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Published Tue, Feb 07, 2012 02:00 AM
Modified Mon, Feb 06, 2012 07:16 PM

Cats and protection

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Tags: news | opinion - mailbag

Regarding a Feb. 2 article, I find it disturbing that a Wake County Animal Control Officer would use his uniform and "the law" to intimidate a woman to trap the homeless cats she was caring for so that they could be killed. This woman was participating in the program called TNR, discussed in a recent N&O article.

All the cats in the area were in the process of being sterilized and vaccinated against rabies. The cats no longer reproduce, and the rabies-vaccinated cats offer a layer of protection between wildlife and the human population.

Wake County Animal Center euthanizes about 70 percent of the cats that enter the shelter. In December, 55 percent of the cats entering the shelter were "feral," and 100 percent of these cats were euthanized. These cats occupy space that could be used by adoptable cats.

Every municipality and county in the country that has seen their live release rates from shelters increase have adopted TNR as the way to stabilize the outdoor cat population. Wake County animal control officers should be helping the citizens and animals in our county, not intimidating citizens and not using taxpayer money to trap and kill cats that pose no threat to the community.

Melissa Anderson

Garner

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