The top best 5 States are MAINE, ILLINOIS, OREGON, COLORADO and RHODE ISLAND. The 5 worst States are UTAH, ALABAMA, MISSISSIPPI, IDAHO AND NEW MEXICO. FLORIDA came in number 7. Way to go Florida. Rankings are based on a comprehensive review of each jurisdiction's animal protection laws, including over 3,000 pages of statutes. (This information was taken from the Animal Legal Defense Fund's Volume 41 Issue No, 2 Spring 2022 newsletter, The Animals' Advocate.)
This vet murdered "Tiger" a domestic orange tabby who was an elderly couple's pet saying it was a feral cat and, thus, okay to be murdered. It is horrendous that anyone, especially a veterinarian, would do such a thing. Even if "Tiger" was a feral cat (which he wasn't) feral cats are just cats who's home is outdoors. They live in colonies and have every right to live out their lives in peace. Being a feral cat doesn't give anyone a license to kill them. Alley Cat Allies, a not-for-profit organization advocating for all feral cats, has instituted a $7,500 reward for evidence of this evil act in the hope of prosecuting and convicting Kristen Lindsey. I sincerely hope she is convicted and punished. In the meantime, if she ever gets reinstated as a licensed veterinarian - I strongly suggest no one use her for their pets.
Call the Space Coast Feral Network (SPFN) Helpline at: 321-631-SPAY (7729) or go to their website: www.SCFNTNR.org
or fixacat.org
In 2019, the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act builds upon 2010 legislation and make acts of cruelty and abuse toward animals a federal offense. Violators could face felony charges, fines and up to seven years in prison. The PACT Act gives authorities additional powers to pursue abusers. The PACT Act is a tremendous victory in preventing and prosecuting animal cruelty in the United States.(taken from the Alley Cat Rescue Annul Report for 2019)
(Advice from "Last Chance for Animals:" www.LCAnimal.org)
Angel's Gate: www.angelsgate.org/
510 Archie Elliot Road
Delhi, NY 13753
Susan Marino: 607-746-9211
angelsgate_susan@yahoo.com
Feral Cats Being Killed Needlessly
FERAL CATS SHOULD NEVER BE TAKEN TO LOCAL SHELTERS.
Since Feral cats are not socialized they can't be pets and so can't be adopted. Since they are unadoptable, they often won't even make it to the shelter but are killed in transport. Even "No-Kill" shelters are unable to place feral cats so they will often transfer these innocent cats and kittens to another facility that will euthanize (read "kill") them. THERE IS ANOTHER WAY - READ ON:
What is the difference between a Stray and a Feral cat?
A Feral cat is an unsocialized cat. A Stray is a pet who has been abandoned by his/her owner(s) or who has strayed from its home and become lost. Stray cats can usually be re-socialized and adopted. A feral cat isn't socialized to humans, hence, is unadoptable.
Did you know that Euthanizing stray and feral cats doesn't work?
Trapping and killing only temporarily reduces the number of feral cats in a given area. Unsterilized survivors will continue to breed rapidly and other cats will move into the thinned territory since ore food an shelter opportunities will now exist for them. This is called the "vacuum effect."
Why will new cats move into this territory now?
Because feral cats select their territories based on sources of food and the availability of adequate shelter. If cats in the current territory are removed - new cats will come in to take advantage of the vacancies.
So what can be done? Is there a viable solution?
Yes! It's TNR or Trap - Neuter & Return. This has been proven to be the most effective and humane way to solve the "problem" of stray and feral cat colonies.
What, exactly, is TNR?
First, the cats within a colony are humanely trapped. Second, the cats are sterilized (neutered) and vaccinated. Finally, strays and young kittens are adopted into good homes while the adult feral cats are eartipped for identification and returned to their colony.
Then what happens?
Because the adult feral cats are neutered - they can no longer reproduce and so their numbers will gradually go down. TNR breaks the cycle of reproduction and, hence, lowers cat populations.
But don't these cats pose a high risk of spreading rabies?
Absolutely not. Rabies in the U.S. is a disease found predominately in wildlife. As Alley Cat allies has reported, "From 1990-2002, only 36 people died from rabies in this country, and not one of them contracted the disease from a cat."
Okay, but aren't feral cats sickly and diseased?
Again, no. That's another myth. As Alley Cat Allies aptly puts it, "Scientific studies show that feral cats in managed colonies generally enjoy the same good health, fitness, and low occurrence of disease enjoyed by pet cats."
That's great news. But what about those beautiful birds and other wildlife that these cats prey on? Don't these cats cause massive wildlife depletion?
This is another myth. Again, as quoted from Alley Cat Allies, "Numerous studies by government and environmental groups indicate that the overwhelming causes of wildlife depletion are destruction of habitat due to human development, man-made structures, chemical pollution, pesticides, and drought, not feral cats." So if you want to point a finger - the finger points back to us humans.
Are there any other benefits to having a TNR program in my community?
Economically, it costs a lot to impound, house, kill and dispose of the bodies of feral cats. TNS costs 1/3 to 1/2 less than "trap & kill" procedures since it doesn't require continuous trapping and killing which also becomes an upending budget expense.
Plus, trapping and killing stray and feral cats is generally not supported by the community.
Since TNR is a more effective, humane, popular and economical method of solving the problem it should be the policy of every community. Also, it has been shown that more people can be enlisted to help with trapping cats, thus, lowering costs even further.
Sounds good. How can I help?
First, go to Alley Cat Allies at https://.alleycat.org and educate yourself about the options. Then educate your neighbors and use your voice to insist that your community support and follow TNR policy.
LET'S STOP THE NEEDLESS KILLING - NOW!!!
REMEMBER: Feral cats aren't homeless - their home is just outdoors.
Cecil the Lion was named after Cecil Rhodes. On July 1st, 2015 he was lured out of Hwange National Park and murdered by Walter Palmer after suffering some 40 hours after Walter wounded him with an arrow and then finally being put out of his misery with a gunshot blast. While Zimbabwe has filed for Walter Palmer's extradition so he can be prosecuted for this horrendous crime, Mr. Palmer has resumed his dental practice. I strongly encourage everyone with any compassion at all NOT TO USE "Dr." Walter Palmer as your dentist. To my knowledge his practice is located at: 10851 Rhode Island Ave. S, Minneapolis, MN 55438. Let's not allow him to earn more money to use for having a good time murdering more innocent animals.SHAME ON YOU, WALTER PALMER!
ALDF.org/staterankings
FYI: The TOP FIVE BEST ranked states are #1 Illinois, #2 Oregon, #3 Maine, #4 Colorado & #5 Massachusetts. KUDOS
The WORST FIVE ranked states are #46 New Mexico, #47 Wyoming, #48 Iowa,
#49 Mississippi & #50 Kentucky.
What did Florida rank? #10
What did Texas rank? #11
Castaway Critters, the James A. Huehott Memorial Foundation - Similar to Petfinder, but also includes a State by State listing of Feral Cat Programs
The Humane Society of the United States: List of Feral Cat Organizations by State -
http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/feral_cats/tips/feral_cat_organization.html
Feral Villas (to purchase feral cat shelters and feeding stations): www.feralvilla.com
Alley Cat Allies (premier feral cat site and resource): www.alleycat.org
Animal Advocates of North Texas or AANT is a non-profit 501(c)3 association that was founded by a small group of shelter volunteers in 2008, who came together in order to assist shelters and rescue groups while advocating for animals in need. They provide monetary assistance, volunteer their time, help promote adoption events and encourage foster home placement. Their goal is to increase placement of shelter animals into good, forever homes and to decrease the killing of adoptable animals simply because the shelter is full and has no more room for incoming animals or because it can't provide the medical care an animal might need to survive and thrive.
Please go to their website at www.A-A-N-T.org for further information -or- e-mail them at animaladvocatesofnorthtexas@ymail.com
And remember, a generous donation will help them to:
Thank you.
PLEASE NOTE: if you click on a web address and it doesn't take you to to the page requested - please check the address. If it shows <br> at the end, delete <br> and try again.
In 2019, New York became the first state to ban the declawing of cats. The procedure can lead to lifelong pain discomfort, and behavioral issues in cats. It involves removing the first joint of the cat's toe, equivalent to amputating the tip of a person's finger. Cats can suffer from symptoms such as chronic foot pain, infection, arthritis and difficulty walking . With this ban, New York State joined numerous other cities throughout the country, such as Los Angeles and Denver, in promoting the humane treatment of cats nationwide.
(taken from an article in the Alley Cat Rescue Annual Report 2019)
ALL STATES SHOULD ENACT THIS LAW