Alley Cat Allies Denounces Arkansas Game And Fish Commission For Trapping And Removing Cats

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Jul 12, 2012, 10:47 ET

Urges Commission not to waste tax dollars on failed method at Heber Springs

BETHESDA, Md., July 12, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Alley Cat Allies, the only national advocacy organization dedicated to the protection and humane treatment of cats, today condemned a plan by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission to trap and remove cats at Barnett Access in Heber Springs, Ark.

Last week, the Game and Fish Commission declined offers by Alley Cat Allies to coordinate a Trap-Neuter-Return program for the cats at no cost to the state.

Feral cats are not socialized to people and cannot be adopted into homes; they live outdoors in family groups called colonies. Trap-Neuter-Return is a humane method where feral cats are trapped and taken to a veterinarian to be neutered and vaccinated. After recovery, the cats are returned to their home—their colony—outdoors. No new litters are born, and socialized cats and kittens are removed from the grounds and adopted into good homes.

"There are humane options available to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission—options that will work for everyone, and have already worked for communities all over the country," said Becky Robinson, president and co-founder of Alley Cat Allies. "We are disappointed that the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission has chosen a costly, 'knee-jerk' approach over a humane, proven, sustainable long-term solution."

Alley Cat Allies condemned the use of taxpayer dollars to carry out the trap and remove effort, which it cautions will not be effective in permanently clearing the area of cats. The organization stated that trapping and removing cats, commonly practiced for decades, creates a void in the habitat where new, unneutered cats will move in and reproduce through a naturally occurring phenomenon known as the "vacuum effect."

"It's reprehensible and fiscally irresponsible that the Game and Fish Commission has chosen to waste tax dollars based on bad science," said Robinson.

About Alley Cat Allies
Alley Cat Allies is the only national advocacy organization dedicated to the protection and humane treatment of cats. Founded in 1990, today Alley Cat Allies has more than 260,000 supporters and helps tens of thousands of individuals, communities, and organizations save and improve the lives of millions of cats and kittens nationwide. Their web site is www.alleycat.org.

Available Topic Expert(s): For information on the listed expert(s), click appropriate link.
Becky Robinson
http://www.profnetconnect.com/becky_robinson

SOURCE Alley Cat Allies