I am extremely disappointed and very heart broken as I sit and write this letter. Recently my cat went missing escaping from my home. I immediately started searching for her and went to the SPCA to see if maybe someone had turned her in, but to no avail.
It was then brought to my attention that a man in my area traps cats, ok if he traps them he must take them to the shelter and they will call when he turns her in. But that is not the case he traps them and drives them out of town, signing my cat's death warrant as she has no survival skills as she was an indoor cat.
Now I can see both sides of this story. I know people spend a lot of time and energy into their flower beds and such, and cats can be a nuisance. The thing that I don't understand is if you trap cats why do you not take them to the SPCA. I would have gladly paid the bail for my kitty and kept her inside from then on, but this man took this chance from me. I may never see my cat again because of his ignorance. So not only did I lose apart of my family I also lost faith in humanity. So please if you let your kitties out please be very aware that this is happening and to the man that told the Hutterites he was from the Pass I am sorry my kitty was bothering you but she DID NOT deserve this.
Sincerely, Jaime Young
Got to love Pincher Creek and all the nice people!
ReplyDeleteThe neighbour that was bragging that he killed my cat to other neighbours in my neighbourhood didn't even have the decency to come over and let us know our cat was bothering him before he did away with him. But he's obviously just a mean old man...Heard he doesn't like kids either...maybe I better not let them out either!!
ReplyDeleteWhy do We We We allow this. Yes all of us, this is a sick person that should be stopped are children next because they make noise. Why do the police do nothing?
DeleteIf the cat does not have a tag on it then how is a person supposed to know who it belongs to? We have a cat in our area that hangs out under our trailer and taunts my dogs, now my dogs are not allowed to wander around freely so why is this cat? Not saying that what this guy did was right but there are always 2 sides to every story!
ReplyDeleteThere are other ways of identifying a pet's owner (the tattoo in the ear). Because a cat does not have a collar/tag, does not justify taking it out of town and dropping it off. My cat has gone through a number of collars in the past (how it loses them, I don't know).
DeleteYes, there are two sides to every story, but stick to Jaime's. Your dogs being taunted by a cat is another issue.
Ok so what happens if you can't get close enough to the animal to see its ears? Why is your cat roaming around freely? There is a bylaw that cats are supposed to be on leashes! Yes it is the same story because maybe this guy got sick of cats using his yard as a litter box! Sorry you lost your kitty Jaime hope you find him/her.
DeleteThere are many reasons why cats may be roaming free, as in Jaime's case, her cat escaped the house and was otherwise an indoor cat. So, a responsible pet owner was punished by some sick in the head animal torturer who did god knows what with her beloved pet. That's the problem with Pincher Creek...people assume, no one talks to each other, and then this happens to good people who LOVE their pets. I don't care how many cats poops you find in your precious flower beds. If you harm an animal in such an evil way and the community finds out who you cowards are, expect whole lot of us on your doorstep.
DeleteI tried to bring an animal to the shelter that I had found in my neighbourhood and was told that "we usually only accept animals from the reserve" refusing to take it and leaving me with an animal that did not belong to me, luckily we reconnected with the owners. What is the point of having a shelter if they pick and choose where they shelter animals from?
ReplyDeleteThe guy said he is from the Pass. And you believe him.........I don't think someone would go to Pincher Creek to get cats that they don't even know.
ReplyDeleteThere have been onging rumblings for years regarding individuals who do these things. The residents that live by or near these individuals have a right to know who this person is and where he lives, for as you say, given the knowledge of what is to happen to their pets, precautions/appropriate measures can be taken to prevent such outcomes.
ReplyDeleteMy question remains and has always been "this" when hearing about people trapping cats..."Are these traps baited with food?" If they are, this is what should be against some sort of law (i.e. "entrapment"). By baiting a trap you are attracting animals, whereas a cat may not have otherwise been on your property in the first place. Secondly, dropping these animals "out of town" is not a responsible way to handle the issue. It is a delibrate form of animal cruelty.
Additionally, when it comes to our children...parents and children themselves need to aware of such individuals. It is widely known that abuse/violence against animals has been a precursor for many serial killers (it's only a joke until the day a person is the victim). Again, knowing who these individuals are, I will choose to keep my children away, not only my pets.
when are cat owners going to wake up and realize that not everyone wants "miss kitty" in their yards. Maybe the fine for sending the cats to spca should be $500.00 and 25.00 per day for room & board. that way the spca would have additional funds for food and vet bills, and just maybe owners would sit up and take notice.
ReplyDeleteI agree, a hefty fine and "room and board fee" would deter those from letting their pets roam free. That falls on our bylaw and town officials to enforce. I myself have a neighbor who's dog comes over to our lawn to do it's business. I, however, would not ever harm this animal, I would be an "adult" and talk to the owners and if need be to the bylaw officers.
DeleteYes, it is a bylaw that dogs AND CATS are to be on leashes. Yes it is a nuisance to have oher proples pets run loose on our lawns. BUT THIS DOES NOT CONDONE ONE TO HARM THESE ANIMALS. This is the point of this letter to the editor. Open up your eyes and ears people and realize the issue here. Jaime has had a shot of terrible misfortune. Her cat was an indoor cat. It escaped her house by accident. She and her cat deserved a better outcome than what occurred. From what I read, Jaime would have loved the opportunity to pick her cat up at the shelter and if need be, pay a fine. She did not get that chance, because of an extreme reaction by a neighbor. Quit trying to blame cat owners and not even see the other and more important issue.
I'm an owner of 2 missing cats. My neighborhood is full of cats and they visit each others yard and play. In 3 years, my cats have never "disappeared" from my yard. BTW...I was on holidays when my babies disappeared while my hubby was on fur baby duty. You cannot believe how devastating this is on our family. I would happily pay a fine and a room and board fee to have my babies back. Yes they will be grounded when and if they come home. I do understand that cats can be a pain in the butt for some people, however if my cat is being a pain, take the hose after him or call me I'll get you a water gun (yes I have offered my neighbors this option). My issue is those with cat traps that are treating cat inhumanely and killing them or dropping them off out of town. One cat trapper by our house alleges that they treat the cats they trap humanely. A neighbor's cat was in your trap and when he heard his cat crying, he kicked your gate in and his poor cat had no claws left and needed the vet urgently. Is this humane? NOT! How about telling the gentleman at the colony while dropping Jaime's cat off that you are from the pass? COWARD!! How about the gentleman who lives by the elementary school that lures cats with catfood then kills the cat and brags to other neighbors? Humane? Psychopath! Another cat trapper near the town office drops his victims off by the dam in hopes that these cats (who have no survival skills being outside) find shelter or someone to feed them at Heritage acres? Humane? Not!! I have been in contact numerous times with the SPCA and no cat trappers have turned in any of these cats, so where are they?? We live beside an open field and let me tell you...with cats in our neighborhood, we do not have mice in our house or our garage! I think that we need to start outing these "trappers" and find out the truth what they have done to our babies. I have many dogs pooping in my yard (no they are not on leashes), but guess what? I just pick up the dog poo. I would never trap it and drop it off somewhere. We pet owners love our animals as they are a part of our family. We are devastated without them. I am hoping that my babies are just "lost" and haven't ended up in heaven yet. And like I said...take them to the SPCA, I will gladly pay the fines to have my babies home!!
ReplyDeleteSeems to me that the "cat trappers" are taking the law or by law into their own hands. What they are doing is a criminal act. Yes animal owners do have a responsibility but so do our by law officers and the RCMP by enforcing animal cruelty laws.
ReplyDeleteCowley has had the same problem for years. A good number of people know who it is and are just waiting to catch him and his partner with their "skunk traps" in action. Once caught the public must be made aware of their names. A person in Cowley sprayed two dogs in a yard with bear spray which resulted in a young couple moving out of the community to protect their pets. Sad to say this is all they could do.
ReplyDeleteAnyone who hurts an animal just because they are an "annoyance" is a coward, and sick in the head. Why not TALK to your cat owning neighbors FIRST, before trapping/harming/dumping off someone's pet? You really have to wonder about the character of a person who'd kill a poor cat for just existing and wanting fresh air like every other living being. Cats weren't meant to be kept indoors - they like to roam. Yes, there is a bylaw, but cats will be cats...it's their instinct to get out and roam.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the by law officers & RCMP need to deal with this issue. Killing cats is extremely cruel. It really makes me wonder who is living in our communities. It certainly makes my level of comfort questionable.
ReplyDeleteIf the RCMP & By law officers will do nothing... maybe it is time that our communities turn the tables a bit. Maybe we should remove the nails of the cat killers and strip them of feeling safe & secure, dumping them out in the middle of no where to see if by chance they survive. Good lord what is happening to our rural communities. ! I feel for all of the families who have lost their pets to these viscous psychopaths. These disappearances and cat killings will continue as long as our community allows it. I say its time we put a stop to this cruelty. Our pets are not safe... what's next our children?