Trap, Neuter, Return (TNR)

Nova Scotia SPCA Trap, Neuter, Return Program – 2026

After a thorough review of current and projected funding for 2026, the Nova Scotia SPCA has made the difficult decision to place the Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program on hiatus until 2027.

Over the past several years, the cost of staffing, medical supplies, and vehicle maintenance has increased significantly, while the availability of trappers, volunteers, and dedicated funding has declined. As a result, the program is not currently sustainable this year.

We want to express our sincere gratitude to the volunteers, partners, and community groups who have supported this work for a decade. These collective efforts have had a meaningful impact. Thousands of feral cats have been humanely trapped, spayed or neutered, ear-tipped, and returned to their colonies at no cost to the community. This work has contributed to the gradual reduction in the number and size of colonies across the province.

The mobile clinic itself was made possible through the generous bequests of the late Dr. Susan Roberts and Eleanor Dyke. We are also grateful to the municipalities, PetSmart Charities of Canada, the Summerlee Foundation, and other donors who have helped sustain the program over the years.

While the mobile clinic will not be operating for the remainder of 2026, we will continue to collect and analyze data to understand better where TNR support may be most needed in the future and estimate the costs associated. We ask communities to help us collect this information. If you are aware of a feral catcolony, please contact us at catcolony@spcans.ca.

We remain committed to working with partners and communities to identify sustainable approaches to supporting feral cat populations moving forward. If you are interested in discussing funding for an SPCA TNR program, please email development@spcans.ca.

Thank you,
Nova Scotia SPCA

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Pawsitive Partners

By working together with local rescue groups across the province we can make the most improvement in the welfare of the feral cat population through spay/neuter.

We are always looking to develop new partnerships to help us reach more areas and help more caretakers and feral cats.

We ask rescue groups to abide by the following protocols:

• Quick-release after surgery – Depending on the weather, cats should be released between 12-48 hours after surgery. The most common complications after a spay/neuter surgery are caused by stress. By returning them to their colony quickly we are keeping them as stress-free as possible.
• Cats must be released back to their home colony, unless you have secured a new caregiver willing to take them in and provide a transitional period and ongoing care, such as a barn home.
• The Nova Scotia SPCA does not test for Feline Leukemia or FIV for every feral cat.  This is in line with the position statement by Alley Cat Allies.  We believe that when dealing with limited funding the best action is to focus on spay/neuter services over other medical procedures.  Once a cat is spayed or neutered the chance of transmitting any illness is drastically reduced as these diseases are primarily spread through fighting or breeding activities – both of which are prevented through spay/neuter.
• The Nova Scotia SPCA will perform an ear tip for all cats trapped.  This is essential for visual identification of a fixed feral cat and is mandatory so we can save everyone time in the future once the cat is released.