Best Friends Animal Society releases statewide TNVR poll

​Overwhelming support amongst Republicans, women, and Hispanics
Community cat with ear-tip in front of a chain-link fence
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Best Friends PR Team prteam@bestfriends.org

AUSTIN - Today, Best Friends Animal Society released the findings of its statewide poll of Texas registered voters on the topic of Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return (TNVR) programs, which are utilized to control the outdoor cat population without unnecessary killing of the animals.

The poll was conducted by Ascend Action, in collaboration with Griffin Communications, and revealed 80% of Texans support TNVR in their local community with 62% indicating strong support.

Republicans, female, and Hispanic voters were revealed to be among the strongest supporters.

Registered voters, including these key demographics, also overwhelmingly believe that TNVR does not constitute a form of animal cruelty or abuse (73%).

Currently, a request for opinion is before Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on whether these essential population management programs conflict with criminal cruelty statutes regarding the unlawful abandonment of animals.

Best Friends Animal Society submitted a 65-page packet to A.G. Paxton that included a detailed legal brief, peer-reviewed studies on TNVR, and a letter from the criminal statutes' primary author in support of TNVR.

Nineteen Texas municipalities, local governments and animal care, control, and sheltering organizations signed onto Best Friends' submission to A.G. Paxton.

Laura Donahue, Senior Director for External Affairs, Legislation, and Advocacy, commented on the statewide poll's findings:

"Texans intuitively understand that TNVR programs are good for their communities and good for their community cats, and do not constitute cruelty or abandonment.

When the nonprofit and private sector collaborate with local governments to administer TNVR programs, we can effectively control the outdoor cat population without unnecessary killing."

To view the critical results of the poll, please click here.

For interview requests on TNVR or the pending Attorney General opinion, please email Elliott Griffin at elliott@griffincomms.com.

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About Best Friends Animal Society

Best Friends Animal Society is a leading animal welfare organization dedicated to saving the lives of dogs and cats in America's shelters and making the entire country no-kill. Founded in 1984, Best Friends runs lifesaving facilities and programs nationwide in partnership with more than 5,000 shelters and rescue organizations. From our headquarters in Kanab, Utah, we also operate the nation's largest no-kill animal sanctuary — a destination that brings our mission to life for thousands of visitors each year. We maintain the most comprehensive animal sheltering data in the country and make it accessible to the public — empowering communities with critical insights into the needs of their local shelters and how they can help. We believe every dog and cat deserves a home. And we believe that, by working together, we can Save Them All®.