(Richmond, Virginia) – The coalition of humane groups involved in a Trap, Neuter and Return project at a feral cat colony behind a Richmond television station is reminding the public to not hamper their effort by feeding the cats.
Thus far, 26 kittens and six adult cats have been recovered from the area behind WRLH-TV (FOX 35), in the 1900 block of Westmoreland Street in Henrico County.
“Our trapping has slowed somewhat, partially because of the heat and stress the cats have endured over the past week, but we also suspect people are feeding the cats” said Save Our Shelters Director of Cat Rescue Peggy Lynch. “The cats are being well cared for but it is important for people to understand that we need to be able to control the cats feeding schedule.”
Lynch said during the last few nights, the cats have seemed uninterested in the mackerel, tuna and chicken used to bait the humane traps. To a hungry cat, these types of treats are normally irresistible. Volunteers have also found food and feeding bowls in the area. She reminds well-meaning individuals that leaving food at the FOX cat colony location will only prolong the amount of time before these cats can be recovered and cared for.
The Richmond SPCA is providing spay or neuter, vaccinations, and other medical care to the cats recovered from the site by SOS and other organizations. Adult cats that are not socialized will be released back into their habitat and monitored as part of the “Trap, Neuter and Return” program. Kittens removed from the site are being socialized by SOS volunteers and offered for adoption to loving homes.
Many of the kittens recovered from the FOX 35 colony, as well as other SOS cats and kittens, will be available for adoption on Sunday, July 13 from noon until 3 p.m. at Betty Baugh’s Animal Clinic, at 5322 Patterson Avenue in Richmond.
About Save Our Shelters
Founded in 1996, Save Our Shelters (SOS) is a registered 501(c)3 organization with a goal of ensuring the humane treatment of all animals. For more information on SOS, please visit www.saveourshelters.com.
A video overview of the FOX 35 cat colony Trap, Neuter and Return effort is in the final stages of being edited. The piece features SOS Director of giving us a tour and history of the site, and explaining the Trap, Neuter and Return method.
Look for the premier of the video right here at the SOS Blog!
(Richmond, Virginia) – The “Trap, Neuter and Return” program being conducted by animal rescue organizations at a feral cat colony behind a local television station is expected to continue for some time. The on-site work is being conducted by a coalition of local humane groups, led by Save Our Shelters (SOS).
Thus far, 26 kittens and six adult cats have been recovered from the area behind WRLH-TV (FOX 35), in the 1900 block of Westmoreland Street in Henrico County. That number is growing almost daily. By the time the current portion of the effort is complete, the total number of rescued cats and kittens could be as high as 40 to 50. Some of the kittens recovered from the site are as young as four weeks old.
“We will be working at the FOX 35 site for several weeks to come,” said Save Our Shelters Director of Cat Rescue Peggy Lynch. “When our work is complete the colony will be stabilized, and with ongoing monitoring and oversight it will diminish in size over time.”
The Richmond SPCA is providing spay or neuter, vaccinations, and other medical care to the cats recovered from the site by SOS and other organizations. Adult cats that are not socialized will be released back into their habitat and monitored as part of the “Trap, Neuter and Return” program. Kittens removed from the site are being socialized by SOS volunteers and offered for adoption to loving homes.
SOS is only able to respond to situations such as this and advocate for the humane treatment of animals with help from volunteers and public support in the form of donations. Details on how to volunteer or donate, as well as information on how to adopt an SOS dog or cat, can be found at www.saveourshelters.com.
Donations of pet food and other items are not being accepted, and SOS urges well-meaning individuals NOT to leave cat food at the Westmoreland Street site, as it interferes with the trapping effort.
About Save Our Shelters
Founded in 1996, Save Our Shelters (SOS) is a registered 501(c)3 organization with a goal of ensuring the humane treatment of all animals. For more information on SOS, please visit www.saveourshelters.com.
We have several media appearances coming up this week. Tonight (Monday night), Director of Cat Rescue Peggy Lynch is expected to be on WTVR-TV, Richmond’s channel 6, on the 6 p.m. and/or 11 p.m. news. She brought one of the “Foxlets” to the station to follow up on the adoptions at Betty Baugh’s Animal Clinic yesterday.
On Wednesday, meanwhile, Peggy is expected to be interviewed live on WTVR’s Virginia This Morning show, which airs between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. She’ll talk about the FOX 35 cat colony and education about spaying and neutering in general.
Here’s the update from SOS Director of Cat Rescue Peggy Lynch from the FOX 35 Trap, Neuter and Return site from July 6, 2008.
All photos taken on Sunday evening are available at Flickr. Click here to view them.
——————— It continues to be slow going at the FOX colony location. People are still feed at the site which is hurting our trapping efforts. I visited the location Saturday afternoon and found small pink and blue bowls filled with food on the railroad siding. I removed the bowls and left a note wrapped in plastic under a rock in the hopes that the well intentioned feeder would find it. When we returned the note was still there but there was no food in sight.
We gave the cats a break from trapping for a couple of days as the SPCA and PAL were closed for the holiday weekend and we didn’t want to stress the cats by keeping any in traps for too long. We trapped a 6 week old female in the early hours this morning. But tonight we trapped for 2 hours before being rained out with no success. This is the first night we have come away empty handed. The adults do not appear hungry. So we are concerned there is off site feeding going on that we have not discovered yet. We did a trapping post mortem before leaving and came up with a strategy of different bait to try tomorrow. We will hit the location early in the morning and then again tomorrow evening.
We held adoptions today at our regular location. Channels 8 and 12 both covered the event and announced that the FOX kittens would be available for adoption on several news casts Friday and Saturday and we truly appreciate their continued interest in this ongoing situation. Traffic was slow but the people who came out did adopt. 5 kittens (1 Foxlet) and 2 adults were placed in new loving homes. We would not normally hold adoptions on July 4th weekend because it is traditionally slow but we wanted to take advantage of the media attention the cats and kittens have been receiving. We are overflowing with kittens, 46 between the SOS kittens and the Foxlets, all of whom are getting older each day so it is imperative that we take every opportunity to find them homes.
Tonight we spotted four six to seven-week-old kittens that we have seen before, as well as two adult cats that we have not seen in the 12 days we have been on site. The lactating mama cats continue to ignore the traps and run interference when the kittens show interest. We have trapped all but one of a litter of tiny grey kittens. Mom is keeping the remaining baby very close. The kitten is adorable to watch scampering down the railroad tracks never far from mom’s watchful gaze. A dozen or so adults are regulars at the location but it appears many have dispersed for a quieter domain. Of the adults we are seeing approximately 1/2 are ear tipped. One cat who I have named Boomerang has been trapped three times. She was spayed and returned last week but apparently can’t resist the siren’s song of Jack Mackerel…:)
The Foxlets all continue to do well. Several more are now weigh enough to be spayed and neutered this week. The two four-week-olds are now eating on their own and thriving under the loving care of CARE and Somebuddies, Inc. Two eight-week-olds are struggling with diarrhea and need force feeding to maintain their strength but over all the kittens taken from the site are amazingly healthy.
Below is a slideshow of pictures taken of kittens rescued from the FOX 35 cat colony during the Trap, Neuter and Return mission there … otherwise known as the “Foxlets”. These pictures were taken by Peggy Lynch during a tour of the “foster homes” where the kittens are living and becoming socialized. Peggy says all of the little balls of fur are doing great! Some of them will be available for adoption THIS WEEKEND from 12 noon until 3 p.m. at Betty Baugh’s Animal Clinic (5322 Patterson Avenue in Richmond).
To see a larger image from the pictures in the slideshow, just click on the picture. You’ll be taken to slide.com, the service used to make this slideshow. To see the title of a photo (most of which include the name of the kitten in the picture), just hold your mouse pointer over the picture. If you reach the end of the slideshow and want to watch it again, just click refresh on your browser and it will start over.
SOS Director of Cat Rescue Peggy Lynch talked this afternoon with Kat Simons from WTVR-FM, Lite 98. Kat is a big supporter of animal rights issues. Listen to the interview by clicking the right-facing arrow below.
You can also download the audio file to your computer by clicking here.
This isn’t brand new news, but here’s an excerpt from the news release from Henrico County about the charges filed in relation to the feral cat colony behind FOX 35. Note: There’s a typo in the copy. The date is probably supposed to be June 30, not June 3.
On June 3, 2008 at 4:47 PM the Henrico Police Animal Protection Unit obtained three warrants for 3.1-796.122 Animal Cruelty against Mr. Keith J. Copi. This was a result of an investigation that began last week involving the company Mr. Copi works for, Critter Control, being contracted by WRLH Fox 35 to trap and remove a feral cat colony behind the business on Westmorland Street.
Fox 35, Critter Control and Mr. Copi have been cooperative during the entire investigation.
After a thorough investigation and consultation with the Henrico County Commonwealth Attorney’s Office we determined that Mr. Copi acted illegally by trapping and then killing the cats. We are not releasing the manner in which the cats were killed as that will be used as evidence against him in court by the Commonwealth Attorney.
Mr. Copi faces up to 12 months in jail and a $2500.00 fine on each charge.
We have been in contact with Mr. Copi’s attorney and he will be arrested later this week.
Another media appearance is coming up today for SOS. Director of Cat Rescue Peggy Lynch will appear on Kat (appropriate name) Simons’ midday show on WTVR FM, Lite 98, to talk about the Trap, Neuter and Return operation that’s currently ongoing at FOX 35.
The interview will air at about 1:15 p.m. If you miss it, be sure to check back here. Kat assures us that she will record the interview and send it over. We’ll post is on this blog this afternoon!
Save Our Shelters Director of Cat Rescue Peggy Lynch did a great interview today on WRVA Radio’s Richmond Morning News with Jimmy Barrett. The interview aired at 6:35 a.m. and 8:35 a.m. Click on the right-facing arrow in the player below to listen!
Three "Foxlets"; Bella, Barnaby and Bounce, enjoying the easy life while living with an SOS volunteer.
FOX 35 TNR Effort
SOS is currently engaged in a Trap, Neuter, and Return effort behind WRLH-TV (FOX 35), a television station in Richmond, Virginia. To view the SOS overview of the FOX 35 cat colony and the issues surrounding it, click here!.
Save Our Shelters
Founded in 1996, Save Our Shelters (SOS) is a registered 501(c)3 organization with a goal of ensuring the humane treatment of all animals. For more information on the organization, and to learn how you can adopt, volunteer or donate, please visit saveourshelters.com.
Media Inquiries
Members of the media wishing to contact SOS about a story should contact Steve Mullen at EndGame Public Relations, at (804) 382-0017.
