Fort Oglethorpe feral cat debate continues

Fort Oglethorpe resident Pam Shaw was found guilty of feeding cats in Gilbert-Stephenson Park but the judge waived her fine.
Fort Oglethorpe resident Pam Shaw was found guilty of feeding cats in Gilbert-Stephenson Park but the judge waived her fine.

While Catoosa Citizens for Animal Care Inc. volunteer Pam Shaw's $212 fine for feeding stray cats in Gilbert-Stephenson Park was waived, the city is maintaining its stance against citizens feeding animals in the park.

"The city can't afford to ignore complaints and liability," said Fort Oglethorpe Codes Enforcement Officer Bill Willett, who issued Shaw's citation. He said he's received at least half a dozen complaints from different residents who live close to the park.

Shaw appeared before Judge Winston Webb in Fort Oglethorpe City Court on Feb. 25. Though Webb ruled that Shaw had violated the city's nuisance law by feeding feral cats in the park, he waived the fine since it was her first citation and ordered her to refrain from feeding cats in the park from now on.

"I begged Pam Shaw to stop feeding the cats and then she was cited," Willett said following the City Council's most recent meeting Feb. 22, during which CCAC members again petitioned the city to let them feed the cats. "CCAC is putting animals in danger by putting food out. If a raccoon feels threatened it will jump at you. A coyote was seen in broad daylight two blocks from the park. We live a quarter of a mile from a U.S. park that is a place of refuge for wildlife. And wildlife will roam."

He said 36.5 percent of raccoons, 32 percent of skunks, 23.2 percent of bats, 7 percent of foxes and 1.8 percent of rodents carry rabies.

"If we don't try to stop this and someone gets bit then the city could be sued," he said. "As a city we cannot afford for that to happen. We must protect the innocent. Take the cats home. The city's stance is the park is there for the enjoyment and not for the development of cat colonies. One cat can be responsible for over 11,000 cats in five years."

CCAC's Lynne Hall reported during the council meeting that she recently trapped five kittens and is in the process of adopting them out. She demonstrated how to safely trap stray animals, emphasizing that spring-loaded traps should not be used.

"If we get the kittens early, then we can process them for adoption," said Hall. "It's important that the work continues. Shouldn't the city require that cats are spayed and neutered? The more cats spayed and neutered and vaccinated against disease, the healthier our cats will be. The property owner needs to be more responsible."

Fort Oglethorpe resident Carol Camp, who lives less than 1,000 linear feet from the park, said she is not happy about the stray cat situation.

"In the years I have walked the trail, I have only seen Pam Shaw help the cats," the 28-year resident said. "I witnessed a homeowner go after the lady. The cats are still being fed. I have witnessed at least two litters of kittens. I can't help but question Mrs. Hall's trap, neuter and spay program. I watched two ladies release trapped cats. None of the cats trapped and released that day looked like strays.

"This is a park. It is not a cat colony refuge."

Fellow nearby resident Sue Moore, who said she is not affiliated with CCAC, said there were 19 cats in her neighborhood and she trapped them and their kittens.

"It took three months to trap all the cats," she said. "It's absurd that the city would not work with people that are willing to help with the overrun population [of cats]. I feed the cats because they did not ask to be dropped off or to be there.

"The citizens have to work together on this whole thing to get them neutered and shots. If [citizens] promote CCAC there won't be a problem."

Willett said that in the 17 months since he took the job as city codes enforcer, he's heard about the growing cat problem for 14 of those months.

"Please don't feed the cats and the population will take care of itself," City Manager Ron Goulart said during the council meeting.

At Shaw's court appearance three days later, CCAC volunteers turned out in force to support her. Shaw said following Webb's ruling that overall she was grateful for the outcome and relieved that she can still walk on the walking trail. She said she plans to attempt to trap one of the cats she was feeding and bring it home to feed it there instead, as she's grown fond of it.

As the volunteers all got in their cars after Shaw's appearance, Hall called from her van, "Let's go get some canned cat food!"

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