Petaluma's Feral Cats need your support

Feral Cat advocates in Petaluma need your support. Petaluma is known for trapping and killing their feral cats. Instead of implementing a Trap, Neuter, and Release (TNR) program, they would rather trap and kill. Since 1999, they have killed thousands of nursing mothers, leaving the babies behind to fend for themselves, and eventually were euthanized as well. Kittens of all ages, gender, and sizes, including adults were killed. The shelter does not discriminate when it comes to feral cats. They kill them all. In 2004, the Petaluma City Council voted on and implemented a dangerous and expensive ordinance that cost the taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars to enforce the ordinance. The City Council did this rather then accepting an offer from an authorized feral cat organization who has been around in the area for at least twenty years. Why would the City Council not take the feral cat organization up on their offer? We are not sure why. I wish that the taxpayers would wake up and ask that question to the city council member's who they voted for. The City Council member's who voted for this ordinance wasted taxpayers money by not implementing a humane program FREE that would have resulted in saving lives and money. Again, you have to ask, why did they not approve this program? Three member's of the city council who voted this in is still on the council (Healy, Torliatt, and Glass). Ask them for yourself why.

Here it is 2009 and the feral cat advocates revised the feral cat ordinance. It was presented it to the City Council on October 5, 2009 and once again, the same feral cat organization stood up and offered their services at no cost to the city or taxpayers. Did the City accept their offer? No they did not. Instead, the feral cat organization declined to move forward because the City of Petaluma has demanded the feral cat organization to have a million dollar liability insurance policy. That makes it impossible for any group to take such an expense on, and the city knows that. What damage has the cats done or the caregivers for that matter that would cause the city to demand this? We have asked that question, but no one will answer us. We are right back to square one again because the ordinance that was voted in 2004 demanded the citizens to register with the shelter.

The new ordinance says; if any citizen in Petaluma wants to TNR, they must either be an authorized feral cat organization, or register under one to feed or have feral cats on their property. The city knows that this will not work because back in 2004 when they passed the ordinance that gave the Petaluma Animal Shelter (PAS) permission to trap and kill, the city demanded that the citizens of Petaluma register with the PAS. In the past five years only one or possibly two colonies have registered. The rest of the caregivers who were feeding went underground and have never been heard from since. So why would the city do this again? Knowing very well that this will run people away, rather than encouraging them to come back? And how can this ordinance be enforced when (1) there is not a registered feral cat organization, and when this ordinance specifically states that citizens MUST REGISTER with a feral cat organization? How can the citizens of Petaluma register and obey the ordinance? (2) the city is nearly broke so how they can afford to enforce this? (3) And knowing that they can not afford to enforce this, why make this part of the ordinance?

Another issue: now that we do not have a feral cat organization and the City said they will not be "feral cat cops" to enforce the ordinance, what happens now? We all know that the cats will multiply without TNR. Is the city going to wait until we have to execute a "crisis management plan" by coming in and trapping and killing in masses like they did in 2004? If what you just read is are disturbing and you want to help, here are some suggestions.

(1) Come to the next City Council meeting on October 21, 2009 at 7pm located at Petaluma City hall and voice your opinion. This will be the 2nd and final reading and then this mess of an ordinance will be voted in.

(2) Send e-mails. Have your friends, relatives, co-workers and neighbors do the same. Here are the addresses: Mayor PamTorliatt: ptorliatt@aol.com, City Manager John Brown" jbrown@ci.petaluma.ca.us, City Attorney: edanly@meyersnave.com, City Council members: Teresa4petaluma@comcast.net, mike4pet@aol.com, david@davidrabbitt.com, mhealy@sbcglobal.net, daveglass@comcast.net, trenne71@hotmail.com, tiff@tiffanyrenee.com, and the person who wrote the ordinance, LT Mike Cook: mcook@ci.petaluma.ca.us.

(3) Read the recent article that was in Argus Courier last Thursday: http://www.petaluma360.com/atricle/20091012/community.910099915/1362/community01?Title=feral=cat=colonies-getcity-s-OK

(4) If you vote in Petaluma, reconsider voting for these people.

(5) Please help especially if you are an attorney, paralegal, etc. We are putting together a legal team so in case the city council votes this ordinance in and does not at least meet us half way, then we are going to take legal action against the city of Petaluma. We have no other choice but to care and protect our feral cats. The City certainly does not.