ALLEY CAT RESCUE
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1/19/2018

Tell EPA Administrator to protect our pets, ban deadly toxin

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Many cat owners know the dangers of rodenticides (pesticides used to kill rats), but the rise of bromethalin should have owners on high alert. This poison acts as a neurotoxin that affects a victim’s brain and liver, often leading to a fluid buildup in the brain and a painful death. There is currently no cure or diagnostic test for bromethalin poisoning. This leaves few options for treatment. Veterinarians will try and get the poison out of a cat's system through inducing vomiting and using activated charcoal. Bromethalin is fast acting and pet owners often only have hours to treat a cat for poisoning before they will die.

The increase in the use of rodenticides occurred after a 2008 EPA directive to make rodenticides safer. The directive mandated all consumer marketed rodenticides phase out the use of long acting anticoagulants. Although this directive intended to make humans and animals safer, it is having the opposite effect because manufacturers are increasingly using bromethalin as a substitute. Human and animal exposure to bromethalin is increasing and many cat owners are forced to watch their pets painfully die from poisoning. The EPA allows for bromethalin to be placed outside as long as it is within 50 feet of a building. Allowing this harmful poison outside increases the risk to humans, wildlife and pets. Owners who allow their pets outside should be especially alert for signs of poisoning such as unsteadiness, muscle tremors, vomiting and seizures. Even indoor cats are at risk through secondary poisoning by eating mice that have ingested the poison.

This deadly toxin should not be allowed around our pets! Contact EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt and tell him to ban the use of this dangerous poison.


 
Bromethalin. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/poison/bromethalin/
Huntington S, Fenik Y, Vohra R, et al. Human bromethalin exposures reported to a U.S. Statewide Poison Control System. Clin Toxicol (Phila) 2016;54:277-281.
JAVMA News. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 2014; 245:152-171.
Kent, M. & Glass, E. (June 13, 2017). Veterinary neurology alert: Bromethalin toxicosis on the rise in pets. Retrieved from http://veterinarynews.dvm360.com/veterinary-neurology-alert-bromethalin-toxicosis-rise-pets?pageID=1
Rat Poisonings in Cats. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.petmd.com/cat/conditions/toxicity/c_ct_bromethalin_rodenticide_toxicity
Restrictions on Rodenticide Products. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.epa.gov/rodenticides/restrictions-rodenticide-products

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1/9/2018

Rescued Tortured cat shines light on need for federal protections for pets

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A stray cat was brought to Prince George’s County Animal Shelter with an array of wounds to his ears, limbs and tail that left him limping and weak. It was clear that this poor cat had been through extreme cruelty and was suffering greatly. Because of the severity of his injuries and necessary treatment, Alley Cat Rescue came in and rescued this traumatized cat.

Looking at his gashed ears and nearly amputated toes it was clear that these injuries were the result of intentional animal cruelty. Our veterinarian assessed him and his prognosis was worse than we could have anticipated. The abuser had tortured the cat over a course of weeks. The cat had slowly suffered with no veterinary care or compassion. The abuser had tied the cats tail and limbs tightly and had cut his ears. His tail became necrotic and required surgical removal. The toes on three of his legs were hanging by threads and our vet removed the toes as well. He is finally receiving the love and compassion he deserves here at Alley Cat Rescue. After the horrible ordeal he suffered he somehow still trusts humans and loves to nudge people and have his head pet. We have named him Hardy, which means courageous and capable of enduring difficult conditions. This certainly describes Hardy’s brave yet gentle personality.

Hardy’s case illustrates the real life costs of animal cruelty. Hardy’s case shows a severe form of animal cruelty where an abuser took advantage of an innocent and voiceless creature for their own sadistic purposes. Animal cruelty is often an indicator of a violent personality. Offenders who begin by abusing animals can escalate to abusing and even killing humans. A 10 year study of at risk children found that children that were cruel to animals were more than twice as likely to be referred to authorities for violent offenses[i]. Animal abusers are more likely to be convicted of other types of crimes such as violent, property and drug crimes[ii]. We as a society need to take animal cruelty seriously, not only by prosecuting offenders but by proactively helping pets leave violent homes.

As animal cruelty is a predictor crime, it is also an indicator crime. This means that in homes where animal cruelty is occurring there can be other victims such as spouses and children. The co-occurrence of domestic violence and animal cruelty is well reported. In a study conducted at a domestic violence shelter, 71% of women with companion animals reported that their pets had been threatened, abused or killed by their partner[iii]. This is why the Pet and Women Safety Act is crucial to help protect both human and non-human victims of violence. This federal bill would provide funding to domestic violence shelters for them to include pets in their housing, encourage states to include pets in Orders of Protection and include hurting or threatening a victim’s pet to the definition of stalking in the federal criminal code. Although we do not yet know Hardy’s backstory, abusers mutilate and torture countless cats to control or punish their victims. The Pet and Women Safety Act would allow domestic violence victims to escape their abusers with their pets, who could also fall victim to violence. Alley Cat Rescue supports the Pet and Women Safety Act and is working to help pass this necessary bill. We urge you to reach out to your legislators and ask them to support this bill. We also urge anyone who has information on Hardy to contact Prince George’s County Animal Control who is investigating his case.



[i] Becker, K.D., Herrera, V.M., McCloskey, L.A. & Stuewig, J. (2004). A Study of Firesetting and Animal Crueltymin Children: Family Influences and Adolescent Outcomes, Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 43(7).

[ii] Luke, C., Arluke, A. & Levin, J. (1997). Cruelty to Animals and Other Crimes:A
Study by the MSPCA and Northeastern University, Massachusetts Society
for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals 1997.

[iii] Frank, A.R. (1998). Battered women’s reports of their partners’ and their children’s cruelty to animals. Journal of Emotional Abuse, 1, 119-133.
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1/5/2018

On National Bird Day let's focus on the true threats to birds

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​Today is National Bird Day, a day to celebrate bird species across the United States. Alley Cat Rescue cares deeply about the welfare of all animals. This is why we work hard to end the scapegoating of cats for bird population declines. We believe it is important to focus on the root causes of bird population declines, such as habitat loss and climate change if we want to save bird species.
 
According to the 2016 State of the Birds Report, one third of all bird species need urgent conservation action. The largest percentage of bird species in crisis are ocean birds with 57% of ocean birds at a high conservation concern. The report lists the small ranges and severe threats to their habitats as the reasons for their population declines[i]. Bird populations are actually increasing in urban areas where most feral cats live[ii].
 
Conservationists and government officials continue to blame feral cats as a major cause for the decline in bird and wildlife populations, despite the fact that national and world reports clearly conclude that human activity is the true culprit[iii][iv]. As we approach the planet’s sixth mass extinction event, scientists warn that human activity is the driving force behind this current state[v]. Further, as our nation continues to become industrialized threats like windows, communication towers and wind turbines will become more pervasive[vi][vii].
 
Although cats do hunt, they largely hunt rodents. When they do hunt birds, they will often hunt sick or young birds. This phenomenon has been deemed “doomed surplus” because these birds have a low chance of survival.
 
Alley Cat Rescue wants to raise awareness to the true causes of bird population declines and help increase their population numbers. If you are concerned about birds here are some simple tasks you can do:

  1. TNR feral cats to prevent reproduction
  2. Carpool or take public transportation
  3. Reduce your paper and wood consumption
  4. Reduce your oil consumption
  5. Reduce your beef consumption
  6. Hold environmentally destructive businesses accountable


[i] North American Bird Conservation Institute. (2016). State of North America’s Birds. Retrieved from http://www.stateofthebirds.org/2016/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/SoNAB-ENGLISH-web.pdf 

[ii] North American Bird Conservation Institute. (2014). State of North America’s Birds. Retrieved from http://www.stateofthebirds.org/2014/2014%20SotB_FINAL_low-res.pdf

[iii] Bellard, C., Bertelsmeier, C., Leadley, P., Thuiller, W. & Courchamp, F. (2012). Impacts of climate change on the future of biodiversity. Ecology Letters, 15, 365-377.

[iv] Sorte, F.A. (2017). Global change and the distributional dynamics of migratory bird populations wintering in Central America. Global Change Biology, 23(12), 5284-5296.

[v] Gramling, C. (November 3, 2017). Humans are driving climate change. Federal scientists say. Retrieved from https://www.sciencenews.org/article/humans-climate-change-national-assessment-2017

[vi] Loss, S.R. et al. (2014). Bird-building Collisons in the United States: Estimates of Annual Mortality and Species Vulnerability. The Condor, 116(1), 8-23.

[vii] Longcore, T. et al. (2012). An Estimate of Avian Mortality at Communication Towers in the United States and Canada. PLOS One, 7(4).

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1/3/2018

Anne Arundel County passes Community Cat bill 96-17

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Yesterday, Anne Arundel city council unanimously passed Bill 96-17 to provide humane guidelines for caring for feral cats. Over 20 people spoke at the December 18th meeting on this bill, largely in support. Alley Cat Rescue provided testimony to the city council explaining the importance of TNR and the state of the current feral cat problem in the area. Thank you to all of our amazing supporters who showed up and spoke in support of feral cats! It is important that local officials hear from their constituents and can make all the difference when the council members go to vote.

This bill will provide guidelines that allow for TNR in the county and help animal control officers and cat caregiver work together.

The bill’s sponsor, Council member John Grasso, explains the importance of the bill: “An established, stable, sterilized, and vaccinated colony of feral cats will deter other stray and feral cats from moving into the area. This decreases the risk that residents will encounter an unvaccinated cat, and will virtually eliminate problem behaviors like fighting, spraying, and yowling. Cats vaccinated against rabies also create a buffer zone between wildlife and the public, which greatly reduces the risk of contracting the disease,” he writes in his Facebook post.
​
We look forward to more counties adopting humane guidelines such as these. Remember to reach out to your local councilmember and tell them your support TNR!



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1/3/2018

helping cats affected by Hurricane Harvey

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Like many people across the country, we watched the heartbreaking news footage of Hurricane Harvey earlier this year. We immediately knew we had to act to help pets affected by the devastation. We deployed an experienced team to the region to assist in the evacuation of animals. Our team wore many hats during this time and were stationed both outside of Houston, Texas to help with on-the-ground rescue work and in Austin, Texas at temporary emergency shelters. In Austin, team members triaged cats coming in from Houston for treatment, assisted volunteer vets at the medical centers, cleaned cages, sorted through donations, provided care to several hundred cats and sorted through the mountains of donated supplies to be sent to shelters and emergency centers.

Outside of Houston, our team paddle boarded through the devastation to rescue pets left behind. During one of these rescues, we saved four cats and a dog who were left in a flooded house alone for nine days. We found their guardian and reunited this family. Watching his face light up upon seeing his pets was truly a humbling experience for our team and reminded us why this work is so important.

Shelters were in desperate need of space and we worked to transfer 24 cats into our care. These cats were living in shelters before the hurricane. By taking these cats in, we freed up space in the shelters for cats affected by the hurricane. We found homes for two of the cats in Austin, Texas and five cats were relocated to our Los Angeles location. The remaining cats were brought back to ACR headquarters in Maryland. The team organized the transport of the cats including providing all supplies, food and carriers for these cats. The cats were named after towns in Texas such as Austin, Amarillo and Idalou. The work didn’t end when the team returned to Maryland though. Some of the cats needed extra care, such as Amarillo, who staff members nursed back to health. He went from a weak kitten to an outgoing and rambunctious personality. Today, all of our Hurricane Harvey cats have found forever homes! It has been an amazing experience to see these cats transform after a traumatizing situation and know they are now in loving homes.
​
Although Hurricane Harvey was a tragic and heartbreaking experience, the ACR team was inspired by the brave people and cats we met on this mission.  Disaster relief is an important part of ACR’s mission to protect cats throughout the country. Thankfully, assisting pets during natural disasters has become easier after the events of Hurricane Katrina. Hurricane Katrina illustrated how powerful the bond between humans and their pets can be. Victims of the hurricane were told they could not bring their beloved pets with them to disaster relief shelters. Many pet guardians refused to leave their pets behind and stayed outside, resulting in potential death. A poll from the Fritz Institute found 44% of people who chose not to evacuate during Hurricane Katrina did so because they did not want to leave their pets behind. Katrina led to the passage of a law, the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act, which gave the Federal Emergency Management Agency authority to provide rescue, care and shelter to animals affected by natural disasters. Our team in Houston saw the effects of this and participated in coordinated efforts to protect our non-human friends affected by the hurricane. Please continue to support ACR so we can stay involved in rescue missions firsthand.
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        • Shelters with Working Cat Programs
      • End Deadly Eradication Methods
      • "Fix the Family"
  • Spay/Neuter
    • Early Age Spay/Neuter
    • Misconceptions About Spay/Neuter
    • State Low Cost Spay/Neuter
  • How to Help Community Cats
    • Find a Stray Cat?
    • What is a Feral Cat? >
      • Feral vs. Stray Cats
      • Benefits of Feral Cats
    • TNR-- What does this mean? >
      • TNR Statistics
      • TNR Step-by-Step
      • Targeted Trapping
      • TNR Tips
      • Hard to Catch Cats
      • TNR Equipment Loan Resources
      • Where to Buy TNR Equipment
      • TNR/Community Cat Care Financial Resources
      • Helping Shelters Implement TNR Programs
      • Common Complaints
    • Providing Shelter
    • CAT Action Teams: TNR Groups by State
    • Health Care
    • Cat Overpopulation
    • Relocation
    • Feral Kittens >
      • What to do if you find kittens
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      • Fostering Kittens
    • How Rescuers Can Effectively Adopt Out Cats >
      • Adopting Adult Feral Cats
    • Winter Tips for Protecting Cats
    • Summer Tips for Cats
    • Feral Cats and the Law
    • Cats and Wildlife >
      • Cats and Predation
      • Where have all the birds gone?
      • Debunking the Myths and Misinformation: Cat Predation
      • Why Eradication Methods Fail
    • Handbook Download
  • Cat Health & Supplies
    • Health Care for Your Cat >
      • Vaccines
      • Wellness Vet Checkups
      • Microchiping
      • Nail Trimmings
      • Effects of aging
      • Hospice Care and Euthanasia Decisions
      • Financial Assistance
      • How to Prepare for an Emergency
    • FIP, FeLV, FIV >
      • Testing for FeLV/FIV
    • Common Cat Health Issues >
      • Feline Panleukopenia
      • Fleas
      • Zoonotic Diseases
      • Rabies
      • Toxoplasmosis
      • Ringworm - Symptoms and Treatment
      • Ringworm Myths Debunked
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      • Diabetes
      • Indoor/Outdoor Cats
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      • Aggressive Cats >
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      • Meowing and Yowling
      • Urine Marking
      • Behavior Issues in Elderly Cats
    • Introducing Cats
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