Last week I received an email from Martha Kathan of No Nonsense Neutering concerning a Bern Township woman who is being told after taking care of a feral cat colony for over 10 years that she must stop feeding and trapping them to be spayed or neutered and allow them to starve so they may be caught and euthanzied. The woman’s attorney feels the more people that show for the trial on January 27th, the better the chances are for her and the cats. The following is the email I received. Hopefully Alley Cat Allies will get involved with this case.
Cindy Wise of Bern township has been working off and on on a feral colony in her neighborhood since 1999. Through the years she and her daughter have sterilized and adopted out tons of cats. A neighbor down the street was the mayor for 45 years – he was very supportive of the trapping and could testify to the number of cats Cindy has saved. However, he has passed away and since then Cindy no longer has an ally in her corner. Another neighbor is trying to sell his home and is complaining that the cats are ruining his chances of selling – he is saying that the ferals are defecating on his lawn (in the middle of it and not covering it up and people are stepping in it) [ ? ]. Hence Cindy has received a citation.
In 2010 the colony stood at approximately 30 cats. That is the year she started taking her ferals to you (NNN). Since just that time alone they have adopted out at least 30 kittens / cats – 20 of those through CatWorks (the group I volunteer for). All those 30 kittens / cats have been sterilized and are happily living in inside-only homes. Cindy has sterilized and released 5 ferals. Currently there are 4 additional ferals / strays that they have been unable to trap. So the total colony “today” is nine (9) – 5 sterilized, 4 they can’t catch.
This week Cindy had a meeting with the council and it did not go well. The council told Cindy that TNR is wrong and that everything the CatWorks, NNN and other TNR groups advocate is wrong. She was told to stop feeding the cats altogether and they will dissipate. They also said that once the cats are no longer fed the council will be able to trap them because they will be starving and then the cats will be removed and euthanized. Cindy explained that in the past when they did try to stop feeding the cats, instead of going into the traps, the cats went into the neighborhood garbage cans. At that point more cats kept coming onto the block, they started fighting and mating and the cycle continued. Only by continuing to feed and TNR are they able to keep the population down to its current number. The council refused to believe it and the case is going to trial.
The trial is currently set for Friday, January 27th at 10am.
The address is: 7191 Bernville, Rd, Bernville, PA 19506-8624
It’s the PA Magisterial District Court – 23-3-07 with Judge Andrea Book.
Cindy has an attorney who said that the more people who could show up at the trial, the better. With the trial being set on a week day not many people will probably be able to show up.
Do you think everything the Cat Works, NNN and other TNR groups advocate is wrong? If so, what do you suggest other than killing all of the cats? Post your comments.