Thank you to everyone who helped support this 4-year process!
On Tuesday, October 28, the County changed the code that will help bring expanded Trap, Neuter, Vaccinate and Return (TNVR) to Prince William County. Funding has already been approved and the Animal Services Center vet suite will be ready to perform the spay/neuter surgeries in January. We just needed the county code to be changed to allow this program to move forward.
This change will reflect what is done in other jurisdictions already addressing the community (feral) cat needs. The goal is to spay and neuter the community cats so the numbers decrease, resulting in fewer cats are outside. This is good news for the cats, neighborhoods, wildlife, and our county.
A public hearing was held on October 28 in the McCoart Building, Board Chambers, 1 County Complex Court, Prince William, VA. Thank you to all who contacted the BOCS via email at [email protected] and told them you support this code change.
Board Agenda: Agenda
Code Change Information and Staff Report
Need more information, here is an excerpt from the County Staff Report: “In consultation with the Animal Services Bureau’s staff veterinarian, an estimated cost of implementing a County-supported TNVR program for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 was estimated to be $48,000, which was included in the Police Department’s FY 2026 budget. This will cover the costs incurred to provide the additional supplies for the potential spay/neuter of 600 cats and the inclusion of a screening of cats suspected of harboring infectious Feline Leukemia Virus (FELV) and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) to reduce the rate of disease in the community. The proposed program will provide two (2) full surgery days per month at the Animal Services Center, with approximately 25 surgeries performed per day. Under a managed TNVR program, each outdoor cat will receive: 1. Sterilization Surgery, 2. Rabies Vaccination, 3. Pain Medication, 4. Ear Tipping (a procedure that surgically removes the ear tip to allow for a quick identification from afar that the cat is sterilized), 5. Microchipping (required by the Prince William Health Department to identify those vaccinated, to be paid for by the caregiver at a cost of $10 per cat), 6. FELV and FIV testing when indicated (ensuring that any cat suspected of being infected with these deadly communicable diseases is not returned to the community)”