FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO) – The Allen County SPCA announced Tuesday that it was rewarded mentoring services from the national animal welfare organization Best Friends Animal Society for its Operation C.A.T. – Cat Action Team program.

The program aims to help Fort Wayne humanely manage the area’s community cats.

The Allen County SPCA will sterilize and vaccinate free-roaming, unowned cats, and return them to their outdoor homes to live out natural lives without reproducing.

“This grant project targets free-roaming community cats at serious risk if they enter shelters,” said Allen County SPCA’s Jessica Henry in a press release. “It utilizes a proven solution, called trap/neuter/return or TNR, to save the cats’ lives.”

Fort Wayne is one of five cities nationwide where Best Friends is providing in-depth mentoring services to help launch community cat projects.