So I know a thing or two about what people need to stay safe in the cold. To start with, everyone needs to:
- stay dry
- layer
- have protection from the wind, and of course
- eat more ( including fat )
That of course is what a healthy, well nourished adult needs. Those who are either very young, elderly, malnourished or sick need extra nutrition, care and of course warm shelter to survive. In the old days, people often died in the winter because they did not have the resources to survive in the cold.
On an arctic day like this, its impossible for me not to think about the plight of the thousands of stray and feral cats who are out in the cold. Its tough enough to be one of the estimated three hundred thousand strays and ferals in NS ... on a day like this is it positively lethal.
If it would be deadly for a well nourished and healthy housecat, just imagine how tough the cold is on little cats who haven't had the benefit of good nutrition and care. But it doesn't have to be like that. Anyone who is familiar with Trap Neuter Return knows that feral cats can be well provided for. If you want to see some great examples of what can be done, Pierre's Alley Cat Society has some great shelters for its feral kitties. http://www.nshomelesspets.com/tnr01.htm
TNR is not a radical new concept. For nearly twenty years, Alley Cat Allies , http://www.alleycat.org/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=252 has inspired hard working little TNR groups around the continent to save the ferals.
TNR has been strongly supported in a position statement by humane groups around the continent, including our own provincial society http://www.spcans.ca/what_we_do/feralcats.html
TNR is recognized as one of the five critical lifesaving "ingredients' for a No Kill Community:
- low cost, high volume spay neuter program
- effective adoption strategies
- pet retention programs
- feral cat assistance, and
- rehabilitation and training programs.
Without better support for the hard working TNR groups around the province, we will never get to No Kill Nova Scotia. It is a great first step for the society to officially support TNR. It is also a great first step for the society to have taken such a strong position about the shortcomings and flaws of ByLaw A 300.
And therein lies the rub. Until the issue of 'at large' cat bylaws around the province is addressed, AC officers around the province will continue to catch and kill thousands and thousands of stray and feral cats every year. Why do they do it? They do it because there is no provision anywhere in the bylaws for properly maintained feral cat colonies.
The society is the official voice for 'those who cannot speak for themselves". Individuals like myself and individual TNR groups can express ourselves to our local politicians until we are blue in the face. Change in the Animal Control bylaws around the province will only be effected by official input from the society to all the municipalities in the province.
In the course of my career I have also done logistical planning, so I understand full well that with so much 'catch up' work to be done by the new BOD, it is unrealistic to expect everything to be addressed at once. One only needs to read the online minutes of the BOD meetings ( which is in itself an innovation ) to see how much has already been done.
They've come a long way in a short time. But on a day like this, how many cats will run out of time because existing bylaw discourage kind hearted folks from caring for strays and ferals?
What time is it? Its time to help both the feral kitties and the society out. Its time to remember that the way ahead is always paved by voter feedback. Its time to let the Union of Nova Scotia Municipalities ( Phone: (902) 423-8331 Fax:(902) 425-5592 E-mail: mainunsm@eastlink.ca ) know that the plight of feral and stray cats in Nova Scotia is important to you as a voter.
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