HELP!!!!!!! URGENT ADVICE AND SUPPORT NEEDED
I have just been advised that our Mairie, along with a furrier (an animal trap/ ‘pound’ organization) is going to trap all of the cats in our village
We have a huge population that over the years volunteers like me have been trapping, neutering and releasing. We have all adopted cats but cannot take in any more. We continue to nourish and treat all the cats that remain in the streets and fields of our village.
I, for example, have 13 that live on my property but have four ferals that live outside, sleep in cat nests I built and come to my door to eat each day. They are unapproachable even after 3 years of caring for them. One remains unidentified and I have been unable to re-trap so as to take her to the vets
All cats will be taken to a centre, apparently the furrier will contact owners of those with ID and we will then have a set period of time to collect them – but we must pay for each animal reclaimed
Animals unclaimed will be killed or sent to laboratories (an employee of Pierre Fabre has secretly told me that their labs will receive unclaimed animals)
I am not only outraged but very worried about the number of feral and alley cats that we have managed to neuter and nourish but that remain at risk as they were trapped before it became a legal requirement to tattoo or chip. Furthermore we do not have enough cash to pay to have them released if they are trapped
What’s more, this ‘trap/kill’ program has been launched by our Ajointe Maire. This gentleman lives up the road from me and has always been very vocal about his dislike of cats.
He has been seen shooting cats in the village or attacking them with a baseball bat. Last year I rescued a kitten; a neighbor saw him beat the animal and when we managed to catch her we discovered he had broken her pelvis.
He denied doing anything, we have no proof and the witness was too scared to ‘porter plainte’.
His position in the Mairie has prevented local residents from taking a stand as they are too afraid. I am not afraid of this man but I need people on board to stand up to him
I really really need advice and support on this – the whole idea is abhorrent and makes me sick to the stomach
My questions are
Is this really legal? If so, are there any French or European laws that might provide a loophole?
How can I put enough pressure on my Mairie to finance a trap/neuter/release program rather than this barbaric idea? Our Mairie claims lack of finance – a load of rubbish as they are continually putting money in to other local causes as well as the village associations
Word is that the SPA will be running this project…..am stunned that the French SPA would go for this rather than trap/neuter/release. Is it true that the SPA would be willing to kill animals rather than trap/neuter/release?
Who are the best associations/activist groups to contact? How can I make so much noise that it becomes too embarrassing for the Mairie to support this……bearing in mind local elections are not that far off?
Would any of you animal lovers be prepared to sign my online petition – even though this is not in your area it could happen to you too?
How can we help people financially if they do not have enough money to pay to recuperate their animal? I spend hundreds a year on my rescue cats but if any get trapped there is no guarantee that I could pay the ‘release’ fee…..same applies to other cat rescuers here who are already financially sucked dry by cost of food, vets bills etc. Are there organisations that might be able to help cat owners in this position?
I have very little time to react and would appreciate any advice or comments you may have
Thank you
