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OR VIA THE “TALK BACK TO US” LINK AT FLAGPOLE.COM
JAN KEMP
I will remember Jan Kemp as a David to
UGA's Goliath.
If not her, then who might have brought
down the arrogant, autocratic Fred Davison,
UGA's own Ferdinand
Marcos, to usher
the school into the
relatively enlightened
Chuck Knapp era?
Sadly, I think Dr.
Knapp finally threw
up his hands after
10 good years among
the heathens of
recalcitrance to take
refuge in a haven of
scholastic pursuit.
Then the good ole boys took control again,
hiring a suit with a haircut who had a sterling
rep as a money-raiser.
Jim Baird
Comer
CATS ARE BACK!
PETA's office has been hearing from con
cerned Athens-area residents who were disap
pointed by the article "Alley Cat Advocates"
[Oct. 1], which didn't mention any of the
numerous concerns of animal protection orga
nizations opposed to Trap/Neuter/Release
(TNR) programs. I'm hoping that, upon reflec
tion of the facts, you will consider publishing
an article explaining the serious drawbacks—
for cats, other animals, and the ecosystem—of
TNR programs. PETA (People for the Ethical
Treatment of Animals) would be happy to
help by providing our perspective on TNR and
humane feral cat population control.
You may be surprised to know that PETA is
generally opposed to "releasing" cats outdoors
to roam freely. Our extensive experience with
TNR programs and "managed" feral cat colo
nies have made clear that these programs—
unless they comply with stringent guidelines
that protect the cats and the animals whom
the cats hunt—are simply not in animals'
best interests. Having witnessed firsthand
the gruesome things that can happen to feral
cats, we cannot in good conscience oppose
euthanasia as a humane alternative for deal
ing with overpopulation. We don't take this
-position lightly, and we realize it's considered
controversial.
While spaying and neutering feral cats
prevents the suffering of future generations
(our mobile spay/neuter clinic provides low-
cost surgeries to thousands of cats every
year, including feral ones), it does nothing to
protect homeless cats from the litany of other
painful accidents, afflictions and hardships
that they endure.
Contagious diseases
such as herpes viral
conjunctivitis, feline
AIDS, leukemia and
infectious peritonitis
are common in cats
left outdoors, and
even easily treat
able conditions can
become deadly for
cats who are not seen
by veterinarians and are not routinely handled
and examined. Minor cuts or puncture wounds
can turn into raging infections and abscesses.
Untreated upper-respiratory infections cause
cats' eyes and noses to become so caked with
mucus that animals can barely see or breathe.
Ferals often scratch their ears until they bleed,
because they are driven mad by the pain and
itching of ear mites and related infections.
Others die from blood loss or anemia because
of worms, fleas and untreated injuries.
Urinary-tract infections, which frequently lead
to urinary blockages in male cats, cause slow
and excruciating deaths if they go untreated.
If cats miraculously escape these perils,
they may still fall prey to agonizing deaths
at the hands of cruel people. Our office is
flooded with calls about cruelty to animals
every day. Across the United States, free-
roaming cats are mutilated, shot, drowned,
poisoned, beaten, set on fire, sacrificed, sto
len by butchers for medical experimentation
or used by dogfighters for target practice or
as "bait."
Finally, compassionate people can't ignore
the fact that sterilizing cats—who are not
native wildlife and do not fit into the pred
ator-prey ecosystem—doesn't change their
instinct to hunt, no matter how well fed they
are! Cats allowed outdoors terrorize, maim
and kill countless native birds and other small
wild animals who struggle to survive exist
ing challenges such as development in their
habitat, and who aren't equipped to deal
with such predators. These small animals die
from repeated puncture wounds and by being
crushed by cats' jaws. As you probably know,
many cats spend a great deal of time play
ing with their dying, convulsing prey, whose
suffering is intense. Many of these animals are
then left to die slowly when they stop strug
gling but remain alive.
While the idea may sound appealing, in
reality, TNR programs sanction the abandon
ment of cats in parking lots, warehouse
districts, fields and barns (where they are
pushed as cheap rodent control). We contend
that no cat, whether social or not, should be
abandoned and forced to endure the harsh
conditions of homelessness. The "humane
community" sends to the public a clear
message when it endorses TNR programs—that
cats can survive and thrive living outdoors
behind dumpsters and in barns. It's not only
the wrong message—it's absolutely untrue.
I hope you will consider printing an article
that examines the dangers of TNR, both to
the cats themselves and the animals they prey
upon.
Thank you for your compassion for animals
and for covering this important issue.
Teresa Lynn Chagrin, PETA
Norfolk, VA
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