Last week a hearing was held in Bernville because of a local woman was feeding feral cats which I had previously written about here. I had planned to attend and had been asked to speak on behalf of the TNR community but wasn’t able due to unforseen cirucmstances.
From the Reading Eagle article- “Bernville police filed nuisance citations against neighbors Stephen Wise and Margie Clay, both of the 200 block of Garfield Road, for feeding a colony of nine feral cats and thus encouraging the animals to remain in the area.””But before a scheduled hearing Friday, District Judge Andrea J. Book called everyone into the courtroom to announce that the case would be postponed for 60 days to allow for discussion between residents and Bernville officials.””The agreement allows the residents to continue feeding the cats with no constraints for 30 days. After that, cats could only be fed if they were contained in a live trap that captures animals unharmed.” According to Martha Kahan, president of No Nonsense Neutering (NNN) any remaining cats will be taken to the ARL to be destroyed unless they are removed to a rural area. The Humane Society doesn’t accept feral cats.
Bernville is now considering adopting a feeding ban for stray and feral cats. This has caused many to be outraged including Martha. I asked Martha her thoughts about the outcome since she not only possesses the expertise on this paritcular subject, she has been involved with TNR since 2004 in the Lehigh Valley. Before I discuss her reaction, I did ask her if she felt the problem between the neighbors in Bernville was more deeply rooted in other issues other than the cats for it to reach this level. Martha reiterated my thoughts and says most times it isn’t about the cats but about each other which is then taken out on the cats who are forced to pay a price for the people’s warfare. Martha has been involved in conflict resolution when it comes to cats and neighbors for years.
I spoke with Becky Robinson, President of Alley Cat Allies and had asked her prior to the continuance if Bernville should create a situation that these people must get rid of the cats, wouldn’t this have the potential to be problematic for future similar circumstances? She told me what I already suspected that it could be a potential problem-maker. If Bernville adopts a no feeding ban for stray or feral cats, this can set up a scenario where other townships follow suit. That is why Martha Kahan states that a TNR campaign has to begin now in Berks County.
Stray and feral cats are created by people who are forcing others to clean up their messes. There are many dedicated people who are helping these victims who now may be punished. Talk about illogical thinking. Anyway, off-track.
First, the residents of Bernville MUST CONTACT THEIR COUNCIL MEMBERS, via email, phone or letters (snail mail) and let them know they do NOT support a feeding ban in their borough, according to Martha. If the officials aren’t aware of what the residents feel, they will be making a biased decision without the consideration of the people who voted for them.
Mayor: Gail StoudtCOUNCILPresident: Danny Strunk 610-488-6202P.O. Box 331, Bernville, PA 19506Vice President: Michael Rioux 610- 488-0969Member: Randy Copenhaver 610- 488-9359Member: Joseph Lionti 610- 488-7260Member: Gene Weatherholtz 610-488-1303Member: James Gabel 610-488-0950
Martha explains how TNR reduces the number of cats:
“Will people dump cats? Yes. Will people leave a cat behind when they move? Yes. Been doing it for years. Those folks looking for an easy way out have been with us and will always be with us. But there are many, many rescue groups here in Berks that work to see that friendly cats get an inside home. Outside cats should remain outside. That’s their home and we need to recognize as a community that they can live well outside. The #1 cause of death for cats, friendly or feral, is people at an animal shelter! The statistics are astounding that 72% of cats( friendly, feral, adult or kitten) entering the shelter system are destroyed. Here in Berks the number quoted to me is over 600 cats a month! And all of this killing has NOT resulted in fewer cats. TNR is a permanent solution-no more breeding, no more cats being born. The first step to reduce killing is to NOT take a feral cat to an animal shelter! The next step should be that shelters do NOT accept a cat in a trap. TNR will replace it. Berks Humane Society has been doing a good job of informing the public about this. Bring a feral cat to us and it will be destroyed. They give the callers NNN’s number for TNR information. ARL as the animal control shelter is NOT obligated to take feral cats from communities. Cats will not suddenly over-run Berks because ARL no longer takes feral cats. The 3rd step is to ask decision makers to endorse TNR for feral cats, done by volunteers and paid for with private donations.”
Martha and others feel TNR IS the future if communities are to reduce the cat overpopulation that plagues them. She said it is realistic and a non-lethal manner in which to accomplish this goal. Martha says it is imperative that Berks County start a TNR campaign NOW because of what is happening in Bernville.
Martha’s bottomline about TNR is “EDUCATION, EDUCATION, EDUCATION.” She feels people in Berks need the tools “to understand they have options other than killing.”
NNN has successfully spayed/neutered over 15,000 feral cats in four years!! Quite an accomplishment. NNN opened a low-cost spay/neuter clinic in Berks County last year.
Martha relayed the second part of what must be done in Berks County to have a successful TNR program in place. Once again, in her own words:
“The second prong approach in this campaign HAS to be to meet with ARL to ask them to stop taking trapped cats and destroying them. Simple. If people dont have a place to take them to kill it gives us a chance to educate about TNR. Will people shoot them? Maybe. Poison them? Maybe: Been going on for a long time. But it is time to say that between Fairchild Foundation (which also offers low cost spay/neuter services) and NNN we can fix thousands of ferals next year and that will begin the process of population control in Berks. This can help ARL with their tarnished image with animal welfare folks in Berks too.”
It will take teamwork, educating the public about TNR and dedicated people to help reduce the cat overpopulation in Berks County that so many complain about in our region.
Question is “What will you do to help with the cat overpopulation? Will you help or be the one who complains?
Share your thoughts on this post so we can eradicate this problem instead of resorting to the senseless killing of thousands of cats each year in Berks County. We need you to be part of the solution and we are open to your ideas. I am asking you to please share this post with others. It is important that we work together.
Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success. Henry Ford