It’s been years of cat-astrophic destruction in the Lincoln and
Rockland avenues section of Bradford, residents told Bradford City
Council Tuesday.
It’s been two years since those residents asked council for help
with their feral cat problem. At Tuesday’s council meeting, the
fed-up residents told council again to do something about two
neighborhood women feeding dozens of feral cats – or else.
“I’ve been patient,” said Leo Carney, a retired city police
officer. “I understand the city has cat licenses that are two years
old … and worthless.”
In 2004, city officials voted to purchase licenses for cats as
well as traps to help residents remove unwanted feral cats from
their property. However, an ordinance was never adopted requiring
licenses for cats, as Mayor Michele Corignani explained Tuesday
that the city has no enforcement mechanism.
At that time, Corignani explained, the city had met with SPCA
officials, who did not want to take over enforcement of the city’s
animal control. City Clerk John Peterson explained the SPCA is a
county agency responsible to more than just the city.
Carney went on to say that he and other residents are worried
about the increasing numbers of wild animals, the mess they leave
behind and the danger they present to the residents – especially
children.
“This one lady (on East Main Street) says her cats are spayed
and neutered, then these other cats must be coming by immaculate
conception,” he said. “There’s three sets of kittens there now. I
caught 11 cats in 11 days on my property.
“I have nine grandchildren,” Carney said. “If one of my
grandchildren gets bit after the number of times I’ve been here,
you’re going to see a lawsuit that will make your head spin.”
Al Pascale, a Lincoln Avenue resident, said there are as many as
50 feral cats being fed by two women – one on Lincoln Avenue and
one on East Main Street, whose backyard borders the Carneys’.
The smell in the neighborhood is sickening, the residents told
council. There is cat feces everywhere and neither woman claims
responsibility for any of the damage the cats cause in the
neighborhood, the residents said.
“We shouldn’t have to live like this,” Carney told council.
Councilmen Tom Riel and Dan Costello each suggested the
possibility of the city employing a part-time animal control
officer who would be paid from fines levied in whatever manner the
ordinance sets forth.
“Pet owners need to be responsible,” Corignani said, adding that
she didn’t disagree with the feelings of the neighborhood
residents. “Neighbors need to be responsible. How do you make your
neighbors responsible for their actions?”
“Make those people who feed the cats responsible for them and
fine them,” Pascale suggested. “I thought that’s what we agreed on”
in the 2004 meetings.
Peterson said the city needs to speak with SPCA officials again
to see if the city does employ an animal control officer, will the
SPCA take in the animals caught. “We’ll talk to them as a
sponsoring agency,” Peterson said.
Corignani suggested another alternative – checking into the
nuisance ordinances in the city to see if the people feeding the
animals are violating health or safety regulations.
Carney said between the pigeons in the neighborhood – “the cats
are too well-fed to chase the pigeons” – and the number of cats,
“You’re either walking around on a minefield or you are getting
bombed.”
Another big concern, he said, is the increasing number of coyote
tracks in nearby Oak Hill Cemetery.
“Those cats are bringing them in,” Carney said, adding the
coyotes are a big danger to the community. “It can get worse,
believe me.”
Corignani asked solicitor Mark Hollenbeck to check into the
nuisance ordinances, and Peterson to check with Kane Borough, which
had a cat ordinance in place in 2004. The two will gather
information and report back to council, which will then decide what
to do about the issue, she said.
“I will come to every meeting you have until this is taken care
of,” Carney warned.
