Monmouth County SPCA Gets $25,000 To Expand Trap, Neuter, Release

EATONTOWN, NJ — The Monmouth County SPCA, headquartered in Eatontown, received a $25,000 grant in November to fund TNR (Trap, Neuter, Return) in surrounding towns.

The first grant was awarded in 2019 and the shelter was awarded a second grant in 2020, thanks in part to its "meticulous" reporting on how the first round of founding was spent, said a shelter spokeswoman.

The grant has already funded the trap/neuter/release of 229 outdoor cats in Monmouth County, preventing thousands of new cats from being born in the wild over the next several years. Every cat trapped is spay/neutered, microchipped and vaccinated, both decreasing the population by preventing breeding and giving the cats a healthier, more enjoyable life.

After being assessed, cats deemed feral are returned to the community to live in managed colonies while “friendly” stray cats are put up for adoption at the Eatontown shelter.

The Monmouth County SPCA is a leader in the state when it comes to using trap/neuter/release for feral cats. It can now grow the program, the agency said.

The awarding of this grant is unprecedented for shelters in New Jersey and the Monmouth County SPCA is proud to be the first organization to receive it, not once, but twice. The securing of the grants are largely attributed to the hard work of the area's state Senator Vin Gopal (D-NJ 11).

“As Executive Director of the MCSPCA, I am thrilled that our organization, with the help of Senator Gopal, has forged this road in regards to the community cat issue. Government partnerships with animal welfare organizations, like the MCSPCA, are the right formula to effectively and humanely bring community cats under control. Both the public and the cats will benefit from such an alliance,” said Ross Licitra, director of the Monmouth County SPCA and newly elected Monmouth County Freeholder (Republican).

"I am happy the state renewed grant funding for MCSPCA's TNR program. This program is the most humane way to control feral cats, to make sure they are fed and cared for, and to ensure they cause less trouble in municipalities," Gopal said. "With this funding in place, the MCSPCA can work to significantly decrease the feral cat population in Monmouth County over the years, and simultaneously help save the lives of animals.”