Bradford’s neglect of suffering animals is no longer going
unnoticed, reads a handwritten note at the bottom of one of 35 form
letters faxed to The Era in support of the Trap/Neuter/Return
method used by Ron and Cathy Langella to care for feral cats in
their neighborhood.
“Mandated animal abuse and the widespread neglect of suffering
animals and people in your community is no longer going unnoticed,”
wrote Carolyn DeForest, outreach director of the Homeless Cat
Management Team of Pittsburgh. “The world won’t allow it.”
The letters, all addressed to Era Managing Editor Marty Wilder,
state that it has come to the attention of the person sending the
letter that the Board of Health and Bradford City Council are
“intending to impose a ban on the feeding and sheltering of stray
and feral cats. If they do so, the city, itself, will be breaking a
Pennsylvania cruelty law by enforcing animal abandonment and
leaving helpless cats to die.”
The letters are in regard to an ongoing situation in the East
Main Street and Lincoln Avenue areas. The Langellas, who live at
236 E. Main St., and Siglinde Vanderhorst, who lives at 15 Lincoln
Ave., feed and care for feral cats from their homes.
Their neighbors have been complaining about the situation,
citing the smell from urine and feces pervasive in the area, the
cats wandering across many properties and various other problems
they say are the fault of those caring for the cats.
To address the complaints, the city Board of Health cited the
Langellas and Vanderhorst with nuisance citations, demanding they
stop feeding and caring for the cats on their properties
immediately.
The Langellas and Vanderhorst, all represented by attorney Ron
Langella, filed appeals to the citations. The first hearing on the
appeals was held Nov. 13, but ran longer than the allotted three
hours. A second hearing has been scheduled for 6 p.m. Nov. 27.
Since the first hearing, some local people, and more than 30
people from the Pittsburgh area, have voiced their opinions on the
feral cat issue. Local opinions have ranged from support for the
neighbors living with unwanted cats and the consequences of the
caretakers’ actions to support for the caretakers. However, the
comments from outside the area have been overwhelmingly in favor of
the caretakers.
Dr. Anthony Barton, a professor of psychology at Duquesne
University, wrote, “The more I learn of this scandal, the more
awful it is. That a municipality would force abandoning and
starving of animals and persecute people for kindness while going
against a state law and also ignoring the shooting of cats. What
happened to kindness, compassion to animals and humans?”
In an additional letter e-mailed to Wilder, Barton referred
again to allegations of someone shooting cats.
“I have heard from several sources that someone in Bradford has
been shooting cats and bragging about it to his buddies,” Barton
wrote. “I also understand that people are too afraid to come
forward, fearing for their own safety.
“I have personally found this a disturbing piece of news and
know that such violent behavior especially toward cats involves
also cruel attitudes in relationships with women and children. Has
anyone investigated this alleged crime?” Barton asked in the
letter.
He said it is against the law to shoot homeless cats or dogs in
Pennsylvania, as well as being callous and cruel.
Other comments on the form letters are as short as “please have
a heart and respect all life” and “remember the message you are
sending to the young people …” However, one Pittsburgh resident
attacks Bradford in her comments.
“Thank God the City of Pittsburgh isn’t this backward,” wrote
Mary Allen. “How about us giving this situation lots of news
coverage? Will this help you to realize how opposed people are to
this mindless cruelty?”
The president of the board of directors of the Homeless Cat
Management Team, Lisa Lendl-Lander, faxed a letter to The Era with
a handwritten comment on it, saying her letter was one of about 65
sent to Bradford Mayor Michele Corignani last week.
“I thought you might be interested in something that is working
well in Allegheny County,” she wrote.
Her letter, addressed to Corignani, describes Pittsburgh’s
Trap/Neuter/Return program and its successes. She also urges the
city to support the Langellas for their kindness and compassion
shown to the animals.
In addition to all the letters received by The Era and city
officials, the situation with feral cats in the city is being
tracked on a Web site for Best Friends Pennsylvania, an animal
rescue and support group. Contact information for city officials
and for The Era is posted on the Web site, along with messages
urging supporters to lend their support to those caring for the
feral cats in Bradford.
