Animal Advocates Fight for Return of Feral Cats in Ossining
A group of animal advocates are fighting to protect a colony of feral cats after Ossining police and village officials orchestrated the removal of several winter shelters last weekend without consulting the colonies caregiver.
Members of the Cat Protection Council of Westchester took to the streets of Ossining Sunday afternoon protesting the village’s abrupt decision to remove the shelters and pleading they be temporarily returned so the 11 feral cats don’t suffer with temperatures dropping.
“This was done without any concern to the animals,” said colony caregiver Annie Rodriguez. “These cats have been in shelters for five years here. They become dependent on you and they’re not used to the elements. They could die.”
In September, officials removed two winter shelters from a colony living behind the firehouse on Central Ave., advocates said, stating that village manager Debbie McDonnell ordered the removal based on a new village code that does not allow feral cats to be fed or housed on municipal property. McDonnell could not be reached for comment.
Animal control was then called on November 10, Veterans Day, to remove 10 more shelters from another colony site on what was said to be the coldest night of the season.
“They picked up all the shelters without giving me a chance to get another solution,” Rodriguez said. “Some of the cats were in the shelters when they took them away and they were scared and ran out. It was inhumane and cruel.”
Despite the new code, Rodriguez, who works with the village’s Trap-Neuter-Return program, said she was given permission from a previous administration five years ago to set up shelters after managing a stray situation that village officials couldn’t handle.
Every year members of the TNR program supply more than 100 shelters for feral cats throughout the county. It is a rubber-maid box with an opening only a cat can fit through that is insulated with straw inside.
“I had permission from the village manager five years ago to put up shelters because he was so pleased with the work I did,” Rodriguez said, adding how each cat has been spayed/neutered and vaccinated. “As a result, I’ve been taking care of the area and going by twice a day to feed them.”
While Rodriguez said no complaints have been made about the cats, Police Chief Kevin Sylvester said at the November 15 village board meeting that he’s been receiving complaints dating back to June, stating that the cat population has hindered business along Main Street.
He added that he had been working with a volunteer for months to find appropriate locations to place the shelters that complied with the code. After receiving a complaint earlier this month from a resident that the 10 shelters were 30 feet from the back door of their home and being kept on public property, Sylvester said he had to act quickly and remove the shelters out of respect for the resident.
During the November 19 protest, a resident from the home Sylvester claimed to receive a complaint from stated that they don’t have a problem with the shelters bordering the house.
Since the removal, members of the cat council said they have tried setting up meetings with village officials hoping for a speedy solution that will benefit both the community and the cats. Deborah Pangle, founder of The Cat Squad Rescue, said she is currently seeking legal counsel to see what could be done to protect the colony.
“We did everything by the book,” council member Susan Haywood said. “We just want them to put the shelters back and talk to us.”
Pangle added how volunteers have stepped up over the years to manage the cat population and should be given the opportunity to be heard by village officials.
“A lot of people care, a lot of people are concerned, and a lot of people are really worried and we are here to protect the cats,” Pangle said. “We ask for swift action so the cats aren’t cold and suffering while they’re discussing some plan.”
