Animal rights groups, lawmakers argue over feral cat ordinance

Seaside Heights unanimously passed an ordinance to control the feral cat population, but the vote was not without controversy.  The borough's plan is to set areas where feral cats are prohibited, round

News 12 Staff

Jul 21, 2016, 6:37 AM

Updated 3,006 days ago

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Seaside Heights unanimously passed an ordinance to control the feral cat population, but the vote was not without controversy. 
The borough's plan is to set areas where feral cats are prohibited, round them up and take them to sanctuaries and shelters.
Animal rights advocates are upset that some of the cats that end up in shelters may be euthanized. 
An online petition to "save the cats" collected nearly 15,000 signatures. Mayor Anthony Vaz also said the issue ended up flooding his inbox with emails.
The borough did say that existing cat colonies could remain even if they're in restricted areas. 
Animal control officers will help execute the measures behind the ordinance.