Feral Cat Round-up in Randolph Canceled!

March 13, 2008 : 4:20 PM

City of Randolph tried to instate bounty on cats - Not So Fast!

Breaking News!
Read the Omaha World-Herald article

It has been reported that the mayor canceled the bounty on the cats!

Best Friends is collaborating with the mayor of Randolph to devise and institute humane alternatives to controlling the feral cat population. We are excited to work with the city to devise a solution that the citizens of Randolph can be proud of.

Feral cat advocate organizations plan to make a presentation at a special City Council meeting next Thursday. The three main entities creating the plan are Best Friends Animal Society, Alley Cat Allies, and Feline Friendz in Nebraska.

Best Friends Volunteer Manager Tiffani Hill was able to orchestrate some extraordinary volunteers to go to last night's meeting. The outpouring of concerned citizens and volunteers are making this possible. Holly Sizemore of No More Homeless Pets Utah has a PowerPoint presentation ready for next week's meeting.

Please stay tuned!

The Background
Animal welfare organizations from across the country are mobilizing to help fight this short-sighted and barbaric proposal, which would put a $5 price tag on each cat brought in! This smacks of the ill-fated Wisconsin proposal to allow cat killing - start spreading the news and get everyone you know to get active against this proposal.

To read some of the background story click here

Read CNN's article!

How You Can Help
Please send a letter to the mayor, to thank him for deciding to work with Best Friends and other humane groups.

Mayor Vance Trively
107 S Main St
Randolph, Iowa 51649

posted by Denise LeBeau, Best Friends staff
image by Molly Wald, Best Friends photographer

Comments

March 25, 2008 at 9:55 AM
posted by: mytwocats

i'm very glad that they changed their minds to give these kitties a chance of having a decent life.mytwocats

March 24, 2008 at 12:56 AM
posted by: felis_sapien

Well, further updates to this story tell the full story. The mayor was not some sort of hard-hearted blockhead out to solve a problem with blunt force, but a man simply trying to find a solution and not knowing a humane one existed. Once he found out about TNR, he and the City Council, and it sounds like the town itself, were more than willing to get the program running ASAP.

I love cats dearly, which is why I support ACA, but to be honest my one interaction with a feral has convinced me these are pussy cats you let the experts handle.

I say kudos to the mayor and all the people of Randolph for listening and joining the TNR revolution.

March 23, 2008 at 12:56 PM
posted by: droquet

BJ in Ohio doesn't know what they are talking about and really needs to find something else to do.

The organizations that have swarmed to Randolph and are taking control of all aspects will have TNR up and running in a matter of weeks. The health of the townspeople will be much improved with immunized, spay and neutered animals that have people caring for them every day to be sure they are fed and watered from here on out.
To see God, look in to the innocent eyes of an animal. They are perfect expressions of God and should be valued as such.

March 23, 2008 at 12:51 PM
posted by: droquet

Randolph will be a wonderful place for TNR. Shelters are being constructed, feeding stations established. Moving of cats to appropriate parts of town for habitulation, spaying and neutering begins this week. It is wonderful. Thank you Randolph, David Earlywine and the animal organizations that rallied to make it happen including Animal Protection and Education Charity in Paton IA that has been the leader in TNR in Iowa for years.

March 15, 2008 at 11:24 AM
posted by: jerysam

A mmore humane way to deal with the feral cat population is not to kill them. Trap, Neuter, Release, TNR will keep them from multiplying. Many of these cats were once pets who were abandoned.

Thank you

March 14, 2008 at 10:01 PM
posted by: bjm

From the human health side of things ... just think of all the inept, inexperienced yahoos out trying to wrangle feral cats. The ER and urgent care clinics would be up to their ears in cat bites and lacerations.
The mayor certainly wasn't thinking about the health and safety of his constituents with his idea!

BJ
Columbus, OH

March 14, 2008 at 5:32 PM
posted by: qmd333

Fabulous news!

I sent emails and I forwarded the story to friends.

It is great that the Mayor has seen the light.

March 14, 2008 at 1:18 PM
posted by: cattees

Great news! My letter's in the mail anyway... just in case.

March 14, 2008 at 12:29 PM
posted by: Mom_of_Niki

Thank goodness! Many thanks to those who stepped up immediately to the powers~that~be in Randolph to put an immediate stop to this act of barbaric proportions.

In this day and age there is absolutely NO reason to implement a bounty on any living creature especially for a trap~kill "solution". We have the knowledge and resources to institute T~N~R programs successfully.

Randolph, Iowa, you are being watched very closely and this should be warning to anyone else that we have the power of numbers to put an end to the neglect, abuse, torture and senseless killing of all animals.

March 14, 2008 at 6:37 AM
posted by: atuttle32

Thank God. Such bad press - but fortunately the animal community stepped up! Another victory for the animals.

Thanks for letting us know they called off the bounty - I was going to work on my letter today.

March 14, 2008 at 2:01 AM
posted by: felis_sapien

Apparently they've called off the bounty.

According to a report by TV station, the city council voted to stop the bounty after animal groups convinced them there were other options.

So much for the letter I wrote tonight. Quicker hands ... In any case, this restores my faith in Iowa. I truly do love Iowa. And thanks to Best Friends for joining ACA on this one.

here's the link to the TV report, although I'm sure BF will have a more complete one later.

http://www.action3news.com/Global/story.asp?S=8015068