DeBary City Council approves permanent ordinance for feral cat program
Councilmember Patricia Stevenson secured a permanent permit for the trap-neuter-release initiative after a decade of informal operations.
By Peter Graham ·
DeBary residents will see a formal change in how the city manages its free-roaming feral cat population. The DeBary City Council voted on November 8, 2026, to adopt a new ordinance that makes the trap-neuter-release program a permanent part of city policy. The measure codifies a process that has functioned without legal status for approximately 10 years.
The program operates through a specific permit system. Volunteers capture feral cats, transport them for surgical neutering, and hold them until they recover. Once healed, the cats are returned to the exact location where they were found. Central Florida Community Pet Clinic performs the surgeries. Staff at the clinic use a dedicated recovery area to manage the animals. They refer to this specific space as the Beach.
Robin McClintock, a volunteer with the program, described the daily routine. She stated that the team traps the animals and keeps them in holding areas for the duration of their recovery period. The clinic staff match each cat to its specific trap before and after surgery to ensure correct identification. This step prevents mixing up the animals during the treatment process.
Councilmember Patricia Stevenson initiated the partnership with the clinic. She noted that the program addresses population growth and reduces nuisance behaviors. Stevenson explained that informal feeding by residents often leads to overpopulation. She said the structured approach helps manage these issues more effectively than ad hoc care. She also credited a nonprofit organization she helped launch with increasing the volunteer base.
Stevenson indicated that the new organization structure allows for faster response times to cat requests. She said the group can now handle calls for assistance more quickly due to the expanded staffing. McClintock reported that volunteers have trapped 160 cats or kittens so far in 2026. This number reflects the volume of work completed under the current informal system.
Stevenson will leave her seat on the City Council in a few months. She said her involvement with the nonprofit continues beyond her term. The new ordinance marks the transition of the program from a volunteer-led initiative to a permanent municipal service. The city will now regulate the trapping and release process through the established permit framework.
