You did it! You filled up all the spots in less than a week due to high demand! There is a long waitlist, however, we encourage you to call as openings may become available before surgeries begin in September.

FREE Spay & Neuter for cats and dogs of residents of zip codes:

78959 - Waelder & 78632 - Harwood.

We are also offering FREE Spay (only) for cats & dogs of Cost & Bebe residents.

Must show proof of low income. See details on how to apply below - or access the Waelder application here.

City Updates Cats Regulations

Gonzales City Council voted on March 14 for a new Animal Control ordinance that legitimizes the Community Cats’ role in our city and facilitates retaining our “no kill” status. Here are some highlights:

- Community cat means a member of the domestic species Felis Catus and shall mean a free roaming cat who may be cared for by one or more residents or the immediate area who are known or unknown; a community cat may or may not be feral.

- Community cats are not wildlife.

- Community cat caregiver means a person who, in accordance with a good faith effort to conduct a policy of trap-neuter-return, provides care, including, food, shelter or medical care to a community cat. Community cat caregivers are not the owner, harborer, controller, or keeper of a community cat.

Animal-at-large or stray definition now specifically excludes cats. They are no longer required to be on the owner’s property or be wearing a collar or tags. And that means that the owner/caretaker should be even more diligent about ensuring their cats are “fixed” and have a current rabies shot.

TNVR or Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return now includes ear tipping, removing 3/8 inch of the cat’s left ear, and microchipping. If your cat is scooped up in a TNVR mass trapping, that will probably be the outcome. So, if you know of planned trapping you may want to keep your personal cats inside that night.

Home quarantine is now approved for animals on rabies observation hold. That will be a big help financially for the owner since the pet will not have to be boarded. The home quarantine area must be consistent with public safety as determined by the Animal Control Officer.

Kudos to Kingdom Rescue and their partnership with the City of Gonzales for making these much needed and most appreciated changes!

Click HERE to Read New Ordinances

And remember: If we were all
good neighbors,
we wouldn’t need laws!

It’s KITTEN SEASON! A reminder that babies you find likely have a mom nearby...

Attention Rescuers: When you find baby kittens, rabbits, deer, whatever and you don’t see the mother…..don’t just scoop them up and assume you are rescuing them. Usually Mom is about 10-20 feet away and watching you kidnap her babies. Please be careful: In kitten season (now) we receive kittens about twice a week who are well fed and healthy and clearly had a Mom taking care of them. The best thing to do is to move the babies out of the road if necessary and then check back in an hour. Do not handle the babies or let the kids do so. Mom may reject her babies if they have a “wrong” scent. Let Mom have a chance to get her babies. We do our best to take care of the orphans we receive, but reality is that their survival chances are cut in half when they lose Mom too early. And thanks and congrats to the people who give Mom this chance and then rescue the babies if necessary.

As of January 1st, 2024, FOGAS is no longer managing the Gonzales Cat Shelter.

Kingdom Rescue, dba Gonzales Pet Adoption Center will take over management. They can be found on Facebook or reached at 830-333-9006.

FOGAS will continue to be an active non profit in the community - seeking grants, sponsoring various animal care initiatives, education and more.

Wondering About the New Animal Laws
put into Effect in 2023?

We will begin sharing information from the Texas Humane Legislation Network (thln.org) regarding important changes in Texas animal laws enacted by the Legislature in 2023. Let’s look at some of the bills – and what impact those bills will have on Texas animals.

First up is House Bill 3660 - T-N-R is Not Abandonment. Confusion began in 2022 regarding T-N-R efforts over whether Trap-Neuter-Return (T-N-R) of unowned community cats should be considered “abandonment” under the Texas animal cruelty law (Texas Penal Code §42.092 - Cruelty to Non-livestock Animals). T-N-R is widely regarded as a humane method of stabilizing the feral cat population by humanely trapping them, transporting them to veterinary clinics for sterilization and vaccination, then tipping their ear as a sign they have been treated. T-N-R programs save thousands of Texas cats from euthanasia annually, and the prospect of prosecuting T-N-R providers for abandonment threatened to end successful programs across the state.

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"HB 3660 updates Section 42.092(a) of the Texas Penal Code by defining a "Trap-Neuter-Return Program" as a means of nonlethal population control and adding a defense to prosecution for returning T-N-R cats to their outdoor homes. As a result, the law now clearly distinguishes between abandoning an owned companion animal versus releasing a T-N-R cat." The legislature is clear -

T-N-R is not cat abandonment!

Next up, we will discuss the Safe Outdoor Dogs Act, which went into effect January 18, 2022, and what it means for an outdoor dog.

Under the new Texas law – Texas Health & Safety Code 821.101 – a pet owner “may not leave a dog outside and unattended by use of a restraint unless the owner provides the dog access to adequate shelter, a sturdy structure that provides the dog protection from inclement weather (including rain, hail, sleet, snow, high winds, extreme low temperatures, or extreme high temperatures).

Unlawful restraint of a dog is a Class C misdemeanor, punishable by a $500 fine, unless the owner has a previous conviction in which case it is elevated to a Class B misdemeanor, punishable by up to $180 days in jail and a $2000 fine.

This new law updates:

**Requiring safe restraints. The Safe Outdoor Dogs Act strikes the use of chains. Other means of restraint, such as cable tie-outs, may be used so long as they are correctly attached to a collar or harness designed to restrain a dog.

**Defining adequate shelter to protect dogs from extreme temperatures, inclement weather, and standing water. Previously, there was no definition for shelter, thus tethered dogs routinely perished from exposure.

**Requiring access to drinkable water. Before the Safe Outdoor Dogs Act, state law did not include this vital requirement.

To Note: Officers can take immediate action for tethered dogs in distress from now on. There is no longer a warning and a 24 hour wait period.

(The Safe Outdoor Dogs Act does not apply to dogs who are:

Attached to a cable-tie out or trolley system.

Camping or using other public recreational areas.

Herding livestock or assisting with farming tasks.

Hunting or participating in field trials.

In an open-air truck bed while the owner completes a temporary task.)

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Adopting and Caring for a Low Vision or Blind Cat

We believe that every cat deserves a chance at a happy, fulfilling life, even if they have low vision or are blind. With patience, care, and a safe environment, these cats can thrive and enjoy life just as much as any other cat. Check out siblings Price & Pria - they're still looking for their furever home!

Click Here to Learn More

A Closer Look at Community Cats

We’re shining light on Community Cats. Between us, FOGAS and our community, we've been practicing the key elements of the Community Cats movement for almost 20 years. We plan to "borrow" a series of articles from rescue industry thought leaders to help all of us......cat lovers and "not so much" members of the community.......to help us constructively manage our feline members.

A Closer Look at Community Cats ~ Click Here

The Vacuum Effect ~ Click Here