Think before you kill!

Please tell people to think before they call and complain about a homeless animal. Under NJ law, a shelter is only required to hold a stray for 7 days.
Those 7 days may be the last 7 days of a cat or dog’s life.
What will your pet be doing in the next 7 days?
Will he be taken for walks with you in the park? The dog in the shelter will be in a small crate alone.
Will your dog get fresh water several times a day? Will the shelter water get soiled?
Will she sleep next to you in your bed? Shelters are often unattended at night. The floor is often steel or cement.
What will your cat eat next week? Will the shelter cat be wishing for more food because she was too afraid to eat in the strange place?
Since my last post I have heard of a man brought to court and threatened with a fine because his neighbor complained about his cats.
Another person was planning on calling authorities in the same town because a “damn cat had kittens” on his property.
People have found so many reasons to be intolerant of the creatures that share our planet. The stray cat had kittens. The deer ate the flowers. The raccoons tipped over the garbage and the squirrels ate the birdseed.
Do they take the time to watch the care with which the cat relocates her kittens or the doe nurses her faun? Do they ever see the raccoon washing her food or the squirrel opening the nut?
We sit for hours in front of computers and televisions while a whole world with fur and feathers whirls around us.
In a few weeks, while we are reaching for repellants, some intricate choreography will occur. A graceful team of ants will be unfurling the petals of our peonies.
Think before you call. Think before you kill!

The Promise

Strider, my feral,
brush away the frozen tear.
I promise you spring.

A war is raging on the feral cat front. Whose side are you on?

My town published a warning, a policy that forbade feeding stray or feral cats.
According to Alley Cat Allies this ban on feeding is a growing trend in the nation.

Another town, nearby, is planning on killing their neighborhood ferals and strays. One wonders if they will catch a few pets in the process. (This is one of many reasons that you should not let house cats out.)

Many of us on the other side believe in a Trap Neuter Release policy as a humane solution.
Most mainstream animal protection societies support this solution.
Some towns just want them dead.

The claim is that some of our neighbors want a solution to, “the problem” , the problem being those 7lb. creatures that are usually so frightened of us that they freeze or starve rather than approach us.

It’s a battle. It’s politics. So if you love animals but view politics as something that you would rather leave to others, you’re missing the point. You are desperately needed.

If I’ve inspired you, please reach out to me. If you disagree with me, give me another chance to persuade you.
I’ve heard it said “Saving one animal won’t change the world, but surely it will change the world for that one animal.”

I say, “We will change the world for all animals, one at a time.”

Remember about 70% of homeless cats and kittens are euthanized.
You have the room, you have the time, or you have the money.
You are the solution.