From cat-and-mouse to catch-and-release: Costa Mesa embraces TNR after 7-year effort
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The long frustrations of Costa Mesa animal advocates over illegality of the trap, neuter and return (TNR) of feral cats appear to have at last come to an end.
It was hard for me, and perhaps others, to grasp that the humane practice, which helps tamp down the exponential growth of free-roaming feline populations, would be illegal anywhere. But Costa Mesa, until now, has had in place on its books a law barring the return of non-domesticated animals to the streets at large.
The city’s Animal Service Committee had been pushing for a change in the ordinance for over seven years, according to the Daily Pilot’s report by Eric Licas out of last week’s meeting of the City Council, when at last the effort met with success.
Until now, it was a cat-and-mouse game between rescuers who didn’t want to be caught running afoul of the ordinance.
“Rescue organizations at capacity and unable to take on more pets have been forced to continue the practice quietly and skirting the law,” Licas reported, linking to an earlier article by our colleague Sara Cardine.
The new law requires “rescue agencies register with the city for permission to sterilize cats found without owners and return them to where they had been living. Those allowed to do so must keep records of when and where the animals were found and any procedures that might have been performed on them,” according to the report.
The cats must also be checked for an ID chip and be vaccinated and marked on their ears to indicate they’ve been spayed or neutered before they can be released within the city’s boundaries.
“Progress on the TNR ordinance had stagnated, partly because the city had prioritized the establishment of brick and mortar facilities for its veterinary service provider, Priceless Pets. The latter effort has also stalled, with the city issuing a letter last month threatening to cancel the deal if significant progress isn’t made in the next two months,” according to the article.
But things are now looking up for the rescuers’ work on behalf of the feral kitties. And when they come across such felines who have not yet been “fixed,” they can get a discounted rate of $100 on that operation at Priceless Pets, Councilmember Loren Gameros, whose wife is a paid staff member with the provider, advised them.
Snip happens — and now it’s fully embraced for Costa Mesa’s feral cat community.
MORE NEWS
• Prompted by news that a former police officer had misused data collected by Flock automatic license plate readers to track the whereabouts of his wife, his ex-girlfriend and the latter’s boyfriend, the Costa Mesa City Council has called for an audit of the program.
• Elementary and middle-school students will not be allowed to ride e-bikes to Newport-Mesa Unified School District campuses following a decision of the school board.
• San Clemente voters will be asked to consider a 1% sales tax increase to fund coastal erosion and wildfire prevention projects after a citizen-initiated petition gathered enough signatures to put it on the November ballot.
• Santa Ana Police Department Cmdr. Jorge Lopez was in the hot seat last week when the City Council grilled him on the department’s response to a protest formed during federal immigration raids last June. Lopez was in City Hall to present a report submitted by Police Chief Robert Rodriguez that showed his department fired more than 200 less-lethal 40mm projectiles, about 60 bean bags and 35 chemical agent munitions during the protests.
• More than half of the stately eucalyptus trees lining Forest Avenue in Laguna Beach had to be removed for safety reasons by the city at the same time the area is being transformed into a pedestrian plaza, prompting some residents to protest.
BUSINESS
• Facial recognition technology is now being used at Disneyland park entrances, the L.A. Times reported Tuesday morning, but some privacy experts have raised concerns over the growing practice.
PUBLIC SAFETY
• The cause of the 205-acre Carbon fire that broke out in an unincorporated area near Brea at about 1:35 p.m. Saturday, leading to evacuations, remains under investigation. As of Tuesday afternoon, Cal Fire reported it to be 95% contained. In related news, in Mission Viejo Tuesday, firefighters were called to a 0.37-acre vegetation fire in the 38000 block of Hillcrest, dubbed the Arroyo fire, the Watch Duty app reported.
• Gov. Gavin Newsom last week announced several $50,000 awards to help close unsolved murders, including the 2019 slaying of 18-year-old Victoria Barrios in Santa Ana and the 1993 stabbing death of Alan Schwalbe, 61, in his Costa Mesa home.
• The O.C. district attorney’s office is investigating an incident Friday in Lake Forest, when sheriff’s deputies responding to a disturbance call opened fire and struck a man several times. The man was admitted to the hospital in critical condition.
• A 70-year-old bicyclist believed to have been preparing to turn from southbound Pacific Coast Highway onto Newland Street late Monday morning was fatally struck by a Subaru Impreza driven by a 20-year-old Huntington Beach man who had also been traveling south on PCH. The cause of the accident is under investigation.
SPORTS
• Although Mr. Irrelevant Week, a celebration feting the football player chosen last in the annual NFL draft has been held in Newport Beach every June for 50 years, Melanie Fitch said last week a big change could be on the near horizon. Some NFL execs have shown interest in having the festivities in the city of the team that made the last pick in the draft, Fitch, CEO of Irrelevant Week, said. This year’s Mr. Irrelevant is Red Murdoch, selected Saturday as the last pick of the 2026 draft by the Denver Broncos. Fitch said a couple of days before the selection was made that she “lived in Denver almost eight years and I like Denver, so it will be fun to celebrate with them if that’s the way it goes.”
• Coach Bill Sumner, a fixture in cross-country and track and field at Corona del Mar High since 1984, announced last Thursday afternoon he is retiring after 42 years.
• For the first time in the team’s history, the Huntington Beach High girls’ lacrosse team captured the Sunset League title after beating Edison High.
• Two locals, Bailey Turner and Parker Cohn, won the top titles at the Jacks Surfboards Pro event in Huntington Beach and collected their prizes on Sunday. The major surf contest had to be postponed Thursday afternoon when an aggressive 10-foot shark was sighted off lifeguard tower No. 3.
• Last night, after newsletter deadline, the Anaheim Ducks faced the Edmonton Oilers in Game 5, Round 1 of the playoff season. The Ducks were leading 3-1 in the series after a 4-3 overtime victory Sunday night.
LIFE & LEISURE
• A long-anticipated groundbreaking was held Saturday for a new sanctuary for St. Thomas More Catholic Church in Irvine. It’s expected the $30M structure will be completed in 2027.
• Another faith community with big news: Officials with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints welcomed media representatives Monday to announce an ongoing open house event at the newest Orange County LDS temple, located in Yorba Linda. The open house will be held from Thursday, April 30 through Saturday, May 23, excluding Sundays.
• Six students out of 41,000 applicants who participated in a Taco Bell scholarship program by making business pitches for the chain were surprised to be named Live Más Scholars and awarded $25,000 at an event held at the company’s Irvine headquarters. The finalists had expected only one of them would go home with the top prize, so it was a decidedly happy group standing on the stage when the awards were announced. The winners were Tristan Hightower, Katelyn Lewis, Ethan Cho, Victoria Vallin, Eliana Horn and Alyssa Moucka.
• The nonprofit that supports the OASIS Senior Center in Corona del Mar has established scholarships specifically for people who are pursuing a career in gerontology-related fields. If you know someone who would be interested, the deadline to file an application is this coming Monday, May 4. Applicants can apply through the Friends of OASIS website, friendsofoasis.org or send an email to scholarships@friendsofoasis.org. For more information call (949) 718-1800.
CALENDAR
• This Saturday, May 2, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., OC Parks is presenting Rancho Days Fiesta at Heritage Hill Historical Park, 25151 Serrano Road in Lake Forest. There will be craft workshops for kids, Native American and folklorico dancing, charro horse riding and roping demonstrations.
• Another fun outing for the whole family: Bowers Museum will celebrate Cinco de Mayo a couple of days early this year, on Sunday, May 3, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The festival will include live music, food and a special student art exhibition from young artists who attend schools in Santa Ana Unified. Admission is free.
• Over a three-day period next week, Sherman Gardens in Corona del Mar will be hosting events celebrating roses and Mothers Day. On Friday, May 8, at 10 a.m., a “Love Gathered” floral class is planned; on Saturday, May 9, at 10 a.m. “Beautiful Roses” class and from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., a “Rose Mosaic Coaster” class; Sunday, May 10, from 10 a.m. to noon, a “Mothers and Mimosas” crepe paper craft class.
• Race/LA, loosely based on TV’s “The Amazing Race,” is coming to Orange County for the first time in the next few weeks and it’s open to local participants. The race has two separate event dates, May 16 and May 23, and will involve clue-based challenges in locations in Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, Irvine, Fountain Valley and Tustin. Intrigued and ready to take on the adventure? To learn more, see this Daily Pilot/TimesOC article and register here.
KEEP IN TOUCH
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