Many wonderful rescue groups and TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return) volunteers in our community work closely with the West River Spay & Neuter Coalition to help reduce the stray and feral cat population. During these projects, friendly cats are sometimes identified as possible owned pets or cats that may be suitable for adoption rather than return.

When these cats enter our care, they receive full veterinary services before leaving us. This includes:

• Spay or neuter

• Microchip

• Distemper vaccination

• Deworming

• General care and evaluation

If you believe one of these cats belongs to you and would like to reclaim them, we do require payment of our adoption/reclaim fee to help reimburse a portion of the medical and care expenses already invested in the cat.

We also require all reclaiming owners to complete our adoption application and contract paperwork. Our cats are microchipped with our rescue remaining listed as the secondary contact on the chip for the lifetime of the cat. Owners are able to register themselves as the primary contact, however we do not remove ourselves completely from the microchip registration. This ensures that if contact information is ever outdated or forgotten, the cat can still be traced back to our rescue so we can help reconnect them with their owner. Because of this, we do require updated owner information to remain on file.

For community or “meal” cats that are returned to their outdoor homes after being altered and ear tipped (indicating the have been altered), caretakers often notice a significant decrease in roaming, fighting, spraying, and other mating-related behaviors. Many cats become more content staying close to home once they are spayed or neutered.

We appreciate the community working together to improve the lives of cats while helping reduce overpopulation in a responsible and compassionate way.

In Rapid City, SD

laws regulating cats are generally aligned with dog ordinances, meaning they are not permitted to run at-large and must be under control. Free-roaming, un-collared, or untagged cats may be impounded by animal control. Owners must manage pets responsibly, including preventing them from creating nuisances, with potential fines for violations.

Key Regulations and Information:

Running At-Large: The same ordinances applying to dogs also apply to cats they are not allowed to roam freely.

Impoundment: Animal control may trap and impound nuisance or at-large cats.

Feral/Community Cats: While specific city ordinances focus on control, state law allows for the abandonment of feral cats specifically for the purpose of spaying/neutering (Trap-Neuter-Return or TNR).

Responsibility: If you feed a stray cat, you may be considered the owner, making you responsible for vaccinations and sterilization.

Penalties: Violations of animal control ordinances, including allowing pets to run at large or creating excessive noise, can result in fines and impoundment fees.

For specific, up-to-the-minute information, contact the Humane Society of the Black Hills or Rapid City Animal Control