| Petaluma Feral Cat Site And A Ray of Hope for Petaluma Feral Cats |
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Petaluma
Feral Cats See the big cat that's killing endangered species and wildlife Relocating Feral Cats Mission Statement Cats Indoors **Important Meetings ** How you can help Other sites by Marcelle Guy Contact: elle@svn.net |
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October 7, 2009
Sadly, Petaluma remains
unfriendly to animals.
 Poor Cats!!!  Time for change on Petaluma
City Council
No seat on the Board of Sonoma County Supervisors for Petaluma City Council Members aspiring to run in 2010. Time for change! The
ordinance was postponed so many times - council finally voted
Monday, October 5, 2009. Again this council ignored the recommendations from the expert feral cat advocates and passed a bad ordinance. An ordinance designed to fail. The story Attention: Feral cat ordinance will be decided by Petaluma City Council, Monday May 18, 2009 7:00 P.M. Petaluma City Hall Come and speak for these homeless cats. 11 English Street Petaluma, CA 94952 phone: 707.778.4360 fax: 707.778.4554 email: cityclerk@ci.petaluma.ca.us I spoke to Petaluma City Council January 5, 2009. Below is what I said. Good evening Madame Mayor, Members
of the City Council, Mr. Brown,
I like to quote from famous people because it appears that my words are not good enough and perhaps you will pay attention to those who have lived - and at times have died for a cause. November 4, 1997 a letter I wrote and published in the Public Forum of the Petaluma Argus Courier began with these quotes: "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated." And: "We cannot have peace among men whose hearts find delight in killing any living creature." Quotes by Mohandas Gandhi and Rachel Carson. Right here in Petaluma we have failed badly when it comes to treatment of our animals and the last affront was just a few months ago when they demolished the Royal Tallow barns on Lakeville Highway. Barn cats and barn owls had made a home in the old barns and were found homeless when the barns were demolished. These two species have lived together for centuries and if one is a predator to the other it is the owl who may mistake a kitten for a rabbit. When Shollenberger Park docents learned of the homeless birds and cats, they built homes for the birds and killed the cats. To my judgment in Petaluma the worse animal cruelty offenders are city employees and a group supported by this city government. I began year 2008 by speaking of abuses to animals under the care of employees of this city and paid by our tax dollars. I gave a list to each on City Council, and one year later I have seen no modification. To let homeless cats breed and let them starve and forbid citizens from feeding these cats, to trap and kill them every year is not only unethical, I think it is criminal. This city will pay dearly for this lack of concern to care for our animals. These creatures deserve your attention and one year after I brought this to you, we are still waiting for your answer and performance. I understand that we are in an agricultural community but being agricultural should not be synonymous to cruelty to animals. It is time for this city to amend or rescind the 2004 Petaluma feral cat ordinance and to pay attention to those city employees who have any animals under their control. We have changed other ordinance for other items, but thus far nothing about any improvement to the lives of Petaluma animals. I ask you to have this ordinance on the agenda this evening for the next council meeting. Thank you, Marcelle Guy Let's pray and hope Petaluma Council members will do the right thing. Good News are Coming (We hope) In a statement
Petaluma City Council are asked to stop trap and kill homeless cats
until the ordinance is reviewed and a humane procedure is in place.
Mayor Torliatt's Response A Ray of Hope for Petaluma Feral Cats  To: Mayor
Torliatt, Members of City Council, City Manager.The musical
"CATS," the longest-running show in Broadway's history
grossed $380 million on Broadway alone and $3 billion worldwide.
In case you did not know, "CATS" was all about alley cats and homeless cats. There are far more cats as pets in America than any other pet. 63 percent of all households in America own at least one pet and Americans will spend about $40 billion on their pets this year. We love our animals in America. In 2004, the Petaluma City Council passed an ordinance drafted by Petaluma Animal Shelter Manager, Nancee Tavares and Petaluma Park Docents, Gerald Moore and Bob Dyer, banning all outdoor cats from most area of the City Petaluma. Cats have been trapped and killed by the hundreds ever since. The ordinance bans cats from all city parks and one block from each park - All wetlands and a ~ mile from the wetlands. The City of Petaluma is approximately 10,300 acres. Petaluma has 47 city-owned parks for a total of 260.5 acres. (App.) Adding one block to each of these parks and half a mile to wetlands, plus adding all the houses in Petaluma, (Petaluma population 59,600) all the buildings, the streets, roads and highways, leave no room for cats in Petaluma. By forbidding citizens from feeding cats in the city, Petaluma may be violating most States cruelty to animals' laws. Most U.S. States animal laws defined cruelty (in part) as: Fails to provide proper food, drink and shelter -- Deprives of necessary sustenance, drink, or shelter -- Fails to supply any such animal with wholesome air, food and water -- Willful neglect means the intentional withholding of food and water- Abandon any animal where it may become a public charge or may suffer injury, hunger or exposure. As I said before, a group of people is running the City of Petaluma because they have too many friends on this council. They lie, they misrepresent, give false information and this council continues to give them carte blanche. Ellis Creek and Shollenberger Parks as well as other parks in this city belong to all the people of Petaluma not just the select few. I am asking the City of Petaluma to stop and cease all trap and kill of Petaluma cats, including Shollenberger and Ellis Creek, until a humane procedure is in place. Marcelle Guy
 October 20, 2008 I am asking you and the City of Petaluma to put a hold on all trap and kill Petaluma cats until the ordinance is reevaluated. Could that be something that could be put for a vote by the Council? Please let me know.
Marcelle Guy
10/23/2008 Marcelle: We are trying to get this item to city council asap. I know John Brown (City Manager) is aware of the issues and will address the trapping if possible. Pamela Torliatt
 Vision
Our vision is to have a community where no kittens are born wild on the street, where no cat capable of living in a home is lacking one, and where no adult feral cats go wanting for food, water, and appropriate care and concern. CATS
INDOORS
A WORD OF CAUTION ABOUT "CATS INDOORS" CAMPAIGNS In 1997, the American Bird Conservancy (ABC), a well financed special interest group, fired the first shot in the war against felines with their "Cats Indoors!" campaign. After a slow start, the effort generated substantial results in 2003. The primary purpose of their lobbying campaign is the elimination of all outdoorcats- strays, ferals and pets. Indeed, they specifically recommend that homeless and lost cats should be captured and sent to local shelters, knowing full well that most will be killed. The Feline Resistance PRBO, (Point
Reyes Bird Observatory) is
a nonprofit organization dedicated to
advancing conservation through bird and ecosystem research. It was
founded in 1965 as Point Reyes Bird Observatory in Marin County,
California. PRBO relocated
their main office into the Petaluma, California Wetlands,
between Shollenberger Park and
Petaluma Ellis Creek Water Recycling Facility.
Here is what PRBO urge ranchers and farmers do to "control predators and pests:" "Use traps, not cats, to control rodents in hay barns and tack rooms. Keep cats indoors. Bells on the collar are not enough. " "Control mice and rodent populations by the methods suggested above eliminating the need for stable cats." "Reduce feral cat populations, don't feed strays and spay and neuter all house cats." "In other words, ABC and PRBO wants cats to disappear from the face of the earth. And in Petaluma, California they are trying to do just that." "I would never, ever, donate to an organization that promotes the killing of animals." Select carefully the organizations you donate to. Beware of organizations that promote "Cats Indoors." The primary purpose of their lobbying campaign is the elimination of all outdoor cats - strays, feral and pets. An example of these organizations are: The American Bird Conservancy (ABC) and Point Reyes Bird Observatory (PRBO.) PRBO main office is located into the Petaluma Wetlands between Ellis Creek and Shollenberger Park. City of Petaluma, California animal shelter management followed ABC and PRBO recommendations to draft an ordinance in 2004 and since then they have been killing thousands of innocent and homeless cats. BEWARE, this can happen in your city. I ask that you not give to organizations that call for "Cats Indoors" - until they unite with others and adopt a humane solution for all homeless cats in America. A
Home for Every Cat
Is our vision realistic? Our
vision is to have a
community where no kittens are born
wild on the street, where no cat capable of living in a home is lacking
one, and where no adult feral cats go wanting for food, water, and
appropriate care and concern.
Is our vision
realistic? Even in a perfect world it would take a long
time. Cities all around America are working at reducing the
homeless cat populations. Millions cats are homeless in America
and each city, county, state has
an obligation to treat these cats humanely while working together to
reducing the population. Killing cats year
after year is cruel and does not make common sense while they continue
to breed. Petaluma needs to join other cities across America and
endorse a trap, neuter, return program. (TNR)
Some organizations compaign for "Cats Indoors" is unrealistic, radical and cruel to all homeless and lost cats. These cats have been victimized already by being lost or abandoned and to call for all homeless cats to be trapped or left to die is appalling and distressing. I ask that you not give to organizations that call for "Cats Indoors only" - until they unite with others and adopt a humane solution for all homeless cats in America. Cats are
banned from most areas of the City of Petaluma by an ordinance modeled
after "Cats Indoors" organizations such as PRBO and ABC
 A
feral cat is a
descendent
of a family pet who became homeless by abandonment or being lost.
They should be trapped,
spay/neutered,
released (TNR) and
a person assigned to their well-being until they die a natural death.
These
cats are our failure to control the population and they deserve humane
treatment.
Cats under
my care were protected from busy streets by installing a
"cat fence." The cats had access to outdoors but could not get
out of the yard and could not climb trees. The cat fence also
kept other cats from entering the yard. I recommend a cat fence
for homes with cats.
Beware of organizations that promote "cats-Indoors only" Before you donate to an organization, read carefully what they stand for. If they promote the Cats-Indoors only, think twice before sending them a donation. "Cats-Indoors" propaganda is meant to kill all cats found outside. Don't buy into it. Fight this aggressively or soon we will have laws, "Cats Indoors Only" and rats and mice all over the place. Cats have rights, too! They have a place in our ecosystem. Be their voices and speak up for them. _________
City
of Petaluma Animal Services
Advisory Committee
Meeting: Wednesday August 6, 2008 7:00pm Lucchesi Center 320 No. McDowell Blvd Petaluma, California 94954 707-778-4396 Update: August 10, 2008 The subcommittee submitted their recommendations to Petaluma City Council. They recommend to remove 1/2 mile around the wetlands and one block around city parks. It is a small victory and now it is up to Petaluma City Council. August 27, 2008 According to Mayor Pamela Torliatt, the ordinance is not scheduled for consideration, and will not be on the Council agenda for September or October. So we are looking for a November or December and could even be a January 2009 decision with new council in place. Attention: Feral cat ordinance will be decided by Petaluma City Council, Monday May 18, 2009 7:00 P.M. Petaluma City Hall Come and speak for these homeless cats. 11 English Street Petaluma, CA 94952 phone: 707.778.4360 fax: 707.778.4554 email: cityclerk@ci.petaluma.ca.us Please spread the Little
Tabby's message 
 Right click on the banner or little tabby to save it to your hard drive and please link it back to: http://www.svn.net/elle/tabby.htm
 elle@svn.net |
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Other sites
By Marcelle Guy
Elle
on the Web Emergency Preparedness Don't leave your pets behind All About Petaluma Petaluma Sandalwood Estates The story Where
to . . . in Petaluma
Petaluma Sandalwood Estates Mourning  "I hold
that the more helpless a creature, the more entitled it is to
protection by man from the cruelty of man."
Mohandas
Gandhi
Please help Petaluma Feral
Cats_________________________________________ Getting ready for 2010 City of Petaluma Council Elections Prospective Candidates: Teresa Barrett Mike Harris David Rabbitt Pamela Torliatt |
Petaluma Feral Cats Tribute to Max, Petaluma Police K-9 Officer My Rescued Kittens  A Little Tabby speaks for the feral cats of the world Trap Spay Neuter A Family and their Pet Potbellied Pigs The Northern California Bulletin Board A voice for our companion animals Prayers
for Animals |
Understanding
Repressed Memories  Peace on Earth  Gentle Hearts Gather (Coming soon) In
Memory of Damini
"The
greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way
in which its animals are treated." Mohandas
Gandhi
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Contact:
elle@svn.net
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Note:
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This is a
personal website and the information published and opinions expressed
are those of the webmaster and provided by Elle on
the Web for your personal use.
Content subject to change without notice. © Marcelle Guy 2008 |
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