TNR related to pets.

Question

We recently had a cat that was both an indoor and outdoor cat. He was neutered, had a microchip, and front declawed (which is how we acquired him). One of our neighbors claims he participates in TNR and caught our cat once. We heard him meowing, and our neighbor rudely returned him, showing little enthusiasm. We recently lost our cat, and he never ran off. He wasn't hit by a car, and we believe nobody found him despite the chip. We are certain our neighbor caught him somewhere. Is scanning for a chip required in TNR? Or is this considered animal theft?

Answer

I am very sorry to hear about your cat. Cats are safer indoors, particularly cats who have been declawed. They lack the ability to defend themselves.

Texas law states: “As soon as practicable after an animal is placed in the custody of an animal shelter or a releasing agency as defined by Section 828.001, including an animal rescue organization, the shelter, agency, or organization shall scan the animal to determine whether a microchip is implanted in the animal.” It is illegal to steal an animal, abandon an animal, or mistreat an animal. If there is evidence that a person stole, abandoned, or mistreated your cat, contact the police, SPCA (society for the prevention of cruelty to animals), animal control, and other local entities that enforce animal protection laws.