Dallas is taking steps to better manage its stray cat population by updating city code language that, for decades, has left a significant gap: feral cats are defined, but community cats – the friendly, managed outdoor cats many neighborhoods know by name – are not recognized at all.
Dallas’ Chapter 7 animal code defines feral cats as those that avoid human contact and are rarely seen. It does not define community cats. That distinction matters practically and legally, and advocates say the omission has caused real problems on the ground.
Dallas City Council member Chad West said the lack of clarity led to confusion in the Bishop Arts District in recent years, including a case in which a property owner trapped community cats and released them miles away. “The cleanup that we’re attempting to do here is to provide a legal system and education for the community on what to do with community cats,” West said. “There’s a lot of confusion, and what this ordinance revision is going to do is clear up confusion.”…