Summer busy time for catching strays

Jeanne Barnes said in her neighborhood of Portales on South Main Avenue, stray cats are a problem to the point that she bought her own cat trap.

Alisa Boswell: Portales News-Tribune

Portales Animal Control Officer Wally Chambers demonstrates how to use a cat trap at the Portales Animal Control office. Chambers said the department's 15 cat traps are usually all rented out, especially during the summer when there is an increase in stray animals.

"We were using the city's and sometimes, they couldn't get us one, so we just got our own," Barnes said. "We catch more when there are females nearby in heat."

Barnes said until recently she was catching one to two stray cats a week in her traps.

Sgt. Wally Chambers of Portales Animal Control said up to 10 cats are caught in a week during the summer months in traps provide by the city.

Chambers said stray animal numbers increase in Portales in the summer months because it is the primary breeding season for cats and dogs.

"In winter time, we don't get many cats because I don't think they breed as much," Chambers said. "I'd say we have twice as many cats in the summer than in the winter."

Chambers said the shelter's 15 cat traps are usually all checked out by Portales residents, especially in the summer time.

He said cat traps can be borrowed for two weeks by a resident with no charge unless the traps are damaged and stolen.

He said the cat traps are an effective method of catching strays.

"If you put food in there, they're going to go in it," Chambers said. "Usually if people come get a trap, it's because they have a lot of strays in their area."

He said an occasional skunk or fox are caught in the cat traps, which have a mechanism on the floor that causes the trap door to close when an animal steps on it while trying to get to the food inside.

Chambers said the animal shelter also receives more litters of puppies during the summer.

He said with the increased stray animal numbers in the summer, also comes stronger enforcement of animal citations for roaming pets.

"Until people stop letting their cats outside to wander around, nothing's going to change," Chambers said of the stray animal problem in Portales. "In order to try to curve the stray numbers, we're going to increase our patrol hours and we're going to be issuing more citations."

Chambers said the maximum fine for animals is $189, which includes a fine for pets not having their vaccinations or being spayed or neutered.

"If you have people's animals are spayed and neutered and vaccinated, it makes it a lot easier for people to get them back, because it's less expensive," Chambers said.

Chambers said animal citations in general can range from $50 to $500, depending on the charges.

He said pet owners can also be fined for not registering their pets.

Chambers said animal control officers usually issue warnings for first offenses with registration, because many pet owners don't know they are supposed to register their pets.

"Right now we're just really trying to curb the stray population, so we're mostly issuing more dog-at-large tickets," he said.

Police Chief Jeff Gill said stray animals brought into the shelter are to be kept three days before being euthanized, according to law, but if the shelter has spare room, they will hold them a few days longer.