City Reneges on TNR Resolution
Randolph, IA, May 8, 2008: Feline Friendz, Raccoon Valley Animal Sanctuary & Rescue and other key participating volunteer agencies have withdrawn their volunteers and support from the Randolph Cat Rescue project, thereby effectively ceasing all established TNR, activity in Randolph, Iowa.
Citing numerous examples of how City Officials chose to disregard their own Resolution signed March 20th regarding free roaming feral and stray cats in Randolph, rescue coalition members also alluded to specific malicious and vindictive actions perpetrated by Randolph City Officials against resident pet owners and members of the Randolph Cat Rescue Coalition.
“Regardless of what was signed by members of the Randolph City Council, I don’t believe that the Mayor had any intention of keeping the agreement,”
says Joseph Pundzak, President of RVAS.
“From the very beginning, it was obvious to me and others that all he wanted was for us to get rid of every outdoor cat in town, including pets; and when we refused, he threatened that he would once again allow the poisoning of outdoor cats.”
To date, the rescue coalition has captured seventeen, (17), stray and feral cats and collected fourteen, (14) owned pets. Of the total number of thirty-one, (31), two, (2), were ill and were euthanized, fifteen, (15), stray and feral cats were relocated outside of Randolph’s City limits and twelve, (12) of the owned pets were returned to their respective owners. Two, (2), of the owned pets were subsequently surrendered to a rescue organization. In addition, approximately fifty, (50) resident dogs and cats were vetted by the Freemont Vet Clinic at no charge to the owners, courtesy of the Randolph Rescue Coalition.
It was the return of pets to their respective owners that prompted the Mayor to launch into a tirade demanding that all outside cats be removed from Randolph and that unless coalition volunteers re-collected and removed all the returned pets, further TNR activities would be banned in Randolph.
When coalition representatives refused to seize and remove pets owned by Randolph residents, Mayor Trively went into a rage and proceeded to throw rescue equipment at the volunteers. Witnesses observed the Mayor’s onslaught against Feline Friendz property and Director, Sherry Haftings. Ms. Haftings, has deferred pressing charges pending the outcome of the entire project. In addition, several residents received threats particularly with regard to their pets that congregate in an area nearby property owned by Trively. Those specific pets have now been declared a “nuisance” by the Mayor.
Ms. Haftings states,
“Frankly, Feline Friendz has had enough of these bullying tactics and holding the lives of innocent animals’ hostage to satisfy the irrational demands of an uninformed public official.”
Larry Shackman of A. Cydog Charitable Trust and supporter of Alley Cat Allies stated,
“The Mayor’s initial solution to offer a $5 bounty on stray cats certainly created an international uproar and our proposal to offer the town of Randolph a TNR program to manage the town’s stray and feral cat populations was certainly accepted as a preferred and viable alternative by members of the City Council. However, it’s embarrassing to discover that what the Mayor is demanding now is for us to trap and dump out of town every cat at large in Randolph.”
Mr. Shackman went on to say,
“Not only can we not condone this aberration of the TNR concept, but, in my opinion, abandoning these friendly strays in hostile environments is virtually the same as murdering them. Consequently, we have no choice but to withdraw our support from this project.”
Several residents have expressed concerns over the safety of the cats remaining in Randolph.
“He’s, (Mayor Trively), a bully. Almost everyone in town is afraid of him and his sons. They act like Randolph is their personal kingdom and the town council just bows to whatever he wants. We’re powerless to stop this irrational behavior of wanting to run every cat out of town,”
said a Randolph resident who asked to remain anonymous for fear of retribution.
Rescue Coalition members Feline Friendz and Raccoon Valley Animal Sanctuary & Rescue have pledged to assist any resident who wants help with their outdoor cats and friendly strays. “We’ve told Randolph residents to call us for help with litters of kittens or pregnant moms,” said Sherry Haftings director of Feline Friendz.
“We will never abandon those who want our help, but if Mayor Trively continues with his anti-cat campaign, there’s not much we can do to help protect these stray cat colonies or outdoor pets left behind in Randolph.”
Members of the Rescue Coalition did indicate a willingness to meet with the Randolph City Council to determine whether the Mayors’ recent actions of threatening coalition volunteers and residents in addition to suspending the TNR Resolution reflect the wishes of the entire Council or is he simply acting on his own behalf. However, the Mayor has repeatedly declined requests by members of the coalition to meet with the entire city council.
“I find it very disturbing that Randolph City Officials apparently do not want to abide by their own resolution,” said Linda Blakely, Director of Raccoon Valley Animal Sanctuary & Rescue in Des Moines. “Instead of being the poster town for what TNR should be, Randolph serves as an example of everything TNR, isn’t.”
The next Randolph City Council meeting is scheduled on May 8, 2008. Members from the Rescue Coalition plan to attend the City Council meeting to clarify our position.
To date, 81 animals were provided medical services and an estimated $7,000 to $10,000 in goods and services have been donated to the City of Randolph by the Participating Agencies of the Randolph Rescue Coalition.
