2007_10_01_archive

I want to share with you the stories of ... people who are, in my

view, making a difference ...

Shell is an animal advocate in New Jersey. She is one of the nation's

leading experts on TNR .... her primary focus is on providing

comprehensive information, support, and resources about TNR both for

the general public and for caregivers of feral cat colonies. She

receives hundreds of inquiries every week from people all over the

country who are interested in learning about TNR and who want to be

networked with other caregivers in their area, as well as from

caregivers who need information on how to deal with particular issues.

Shell works directly with cat colonies in need of sterilization. She

traps unaltered cats and brings them to the vet for sterilization and

a rabies vaccine. The cats recover at her house or at the vet's office

and, after recovery, she returns them to their colony.

On the weekend, Shell does cat adoptions at the PetSmart in

Bridgewater, New Jersey. She does this in conjunction with a rescue

group, Homeless Animal Lifeline (www.halrescue.org). Many of the

kittens and cats who are up for adoption were found in feral cat

colonies. They were either tame to begin with or have been socialized

for adoption. Shell also runs HAL's Feral Cat Fund, which helps to

educate the public about TNR and ferals, as well as care for feral

colonies.

Shell does not take a salary. She is a volunteer.

� 2007 Gary L. Francione

Full article:

http://garyfrancione.blogspot.com/2007/01/abolition-and-incremental-re

form.html

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Westfield Leader: Trap-Neuter-Return Is Solution For Feral Cats

June 4, 2006

We've all seen them running across the street, gathering around the

dumpster in a parking lot, and generally fleeing from humans. Feral

cats are victims - they are the direct result of abandonment by humans

and our failure to spay and neuter.

By CAROL F. DAVIS

Specially Written for The Westfield Leader

WESTFIELD

And, their population will continue to grow unless we do something to

control it now. There is a solution that is humane and that works,

called the Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program.

The success of TNR must begin with dispelling the myth that feral cats

are wild. A bobcat is wild. A tiger is wild. Once we begin to think of

feral cats as homeless, domestic cats, and realize that the only

difference between a housecat and a feral is the latter's intense fear

of humans, we will be more successful in tackling the huge problem of

controlling the growing population.

Shell Sullivan, Vice President of Homeless Animal Lifeline (HAL),

began her work with feral cats nearly two decades ago, and has been at

the forefront of the TNR program in New Jersey. She is committed

to the idea that killing homeless animals is unacceptable in this

society.

According to Ms. Sullivan, "TNR is the only proven method that

addresses the overpopulation problem at the root. HAL's feral cat

program," she adds, "helps the public decrease the amount of homeless

domestic cats, while providing care for the existing homeless

population."

The concept is that a sterilized colony of feral cats will eventually

die off. It doesn't hurt that the solution is compassionate, either.

Often, these colonies are managed, which means that the spay/neutered/

vaccinated group is provided with food, water, and shelter by a

designated caregiver.

Proof of TNR's efficacy is evident in those locales, like Hamilton

Township and Cape May, where it is commonly practiced. Not only hasthe

TNR program decreased the population, but it has also decreased the

number of cats killed each year at shelters - a solution which costs

twice as much as TNR.

The TNR program does have its critics. Concerns that arise from those

who have not been educated about TNR include the question of the

health hazard posed by feral cats. Actually, these cats are often more

resilient than indoor cats, and, the cats in managed colonies are all

immunized. A second common criticism is that these cats are killing

off the bird population. Sorry, folks - as in all declining wildlife

species, human behavior is the number one cause of habitat

destruction.

The solution is simple, but your help is needed. The best way for

anyone to help in his or her community is to spay/neuter, and to keep

their housecats indoors. For more information on TNR, please visit

HAL's website at: hal.petfinder.org, where you can request a free