PAGE 2, JUNE 15, 2009, THE ISLANDER
Page 2 N
Cat ’attack’ resolved
Last week a stray cat attack
at Deer Run Villas on St. Simons
Island was reported incorrectly in
the media.
According to media reports Con
nie Tanner reported to the Glynn
County Police that she was attacked
by a stray, feral cat.
According to the cat's owner, Diane
Hardin, her cat Charlie is not a stray
nor is he feral and he had his annual
check up by veterinarian Dr. Bruce
Tyler in April of this year. Accord
ing to Hardin, Dr. Tyler examined
Charlie and the cat received a full
round of all required vaccinations
including a rabies shot.
Ms. Hardin said Charlie accident
ly got out of her home and she spent
four days looking for him.
"I asked the Deer Run landscape
crew, which included Ms. Tanner, to
keep an eye out for him and to let me
know if they saw him," Hardin said.
"I also told them not to try to pick
him up as he has skin problems and
doesn't like to be touched on those
'hot spots.'"
Charlie went missing on a Friday
and Hardin spent the next four days
looking for the cat. "On Tuesday Con
nie came to my home and showed me
where she had been scratched and
bitten and said that Charlie had bit
ten her."
Later on Tuesday Hardin found
Charlie and he has been confined to
her home ever since.
Hardin said she told Tanner that
she would pay for any medical care
needed related to the scratches and
bites.
The news report which incor
rectly reported Charlie as a stray
and/or feral cat, resulted in CHAT
(Citizens for Humane Animal Treat
ment) president Lisa Norton as well
as Glynn County Animal Services
Director Beverly Morris receiving
phone calls from concerned citizens
and cat caretakers, including those
who are responsibly helping the citi
zens of Brunswick and Glynn County
to manage the area's feral cat popu
lation through successful trap-neu-
ter-return (TNR) programs.
Morris said, "We are aware of
the many groups who take care of
our community's feral cats. They
feed them, give them medication and
have them spayed and neutered. "
"Each feral's ear is notched and
whenever Animal Services receives
a cat with a notched ear we contact
CHAT to identify it," she said. "We
work closely with these groups and
they are very aware of the county's
animal ordinances."
Norton, in an explanation of feral
and stray cats said, “First, please
understand that stray cats are not
feral cats, and feral cats are not
stray cats. The two terms are mutu
ally exclusive."
“Anyone who wants to learn the
facts about either kind of cat should
visit the Alley Cat Allies website at
www.alleycat.org. Second, the cur
rently acceptable term is not “feral;”
the term is now “community” cats,
and they have a home which is out
side," she continued.
"Third, the only acceptable
humane solution to dog and cat over
population is spaying and neutering,
which includes the trapping, neuter
ing and returning of community cats
to their outside home where they
live," Norton said.
"Fourth, community cats do not
approach and attack human beings;
in fact, they avoid human contact,"
she said.
Pam Brittin, Association Manager
of the Deer Run Villas, said that
there are no feral or stray cats at
Deer Run.
"We have been working with Glynn
County code enforcement people on
limiting our residents to three ani
mals per household that the (Glynn
County) code permits," Brittin said.
"But we began this work before the
incident."
As far as Connie Tanner is con
cerned the medical bills for any bites
and scratches have been taken care
of by Ms. Hardin and she, Tanner, is
completely satisfied.
"Charlie is not a wild cat. I didn't
recognize him when it happened
which is why I went to the emergen
cy room for treatment," Tanner said.
"When my sister (who also works on
the landscape crew) Donna told me
about Ms. Hardin and the missing
cat I realized it was Charlie and at
that point I went to talk to Ms. Har
din but she wasn't home."
Tanner said, "As far as I'm con
cerned Charlie just had a bad day. I
am fine." □
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BOE recognized for supporting Guard & Reserve
Glynn County Board of Education chairman Millard Allen (left) accept
ed a plaque last week from ESGR (Employer Support of the Guard and
Reserve) representative Mike Pollard recognizing the school board for
supporting the federal Uniformed Services Employment and Reem
ployment Rights Act (USERRA). USERRA states that men and women
who serve in the National Guard or Reserve are entitled to a leave
of absence for military service and that they are entitled to be reem
ployed when they return. Pollard said that each of Glynn's school would
receive a plaque, Photo by Jim Weidhaas, Glynn School System
