‘Paws off the streets’: Nashville leaders meet over animal overpopulation

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Davidson County shelters and rescues are overflowing with dogs and cats.

In response, city leaders held their sec o nd meeting this year to address what some are calling an “epidemic.” Davidson County foster volunteers told News 2 that the time to find a solution is quickly running out.

“If we don’t do something about the spay and neuter situation here in Davidson County and all of Tennessee, we are going to have a really significant problem,” foster with Critter Cavalry Rescue , Dawn Myers, said.

Dawn Witherspoon fosters three litters of cats with Critter Cavalry Rescue.

“It is kitten season, so that tends to cause numbers to grow,” Witherspoon said.

She catches and fosters stray cats. Many animals enter her home sick or injured, nor have they been spayed or neutered. Witherspoon added that if she and others at the rescue did not pick the animals up, the cats would likely die.

“They are just in need and they need advocates out there to help get their paws off the streets,” Witherspoon said.

In what is being described as a “code red,” Critter Cavalry Rescue volunteers said that shelters are overflowing and nonprofits are feeling the brunt of it.

“On a daily basis, Metro can be just slammed full — just busting at the seams with animals,” Myers explained. “They are not able to find homes for those animals. … There are more animals coming in, so they will reach out to their rescue partners.”

One volunteer and foster with Critter Cavalry Rescue, Vivienne James, explained that she has six dogs as a result of those calls.

“Dawn’s got ten, I think,” James added. “Dawn’s got a lot of cats because there was nowhere for them to go.”

On Monday night, Metro council members, representatives with Metro Animal Care and Control (MACC), and animal rescue nonprofits met for the second time since January to discuss ways to reduce animal cruelty cases in Davidson County.

“We have people moving here every day,” District 19 Council Member Jacob Kupin said. “So the resources are spread really, really thin. We have limited ACOs [Animal Control Officers] to go out to take calls, and obviously, we love our animals. It’s really important to me to be able to provide those resources to our city and to our animal care and control to address these concerns of a growing population.”

City leaders discussed creating opportunities for lower vet bills while making veterinarian care more accessible.

“I get a lot of phone calls, especially around kitten season, of people who have found a cat and say ‘You know this stuff, what do you do?'” Kupin explained. “It would be nice to have a centralized guide for that.”

Kupin added that the more people are interested in a given topic, the higher it lands on the priority list.

“As we get closer to budget season the importance of folks in the community that really care about this coming to council,” Kupin said. “Our public comment allows for people to speak on whatever is on their mind.”

Kupin told News 2 that they went over a previously conducted audit of MACC’s numbers. Following a study and a review of current funding, a new Nashville rescue facility could be on the horizon.

“We can’t take a breath yet with the rescues,” Witherspoon said. “It is still just going to be around the clock and around the work day trying to care for the animals.”

The next Metro Council Pet Working Group date has not yet been announced.

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