Thank you for your timely article on the trap, neuter and return (TNR) program that has been adopted by Point Pleasant Beach and Jackson.

Your article helps to expose the myth that a "shelter" is a safe place for any cat, not just ferals.

Certainly, it is not correct to blame the shelters for this situation.

The bottom line seems to be that the shelters are caught in the middle between an overwhelming tide of feral and stray cats and the limitations imposed by their funding sources.

It is time for other communities to step up and take responsibility for this deplorable situation by starting their own TNR programs.

As your article points out, it is more cost-effective to use TNR than euthanasia as a means of population control. It is a win-win situation for taxpayers and the animals.

Contact your local officials and bring this matter to their attention. After all, it is an election year.

Christine Nadell Plumsted Township