Trap, neuter and release program underway

MILTON — In November, Milton found an organization to help implement a trap, neuter and release program for feral cats. Since then, A HOPE for Santa Rosa County, founded by Brandi Winkleman, has built a cat colony and released seven cats after the TNR process.

HOPE stands for health, outreach, prevention and education. The organization works with the mission statement, "To educate our community on responsible pet ownership of companion animals and proper care for community cats through providing low cost spay/neuter/vaccine services, rescue support and community outreach programs, leading to the prevention of unnecessary euthanasia in Santa Rosa County."

HOPE works with cat colony caretakers first, learning how many cats are in the colony and their condition.

"Then we start the trapping process," HOPE founder Brandi Winkleman said. "That can take a week to do."

HOPE then transports the cats to a clinic in Panama City for spaying or neutering.

"We leave at 7 a.m.," Winkleman said, "and we’re back by 4 p.m."

The caretaker then holds the cats at home for 24 or 48 hours, for males and female cats, respectively.

The city provides limited funding to help HOPE’s cause within city limits, according to Winkleman, but she wants more caretakers to contact the nonprofit.

"We want people to come forward…and receive the help we’re trying to offer them now," she said.

Caretakers can register their colony at www.catstats.org/ahope4src, Winkleman said. There, they can request help with medical issues, spaying and neutering and find materials and resources.

"It’s a way to show the county and city we’re keeping it organized," Winkleman said. "It give sus a map of where everybody’s at."

The current colony HOPE built is behind the brick building at the intersection of Highway 90 and Stewart Street.

This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Trap, neuter and release program underway