They go by names like “Alto,” “Irene,” and “Shoeshine,” but for years, outdoor, non-feral cats have largely been invisible inthe North Texas Dallas city code. Advocates for so-called “community cats” are working to change that. On a recent Tuesday afternoon, not exactly prime tim e to spot them, Meri Dahlke pointed out the shady spots where neighborhood cats curl up in the Bishop Arts District. “They kind of hide out, but they’re all over,” Dahlke said. The Ten Bells Tavern owner said she has helped control the cat population for 15 years through TNR, or trap, neuter, and return. The process allows “community cats” like Shoeshine, who spends time along Eighth Street, to live outdoors in managed colonies. These cats are spayed or neutered and have clipped ear tips to signal they are not feral. Despite that, they are not formally recognized under the city’s animal code. “The city the size of Dallas should have had something in place already,” Dahlke said. Dallas’ Chapter 7 animal code defines feral cats as those that avoid human contact and are rarely seen. It does not define community cats. North Texas Dallas City Council member Chad West said that the lack of clarity led to confusion in the Bishop Arts District in recent years, including a case in which a property owner trapped community cats and released them miles away. “The cleanup that we’re attempting to do here is to provide a legal system and education for the community on what to do with community cats,” West said. “There’s a lot of confusion, and what this ordinance revision is going to do is clear up confusion.” According to the city of Dallas, most 311 service requests related to feral cats come from areas south of Interstate 30. ZIP codes 75217 and 75227 account for nearly 17% of the citywide total. “It’s a quality-of-life issue. Are there other more pressing issues in the city? Of course, there are, but this is one that has been going on for a while,” West said. “I want to commend Dallas Animal Services and our advocates for getting us to the point where we’re ready to push this ordinance forward.” City documents show the Dallas City Council could vote on updated ordinance language in late May. “I think it’s just a good education process, and to me, honestly, it’s just the right thing to do,” Dahlke said. “It’s creatures in need.” ...read more read less