Resources Archives — New Hampshire Animal Rights League

Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR)

The goal of TNR is to stabilize and gradually reduce the number of community cats, improve their health, and minimize behaviors associated with mating, such as fighting.

Trap — Humanely capture unowned cats using safe traps.
Neuter — Spay or neuter the cats to prevent reproduction.
Return — Release the cats back to their original location to live out their lives.

Some organizations try to find homes for any friendly community cats, rather than simply releasing them.

Alley Cat Allies and Neighborhood Cats are two national organizations providing resources and guidance on implementing TNR programs.

As of July 2024, the following groups are doing TNR in New Hampshire:

KITTY ANGELS

Headquartered in Tyngsboro, MA, Kitty Angels serves the North Shore, MA and Southern NH.

Operated entirely by volunteers, Kitty Angels is a no-kill shelter serving MA and NH dedicated to rescuing stray and abandoned cats, furnishing them with any needed medical treatment, and placing them into life-long, loving homes with compatible owners.

Kitty Angels does around-the-clock trapping and field work associated with the control of stray and feral cats, and provides foster care for animals that are sick or otherwise in need of special care and attention.

Cats are trapped, sterilized, vaccinated, ear tipped, and returned to the site where they came from. Friendly cats are placed for adoption.

Spicy Cats Rescue

Based in Exeter, NH, Spicy Cats helps any cat in need – from newborns to seniors – in the Seacoast Maine and NH area through rescue, rehabilitation, adoption, hospice, and TNR.

SEACOAST AREA FELINE EDUCATION & RESCUE (“SAFER”)

Based in Hampton, NH, SAFER serves towns from Portsmouth to Seabrook, and Hampton to Exeter.

After holding trapped cats for a week in case they are claimed, SAFER spays/neuters, provides any necessary shots and medical treatment, and microchips the cats.

Friendly homeless cats are placed for adoption. Community (feral) cats are returned to their original home.

SAFER sets up shelter and feeding stations for ferals, maintained by volunteers.
They report to have helped over 4,000 cats since they began in 1989.

Feline Friends of NH

Based in Salem, NH.

THE MERRIMACK RIVER FELINE RESCUE SOCIETY

Based in Salisbury, MA.

ANIMAL RESCUE MERRIMACK VALLEY

Based in Haverhill, MA. Those seeking help with trapping are asked to include the name, address, and phone number of the property owner where the cats are living or visiting.

ARMV has a limited number of humane traps and will only place them in locations where someone is able to check them frequently.

Mary Aranosian

Based in Concord, NH. Cell Phone: 603-848-4891

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) oversees the care of certain animals that have been granted protection under the Animal Welfare Act (AWA). The AWA defines the base level of care required by law.

Serious Animal Welfare Violations in New Hampshire

NHARL monitors inspection and annual reports for all USDA licensees and registrants in New Hampshire.

When we learn of serious animal welfare violations — Direct (immediate threat to health/life) or Critical (serious but not immediate threat to health/life) — we make an effort to respond with action alerts, protests, letters, and social media.

Date	Violation
2024	New England Ovis (licensed Breeder) — During a Jan. 6, 2025 inspection, the inspector found a faulty automatic waterer. Once it was fixed to provide adequate water flow, sheep were observed pushing to drink in turns for over 20 minutes, suggesting severe thirst.
2023	Squam Lakes Natural Science Center (licensed Exhibitor) — During a Dec. 7, 2023 inspection, this facility in Holderness, NH received a critical citation for an owl that suffered a leg wound due to an overly tight anklet, which ultimately resulted in the loss of a talon.
2023	UNH (licensed Researcher) — During a review of UNH’s 2023 Annual Report, a USDA inspector cited two violations related to drowning animals. View our Action Alert
2022	Dartmouth College (licensed Researcher) — 3 voles died after being left without food and water in a cage that had been moved to an unattended area.
2021	Squam Lakes Natural Science Center (licensed Exhibitor) — As a result of poor facility maintenance, a wild opossum entered the fox enclosure. Five days later, the fox died from an untreated bite wound that went unnoticed by staff.
2020	Living Shores Aquarium (licensed Exhibitor) — During a 2020 inspection, this aquarium in Glen, NH received two citations, the more serious of which resulted in an otter needing an injured limb amputated. Read our letter to the Conway Daily Sun
2020	Wildlife Encounters (licensed Exhibitor) — In March of 2020, an arctic fox, one of approximately 50 regulated animals kept at the Barrington facility, escaped his unsound enclosure (licensee had been told to fix) and exited the grounds through a gap in the perimeter fence. The fox was never recovered.
2017	Dartmouth College (licensed Researcher) — In March of 2016, 7 voles died and an 8th was euthanized due to poor health after they were left without water for 2 days, despite daily checks.
___	Inspection reports from before 2014 are no longer available

Animal CARE REQUIREMENTS

The level of care required under the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) is shockingly low — allowing, for example, animals to be caged 24/7 for their entire lives.

On top of that, enforcement is highly unreliable. Countless documented cases reveal welfare violations that have gone unaddressed and unpunished.

Under the Animal Welfare Act, a mother dog in a puppy mill can legally spend her entire life in a cage

Animals protected under the AWA include those used in the following regulated activities, with exceptions.

Regulated Activities

Exhibiting animals to the public
Dealing animals for use as pets (breeders not retailers)
Using animals in research
Transporting animals commercially

Broadly, the AWA covers all warm-blooded animals and birds (added in 2023), with the following exceptions:

Animals Not Covered by the Animal Welfare Act

Farm animals used for food, fur, or fiber
Horses used in biomedical research
Rats and mice bred for research*

Exempt animals are not granted even a basic standard of care.

* Estimates suggest that rats and mice account for 95-99% of all laboratory animals, yet they are not covered by the AWA.

Public Access to Animal Care Records

The list of all animal exhibitors, dealers, researchers, and transporters licensed or regulated by the USDA is publicly available on the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) page.

Inspection Reports

Government inspectors visit the premises of licensed and regulated exhibitors, dealers, researchers, and transporters to check for compliance with AWA standards. In most cases, inspections occur just once a year, leaving millions of animals vulnerable to unchecked neglect.

Inspection reports are accessible via the APHIS site.

Annual Reports

Along with being inspected, research institutes are also required to submit annual reports that include:

Number and types of animals used
Number of animals subjected to painful procedures who received anesthesia or pain relief
Number of animals subjected to painful procedures who did not receive anesthesia or pain relief (and the justification for this decision)

Annual reports are accessible via the APHIS site.

Filing an animal welfare complaint

Anyone with concerns about the care of an animal protected under the Animal Welfare Act may file an animal welfare complaint on the USDA web site.

Category: Resources

Helping New Hampshire Cats