County officials say no wrongdoing is suspected in the accidental death of a cat after it was set free by county animal control officers.
But Bartholomew County Commissioner Tony London says an investigation will be undertaken to discuss how similar accidents can be avoided in the future.
The incident was exaggerated by a social media site that, according to London, contained a number of untrue statements and comments.
“I’m told that some people think (the animal control officers) intentionally ran over the cat,” London said. “Obviously, this couldn’t be further from the truth.”
The controversy began after three cats picked up near a Jonesville Road residence went through the Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) process, the commissioner said. The program involves stray and feral cats that are humanely trapped, evaluated, vaccinated, sterilized and marked with a notch to the ear before being returned to where they were initially picked up.
On Wednesday, the Bartholomew County Humane Society asked the officers to return the three cats to a neighborhood off Jonesville Road where they were originally picked up, London said. Due to the heavy traffic along State Road 11, the officers backed up their van into a residential driveway when they arrived at the location, he said.
“The driver got out and opened up the back door and cages to let the three cats out,” London said. “When the cats got out, they all ran toward the house. The officer shut the back door, got into the driver’s seat, and looked carefully to make sure he didn’t pull out into oncoming traffic.”
After completed a few more chores, the officers returned to their office to learn they had been accused on social media of running over one of the animals they dropped off, the commissioner said.
“They had no idea they hit any cat,” London said. “No clue whatsoever.”
Nevertheless, officers were instructed to return to the Jonesville Road residence to investigate what happened, the commissioner said. They discovered that one of the cats was indeed dead, but evidence suggests the feline was able to run away because the remains were found a distance from the driveway, London said.
The initial report received by the county was that a car, not a truck, had struck the cat, Commissioner Larry Kleinhenz said.
While London says it’s entirely possible the animal control van struck the cat, he adds the social media claims that the animal was intentionally killed make no sense. All the animal control officers have reputations of being animal lovers, London said.
“The whole process is that we are trying to protect the animals the best we can, ” London said. “Nobody wants to harm an animal. Certainly nobody in their right mind.”
The TNR program is certainly controversial, with many animal rights activists saying that returning stray animals to the same location they were picked up is not humane.
However, it was the Bartholomew County Humane Society who approached the commissioners in early 2021 to request a TNR program, London said.
In response, the commissioners changed a ordinance to honor the Humane Society’s request. Along with the outlawing of so-called puppy mills, the TNR program was approved on Sept. 20, 2021.
“It’s a very successful program that has been around for a long time,” London said. “It was available to the city of Columbus for years. Prior to that, it was a state law that made Trap-Neuter-Return available in all Indiana mobile home parks.
The reason for taking the animals back where they were found is because dogs and cats are territorial, the commissioner said.
“It’s very common that when one disappears from a territory, it creates a vacuum that one or more animals will fill in immediately,” London said. “With the natural reduction through the spay and neuter program, there are fewer litters and the number of feral cats is reduced.”
