Feral cat supporters from the Pittsburgh area have sent letters
to Bradford City Hall, urging city council to support a
Trap/Neuter/Release program in the city – and allow the citizens to
continue caring for the animals.
In a span of about five hours Oct. 31 – the day the city’s Board
of Health was meeting to set a hearing time for Ron and Cathy
Langella and for Siglinde Vanderhorst, all of whom were cited for
creating public nuisances by feeding and caring for feral cats on
their properties – at least eight letters were faxed to City Hall
to the attention of Mayor Michele Corignani.
The letters were from representatives of at least two animal
rights groups, the Homeless Cat Management Team and Fund for Feral
Cats.
And one was from a professor of psychology at Duquesne
University, who extolled the virtues of those who are kind enough
to care for the feral animals.
“I am writing in response to information that your community is
considering banning the feeding and housing of roaming cats,” wrote
Dr. Anthony Barton. “Please do not proceed with this plan. It will
not actually reduce the overpopulation problem, and if anything,
will make the cats more desperate and troubled.
“As a practicing psychologist for over 50 years, I can testify
to the fact that if you have people in your community who feed and
house homeless cats, that simply means that you have compassionate
and kind people who are trying to reduce unnecessary suffering.
“The opposite are those who want to turn a blind eye to such
pain. Interestingly, areas in which animal neglect and cruelty are
practiced or promoted are also areas in which child neglect and
abuse occur,” Barton wrote.
In fact, earlier this year, McKean County Children and Youth
Services Director Duane Wolfe told The Era that McKean County has
been ranked highest in the state for per capita instances of child
abuse for at least the past three years.
Barton’s letter continues, “Neglecting helpless creatures
promotes an atmosphere or callousness and indifference to life, and
without intending to create this effect, banning the caretaking of
innocent and abandoned creatures actually promotes implicit and
explicit cruelty.”
He ends by giving his cell phone number, welcoming further
consultation and explaining he considers it his duty to “encourage
compassion to humans and animals.”
A letter from Lisa Lendl-Lander, president of the board of
directors of the Homeless Cat Management Team, calls the nuisance
citations barring the Langellas and Vanderhorst from continuing to
feed the cats “inhumane and unconscionable.”
“If the cats are not fed and provided with shelter, they will
move elsewhere, become sick and die. The sight of sick and dying
cats would be very bad publicity for your community,” the letter
states.
Lendl-Lander also strongly recommends a Trap/Neuter/Release plan
for the city, saying the colonies of cats will eventually die out
because they can no longer breed.
Several other volunteers from that organization sent similar
letters as well.
A letter from Sally Caldrone of the Fund for Feral Cats states
the organization will provide information and locate organizations
in this area that may be able to help.
“Where is your heart?” Caldrone asked in the letter. “Please let
it be on the side of ethical solutions – spay neuter is the
answer.”
A letter from another member of Fund for Feral Cats, Michelle
Dunn, states that Bradford should no more fine people who feed
feral cats than those who have bird feeders.
“Bradford does not fine resident who feed wild birds, which can
attract rodents, raccoons and bears, which can become a public
health issue,” Dunn wrote. She also advocated the
Trap/Neuter/Return program.
The Board of Health will hold a hearing beginning at 6 p.m. Nov.
13 to consider an appeal in the Langellas’ and Vanderhorst’s
cases.
