PENBROOK, Pa. (WHTM) — At its meeting Monday night, Penbrook Borough Council discussed how to handle a growing feral cat problem in the Dauphin County borough.

“This is something we know is a problem, and this is our fact-finding mission,” Borough Council President David Deardorff said.

Several borough residents and members of local nonprofits spoke in support of the borough doing a trap and release program.

Penbrook resident Paula Grunden has been trying to help by feeding cats to get their weight up so they can then be taken to the York County SPCA to get spayed or neutered and get a rabies shot. Grunden said recently police told her she needed to stop, or she would be cited. Grunden spoke at the meeting.

“There is no ordinance saying you can’t feed a cat and I can’t do a trap, neuter, and release,” Gruden said. “I will continue to do it because it is the right thing to do.”

Grunden told council members one of the cats she was trying to help had to be put down.

“I also disagree with the mothballs, and if it does go further I think there should be some action,” Robin Dry, Penbrook councilwoman, said.

“The one [kitten] died last week because somebody poisoned it with mothballs. That is against the law,” Grunden said.

Penbrook Borough council plans to move ahead with a trap and release program.

“I 100% support trap and release. I think that is a very good thing,” Dry said.

“Before too long I think we will have some program put into effect here,” Deardorff said.

After the meeting, several people signed up to help Grunden in her efforts to trap feral cats so they can be spayed and neutered.

“I am very happy that everybody — people I haven’t even met — came to show support and [the] borough council was very understanding,” Grunden said.