Miamisburg overturns animal trapping ban to combat stray cats

A ban on animal trapping has been has been overturned in Miamisburg.

The Miamisburg City Council voted Tuesday night to lift the ban as part of a proposal to alter its animal ordinance largely to address a problem with stray cats.

Aside from the rescinding the trapping ban, changes expected to be adopted Tuesday night include modifying the definition of owner and outlawing “reckless” outdoor feeding.

“You can’t just remove the cats from the environment,” City Manager Keith Johnson said. “Because if the food supply is there, more cats will come in behind them.”

The city sought the changes because “the public nuisance standards regarding animals must be better clarified,” according to the legislation.

A sizable part of the problem in the past has been Dumpsters in the downtown area that were not secured, allowing animals easier access to trash and discarded food, said Miamisburg Planner Ryan Homsi.

Overturning the ban on trapping animals is a step other municipalities have already taken, but one that Miamisburg has had on the books for more than two decades, he said.

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