In an effort to control the tri-counties’ stray and feral cat population, a London resident has worked with a trap-neuter-release program to neuter and spay more than 1,000 cats in the past three years.
Dylon Robinson, 27, started freelance TNR work in the tri-county area in May 2023 and soon became an official volunteer with Spay Our Strays, a nonprofit operation in Lexington. Alongside its TNR program, SOS helps provide supplies to individuals who look after feral cat colonies and relocate cats to farms and barns if needed.
Robinson said rural Kentucky has a “huge overpopulation crisis” for cats and dogs.
“I think a lot of that is due to a lack of funding (and) a lack of education,” Robinson said. “A lot of people don’t realize it’s a problem. I’ll be honest, I didn’t realize just how bad it was until I took a step into it myself.”
Spay Our Strays’ partner veterinarian Dr. Lisa Warren founded surgical clinic Focus Veterinary Care and the Veterinarians to the Rescue nonprofit group in Nicholasville to reduce the need for economic euthanasia including pyometra, a uterine infection unspayed strays can develop.
Warren said SOS brings 10 to 15 cats a week to her clinic where they are spayed or neutered, vaccinated for rabies and other viral diseases, dewormed, given three months of flea and tick prevention and have their ears cleaned and tipped. She said if a cat comes in with additional medical needs, Veterinarians to the Rescue steps in to provide for and relocate it with the help of other partnered organizations like Little Muffins Rescue in Richmond and Halfway Home Rescue in Lexington.
Spay Our Strays President Emily Evans said the cost per cat through the nonprofit is $59 and any coverage it is able to provide is on a case-by-case basis determined by financial inability. She said SOS has assisted in getting an estimated 100 cats adopted as indoor pets and 15 as barn cats in a year.
In February, Robinson made a post on Facebook celebrating 1,000 cats spayed and neutered because of his intervention. He said the number has increased to 1,115 as of the beginning of June.
“When I first started this, I never imagined I would have ever done this many or that I would even still be doing it,” he said. “I fell in love with it, and I’ve seen the difference it makes.”
Robinson said he often finds these cats through people reaching out on Facebook Messenger asking for help with strays they take care of or see in their area.
“I can’t help in every situation, but I certainly try to help wherever I can,” he said.
