Members of Coplay’s Feral Cat Committee met at Sam Owens Restaurant Sunday to bid farewell to William Leiner Jr., who founded the organization and has served as its president. Leiner is stepping down because of time commitments with his elected position as a Whitehall-Coplay School District School Board member.

In his final report to the committee, Leiner covered some of the committee’s accomplishments in 2015.

“During the year, we had four feral cats spayed and sent four kittens to Peaceable Kingdom,” he said. The committee could increase the number of spayed cats, but funds are limited.

“We get residents a good rate on spaying their house cats, and that has helped increase our profile in the community,” he said.

The committee’s Trap Neuter Release (TNR) Program has received recognition in the Lehigh Valley for its effectiveness. The feral population has diminished in the borough since using TNR and with volunteers feeding the spayed cats.

“We work to be humane in our treatment of these animals,” Joan Jacoby, who has been a member of the committee since its inception, said.

“We still have a lot of work to do,” Leiner said. “I received a call that there are 10 feral cats around Front Street. The committee needs to address the problem.”

“We can do so much more if we had more volunteers and more funds,” Jacoby said. She asked that the borough set up a cat shelter in the borough.

“People are throwing animals out because they can’t take care of them,” she said.

The committee set up the Thaddeus Foundation to accept donations. The foundation was named for a stray that Jacoby nursed back to health. Thaddeus served as a mascot until his passing.

“We have a lot of support. We get a lot of calls. But we have a problem attracting volunteers and sustained funding,” Leiner said.

At the meeting, the committee elected officers for 2016. Kimberly Fitzpatrick will assume the duties of secretary. Joan Jacoby will continue as treasurer.

Dennis Gery, one of the original founding members of the committee, not present at the meeting, is a candidate for president. He has been recuperating from an illness but expressed interest in renewing his committee work.

The committee also added Joseph Kirk as a new member.