SAGA Seeks Help with Stray Cat Sterilization Program

SAGA Humane Society is seeking volunteers to support its Trap-Neuter-Release (TNR) program for stray and sometimes feral cats in San Pedro. The organization needs people who can work flexible shifts, particularly after 5PM, to help place and monitor humane traps in areas with high numbers of unsterilized cats.
SAGA operates the island’s only non-profit veterinary clinic and promotes sterilization, adoption, and responsible animal care. Through its TNR program, the organization aims to manage and gradually reduce the island’s feral cat population humanely.
Volunteers will help set and monitor traps in targeted communities, transport captured cats to SAGA’s clinic for sterilization and return them to the areas where they were caught. Transportation is a major need, as the program requires moving both traps and cats between the selected locations and the clinic.
The appeal comes as SAGA reports an increase in newborn and young kittens being brought to the shelter without their mothers. The organization is concerned that frequent breeding will continue to increase the population unless sterilization efforts expand.
SAGA also noted that adult feral cats can be difficult to socialize for adoption. Returning them to familiar territory after sterilization lets the organization address breeding without adding demands on its shelter.
A SAGA representative said the program is intended to “help with bringing down the population of cats.” The representative explained that returning feral cats to familiar areas is an important part of the initiative.
The organization has identified San Mateo, San Pedrito, and the DFC area among the communities targeted for trap placement. Volunteers will check for a tipped or snipped left ear, which indicates that a cat has already been sterilized through TNR and does not need to be captured again for that purpose.
SAGA may also attempt to microchip some cats to help track them, although ear-tipping will remain the main identification method.
In addition to volunteers, SAGA is requesting donations of humane cat traps to help capture animals safely. Expanding access to traps and transportation would help the program reach more unsterilized cats in the targeted neighborhoods.
The organization hopes the program will reduce unwanted litters, ease pressure on its shelter, and improve the welfare of feral cats across the island. Residents interested in volunteering, assisting with transportation, or donating humane traps can contact SAGA Humane Society at 226-3266.