WEST ORANGE, NJ — The West Orange Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return program was approved and initiated in January 2016 after a year and a half trying to get approval, and since then it has neutered more than 2,000 cats and helped 767 kittens get adopted.
WOTNVR is a nonprofit organization operating solely on charitable donations. It is a program through which feral cats are humanely trapped; spayed or neutered; treated for existing medical conditions and vaccinated against diseases, including rabies; and returned to their colonies. This results in a healthier environment for animals and people. Designated caregivers maintain the colony’s health by feeding and monitoring the cats to ensure they remain healthy and the area in which they live remains safe. In areas where a homeowner has assumed this responsibility, they do the same and contact WOTNVR if needed.
In addition to managing the outdoor cat populations, WOTNVR also rescues young kittens and friendly adults, adopting them out to loving homes. All of the organization’s adoptable kittens are spayed or neutered, vaccinated for distemper, and tested for FIV/FELV. Rabies vaccinations are not given until the kittens are at least 6 months old.
The organization also goes the extra mile for injured cats, treating cats for pneumonia, and performing leg amputations and eye enucleations as necessary. These cats too are found loving pet parents to adopt them.
Photos Courtesy of Judy Stier