Love and Light!

On Saturday morning I went to a conference sponsored by Lollypop Farm Humane Society held at the Nazareth College's Arts Center.  Made me wish I was back in school again.  Oh, to be that young again, and carefree... what would I do over again, and what wouldn't I do?

Anyway, the conference, entitled 'Animal Crimes Investigation and Prosecution:  An Inside Look' featured several prominent members of our community.

Sandra Doorley - Monroe County District Attorney
Hon. Richard Healy - 7th Judicial District,Wayne County Court (LOVE THIS MAN)
Sheriff Patrick O'Flynn - Monroe County Sheriff's Office
Dr. Cristina Cadavieco - Medical Director, Lollypop Farm
Alice Calabrese - President and CEO, Lollypop Farm
Reno DiDomenico - Director of Law Enforcement, Lollypop Farm

The conference, for the short time I was there (I had to leave early for a yoga fundraiser my co-worker put on for me with a gorgeous couple who's mantra? is Boho Beautiful, if you want to Google it.  These two beautiful people traveled all the way to Rochester  (they travel the world doing this) to put on a yoga class for over 40 people (the room barely even holds 40, it was crowded!, and donated the proceeds toward my rescue!) was very informative.  By the way, what an honor to have this famous couple here, just for me!  I wish I could have stuck around for pictures with them, but I was late to deliver little Catty to his new home!  His new name?  BOO!  Pictures were taken, I will try to find some and share tomorrow.

Impressive!  The problem?  No one was there to represent the City of Rochester.  No one from Verona Street Animal Shelter, no police chief, no mayor.  The other problem? Not one word was mentioned about cats.

They began describing the differences of cruelty, and the first speaker Judge Rick Healy began his story thanking his ex-wife for his love of animals.  They got a puppy when they were married, the marriage didn't work out, but he was left wiht the house and the puppy/dog.  It was love at first sight.  He went on to say that from that point on, he looked at animal cases differently.  He used to be the district attorney in the county before becoming a judge.  He went on to describe some of the cases he prosecuted and mentioned one in particular.  A man and woman - not sure if husband or wife - had an argument, and the woman had three children aged 5, 6 and 8 or something like that.  They had a fishtank with goldfish in it.  The goldfish were named by the children, this was their pets, the fish.  The argument ensued, and the man called the children out to the living room where the fish tank was.  He proceeded to knock the tank over, and one by one, the fish spilled out of the tank.  He lined the children up, and then proceeded to step on each fish, one by one.  That 'man' was sentenced to four years in prison for murder.  Can you imagine the horror of this?  Thank God for Rick Healy.  We need to clone him because there aren't too many other judges like him.  Animals are just possessions to some people, and to other judges they are 'just an animal.'  Why get so worked up about it.

I deal with my own type of animal cruelty each day with what I do.  On Melville Street, on a VACANT LOT, I've had four shelters removed and/or destroyed.  There are about half a dozen cats there, along with three or so kittens.  I began TNRg there in the spring time when I saw so many cats in this spot.  I recently rescued Marbles from here.  I also rescued Martie - the all white cats recently.  The man next door was kind enough to not say anything about the bowls I placed under the tree, on the VACANT lot.  His name is John.  Well, for some reason, he doesn't want me to feed these cats anymore, on this VACANT lot.  He destroyed two shelters at first, and then when I moved them away from his area, to the other side, in some weeds, he, or someone, destroyed those.  Just removed them.  And the lean-to boards that covered the food I laid down for them.

The VACANT house on Ferndale CRescent and Webster Avenue - I've been feeding behind this house for years, shelters and all.  I've fought with Crazy Marilee and had the police there because of her removing the food, and getting in the way of TNRg.  And now I am dealing with a new neighbor a few houses down.

At what point does difference to the suffering of a homeless animal cross over into cruelty and abuse?  Simply removing food from an animal because you don't like its presence in your neighborhood goes far beyond indifference.   By itself that is bad enough, but to take the action of removing that food is an act of cruelty, and to take its only shelter, another act of cruelty.  And now I wonder, is this theft of property?  Do I have as much right to this property as the person removing my shelters? 

I have SO many questions on MY rights, and the CATS' RIGHTS.  I wish SOMEONE could HELP me, not just give me the law, HELP THESE CATS if only by giving them this tiny right to shelter and food.  These are mostly STRAY cats I am feeding.  The ferals only come out after I leave.  And I can count 100 - the ones I see and am feeding.  I've rescued OVER 100 cats this year alone!  I can't get them all, but at least they deserve shelter and food!

I could go on forever about this, but must get to work.

Think about it.  What can we do?  What defense do I have for these Melville cats?  I am going to continue on this topic tomorrow.

Have a nice day.

“Auschwitz begins wherever

someone looks at a slaughterhouse and thinks: they’re only animals.”