TNR has FAILED: Spartanburg’s $450,000+ Money Pit!

TNR is an acronym for "Trap, Neuter, Release". TNR is NOT an adoption program, it's a dumping program. Cats are trapped, sterilized, and then dumped back into the communities where they were found. The cats are once again abandoned, left to fend for themselves, suffer, and die. Residents are forced to endure an ongoing public health hazard from these ever expanding cat colonies.
According to Spartanburg County’s official government website, on its Animal Welfare Services page titled “Trap Neuter Release (TNR) Program,” the County states that it has spent more than $450,000 in TNR and related services since FY 2022.
Taxpayers are also paying for Spartanburg City "Animal Control" officers who do NOT provide REAL animal control and instead are focused on carrying out a FAILED activist agenda that does NOT serve the taxpaying residents who live with the daily consequences.
Taxpayers are paying on both ends: more than $450,000 for TNR and related services, plus the cost of "Animal Control" officers carrying out a FAILED activist agenda turned public policy that dumps cats back into 3rd district neighborhoods and are contributing to an active and growing public health hazard.
Cats are being dumped into our neighborhoods by irresponsible pet owners, yet the laws already on the books addressing animal abandonment and cruelty are NOT being adequately enforced. It only takes a relatively small number of unsterilized cats to produce a rapidly growing population, and cats are NOT subject to the same permanent removal practices as stray/abandoned dogs in Spartanburg, SC.
NON-governmental organizations wield far more influence over our government than the residents who actually live here and bear the consequences of these policies. And thanks to TNR being added to ordinances at both the City and County levels, we're now at the mercy of some misguided activists, NON-governmental organizations, politicians and government workers who do NOT care.

Sourced from FOIA 26-451 request made by Vanessa Lech in 2026.

Free-roaming cats can carry diseases and parasites, including Toxoplasma gondii, which causes toxoplasmosis and can pose particular risks to certain vulnerable populations. An elderly neighbor reported that a cat tried to attack her on her front porch; a seriously injured cat was observed roaming the neighborhood; and a cat tried to attack a pet dog in its backyard. These are just a few examples of the public health hazards the Spartanburg, SC, government has chosen to ignore and enable. Although existing guidelines provide circumstances under which animals should be removed, these removal guidelines are NOT being utilized.
We NEED responsible pet ownership, REAL ACCOUNTABILITY for those who abandon animals, and consistent enforcement of the animal-abandonment and cruelty laws already on the books.
We NEED stronger accountability measures such as pet registration and microchipping so that abandoned animals can be traced back to their owners. People who acquire animals as pets should be responsible for their care and should NOT be permitted and enabled to abandon their cats or dogs in someone else's neighborhood without ACCOUNTABILITY.
Code enforcement has also recognized issues involving the cat population. I explained all of this to City Council multiple times prior to considering and ultimately deciding to run and campaign for Spartanburg City Council, District 3, in the 2027 election.

Sourced from City of Spartanburg. City Council Meeting, June 8, 2026. Public records video.

I tried to speak during City Council public comment again, but an arbitrary policy prevented me from doing so. The current public comment policies are deeply problematic. This systemic failure has been documented in the public record for years. I submitted my intended comments in writing to City Council that same day. Please see below.

Public health and safety must come 1st!
We NEED policies that PROTECT residents and animals, ENFORCE responsible pet ownership, and hold people ACCOUNTABLE.

References
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). “To TNR or Not to TNR—That Is the Question.” PETA — Does TNR Really Save Cats? https://www.peta.org/features/does-tnr-really-save-cats/
American Bird Conservancy. “The Evidence Against Trap, Neuter, Release.”https://abcbirds.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Feral-Cats-Consequences-for-Humans-and-Wildlife.pdfANDhttps://abcbirds.org/strategies/reconsider-trap-neuter-release/
Spartanburg County, South Carolina. “Trap-Neuter-Release (TNR) Program.” Spartanburg County Government. Spartanburg County TNR Programhttps://www.spartanburgcounty.gov/1349/Trap-Neuter-Release-TNR-Program
City of Spartanburg, South Carolina. “Animal Services.” City of Spartanburg. City of Spartanburg Animal Serviceshttps://www.cityofspartanburg.org/171/Animal-Services
City of Spartanburg, South Carolina. FOIA Request 26-451. Records produced in response to a Freedom of Information Act request submitted by Vanessa Lech, 2026.
City of Spartanburg, South Carolina. City Council Meeting, June 8, 2026. Public records video.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and the American Bird Conservancy have detailed the problems with TNR. Please refer to the information below.