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| Squirt |
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| Riley |
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| Sydney and Joanie |
Kittens above need adoption! Getting them spayed and neutered very soon!
Moose from Melville, a boy, and Puma from Parsells, a girl, my two TNRs from yesterday morning spent the night on my porch and were released back to their hellhole 'homes' on the streets this morning. Little Puma was under a year. At least she won't have any babies, and Moose won't be able to produce them.
The meeting at City Hall yesterday went better than I
expected. They have formally informally agreed
to allow me to feed on the vacant lots – and I need to provide a list of those
to them. I agreed to place a sign on
each of my locations that states what I am doing, and my contact
information. The meeting was supposed to
have involved someone from the Health Department, and when we questioned as the
meeting began, they apologized and said they would reschedule the meeting, but
they wanted to continue with the meeting to wrap a few things up in the vacant
lot regard, as the Director, Bureau of Operations was at the meeting also.
She was very nice.
She was a great replacement for her boss, Norman Jones - Commissioner, Department
of Environmental Services. Not that he
is bad! She listened to us, and was able
to view the situation with a softer understanding for the plight of these
animals.
Another takeaway from this meeting was marketing and
advertising. I mentioned to the Director
of Animal Services that I saw an ad for dogs recently on television, and it
would be nice to see something like that for cats. Something that would click with people. Maybe show a clipped ear and why they have
it. Explain why its important to
co-exist with this overpopulation of homeless, throw away cats, give a suggestion
on how an individual can help, give information as to where a homeowner could
call if they wanted to help out an animal, such as a pregnant cat, or kittens. The Director mentioned that he had a small
budget and that the dog ad used up most of it, to which I looked at the
Communications Director and asked why and how can he beef up the budget for
this. He answered with a bunch of
reasons but did suggest certain marketing materials, like adding fliers inside
of water bills, RG&E bills, etc.
They could do something like that.
We also suggested having fliers to place on people’s doors in the
community explaining what we are doing, the need for what we are doing, to try
to make this situation a little better for them, and the cats.
I don’t think I am explaining the conversation very well - I am a little off today - but that’s kind of the outline of the meeting. I was also offered some free spay/neuter
services by the Rochester Animal Services so I will need to call them and find
out how I can get these vouchers. The
outline I brought to them had that suggestion, that this should be an ongoing offer
to help me. If I had more money and
slots to spay/neuter, I would do more than two a week. We need more action out there, and I can’t do
it alone. Would LOVE some help!
All in all, it was a good day, and I was able to get up this
morning, go out to the hundred cats or so that I feed, and know that some of
them would be safe where they are. Now I
need to work on the other half that are not safe. The ones I feed on vacant house porches.
UPDATE: Saturday Sheryl just sent me the following: Interesting.
State of New York
Department of Agriculture and Markets
Albany, NY 12235
Albany, NY 12235
ARTICLE 26
of the Agriculture and
Markets Law relating to CRUELTY
TO ANIMALS
§ 377-a. Spaying and
neutering of dogs and cats. 1. The legislature
finds that the uncontrolled breeding of dogs and cats in the state results in
an overabundance of puppies and kittens. More puppies and kittens are produced
than responsible homes for them can be provided. This leads to many of such
animals becoming stray and suffering privation and death, being impounded and
destroyed at great expense to the community and constituting a public nuisance
and health hazard.
It is therefore declared to be the
public policy of New York state that every feasible humane means of reducing
the production of unwanted puppies and kittens be encouraged.
So what does this mean???
Have a good day.
It is lack of love for ourselves that inhibits our compassion toward others. If we make friends with ourselves, then there is no obstacle to opening our hearts and minds to others.”
Janine,
ReplyDeleteGlad you made some progress at your meeting. Hopefully, you mentioned to Karen St.Aubin (Director of Operations) that you are friends with Karon. She owes Karon big time! Karon retired giving Karen the Directors position. Congrats once again on the progress you attained. Well done my friend.
Walt Simoni
I am very happy that things went well at the meeting for you today. Let's hope things work out well.
ReplyDeletePlease be prepared from a backlash by cat haters when fliers, etc., start reaching their doorsteps. Not everybody has humanity and compassion and their voices united may be stronger than yours. It happened in my community.
I am not trying to be a downer, just trying to give a heads up so you may be prepared in case of such an event.
Personally, I don't like the idea of giving the city a location of all your cat colonies. That doesn't sound good to me at all. I feel like the cats are sitting ducks.
Janine is only giving the addresses of the vacant lots she feeds the cats on - not her other addresses. She MUST give them those so that if the health dept ever contacts Karen St. Aubin's office again to remove shelters, Karen will know they are JAnine's and call her. I was at the meeting yesterday and KAren St. Aubin was very kind, as were the others. I did not get any vibe that they were anything but supportive of what Janine is doing. They said themselves " we will support you while you continue your work that is beneficial to the community". They value what she is doing - which is great to see. :) -Kristin
ReplyDeleteDid anyone read the article this past Sunday on the 19th Ward Community Cat Hunters? This is a group of about 20 to 25 people with the same goal of TNR as many cats as they can. Last year alone the caught 287 cats, adopted out 85, and released 202 back to colonies. They received grants to help make this happen. This is people working together for a greater good "The City" and the 19th Ward. It is not about 1 or 2 individuals getting the funding. Groups need to come together as 1, and make this happen for the City. You are right no one person can do this alone, however you are not alone you have plenty of your friends helping you, like your fosters, Saturday Cheryl that helps you, your husband, Walt that donates to the cause, Kristin is your right hand. You have many people helping you. Change takes time, and it is a slow process when you are wishing it would be tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteglad they said "reducing the production of" and not just reducing the number of..
ReplyDeleteIn order to get grants they have to be written and applied for. Anyone have grantwriting experience that can do that FOR Janine?
ReplyDeleteThe 19th Ward group is doing great things, and it was a good article. The more Feral Cat TNR info put out there to educate the general public the better. But I see a huge difference between that area and the area of the city that Janine is dealing with which makes her situation much more difficult. In 19th Ward there are at least 80 FEEDERS who continue to care for their colonies. The group TNRs and MANY other people (neighbors) care for the cats. A far better situation socioeconomically.