat poop? That’s the first thing that hits you, or a dead cat,” Kercado said.
“They poop everywhere and it’s disgusting, to be honest, especially with little kids. I have a little daughter,” Brown said.
The neighbors are pointing fingers at one woman they have recorded on home surveillance cameras feeding the cats, and by proxy, the raccoons, ducks and anything else that comes across the free food.
The animal feeder has people up in arms about where she feeds.
“Does she feed on your property?” Birch asked one resident, Michael Brown.
“She has,” he said. “When we first moved in, we called the police several times and she’s just moved to the opposite side of the street, right in front of our house.”
The woman feeds the cats late at night or early in the morning, according to videos, directly across the street from families annoyed at all the animals being lured in.
“She’s not taking care of the cats -- she’s just feeding them,” Brown said. “How are you going to say you love animals or cats and you’re not helping to take care of them. Feeding an animal is not taking care of them.”
Kercado has been fighting with the feeder since 2019.
“I finally said, ‘Hey, you need to stop.’ I said, ‘If you’re not going to be proactive in trapping these cats while you’re feeding them, then you need to find somewhere else to feed them or stop feeding them so they can spread and not be congregated in just this area.’”
Residents have put up surveillance cameras, no trespassing signs and even cages to tackle the cat overpopulation problem themselves, but they are still begging for help to find a solution.
“I caught 11 cats in one night, but I had to release them,” Kercado said.
Kercado has resorted to catching the cats himself, trying to get them spayed and neutered on his personal time, at his own expense. He has also bought or even made his own cages.
He said he resorted to that after being told by the Dania Beach city attorney that “the city’s hands are tied.”
She went on to say that Dania Beach does not have the capacity or the funding to take on the task of managing the feral cats.
So we checked with Broward County Animal Care and Adoption. Their community cat coordinator said cats may be fed on one’s own private property or with permission.
But once the feeder becomes the caretaker, that feeder must provide medical care, including sterilization of the cat colony.
Neighbors say the woman in question is not doing that.
Birch spoke with the alleged cat feeder by phone. She refused to talk on camera, but left Birch a voicemail refuting the claims and saying she is limited due to her disability.
“People like me, we put our lives into this,” she said. “There’s nothing but tons of animals being abandoned right now. It’s always been a big dumping ground.”
TNR, the Trap-Neuter-Release program used as a humane way to control the free-roaming feline population, can be complicated.
For example, BCAC only allows two cats per person a day and only by appointment -- something Kercado just could not keep up with.
“I have to pay $50 to get them neutered and spayed to release them again and it’s just too much of an expense for me. I can’t do it anymore,” he said.
There’s not an easy answer to this massive South Florida problem.
The Humane Society of Broward County is not accepting feral cats for sterilization right now, but there are a few rescue organizations that are, such as Animal Aid, Cats Exclusive and Saving Sage.
But remember, if you feed the cats, you need to be caring for them medically too! That’s part of the deal.
Community Cat Spay-Neuter Providers
Broward County Animal Care partners with many veterinary clinics to provide TNR services for community cats. Residents who need assistance with community cats, including trapping and sterilization services, may contact:
Animal Aid 571 NE 44th St. Oakland Park, FL, 33334, 754-223-5378
Cats Exclusive 6350 W. Atlantic Blvd, Margate, FL, 33063, 954-975-8349
Emerald Hills Animal Hospital 3399 Sheridan St Hollywood, FL, 33021, 954-983-2300
Pet Population Control, Inc. (Mobile Unit) 3870 Powerline Road (at the Florida Humane Society), Pompano Beach, FL, 33073, 305-902-8556
PURRR 1556 E Commercial Blvd Oakland Park, FL 33334, spayneuter@purrr.org
Saving Sage Animal Rescue, 2875 W. Broward Blvd. Fort Lauderdale, FL, 33312, 954-530-1508
