There’s a situation taking place in Greenville, South Carolina that is turning the stomachs of cat lovers throughout the internet community. A TNR program designed to reduce the number of feral cats using the Community Cat Diversion Program offered through Greenville County Animal Care Services (GCACS) apparently isn’t what it seems. Young kittens are allegedly being released back into strange surroundings almost immediately following surgery.
Read on and please feel free to comment at the end. As with many of the articles I do about the Greenville shelter, I prefer those who are closer to the situation to ‘carry’ the article rather than my reporting alone. I don’t have absolute proof the shelter is doing this but those who have witnessed the kittens being dumped are pretty sure it is. They have the tattoo and also animal control was witnessed releasing them by very credible witnesses. Thus the word “alleged.”
By the way, contacting local news media is NOT an option as they won’t speak out against the shelter.
WHAT SHOULD HAPPEN
Community Cat Diversion Program: Operating under the guidelines of the Trap-Neuter-Return method, which is the only proven way to effectively and humanely reduce cat overpopulation, the Community Cat Diversion program offers citizens of Greenville County access to free spay and neuter services for cats that live outdoors and are “free roaming”.
WHAT IS HAPPENING
Greenville County residents pay taxes to fund these young kittens being spayed/neutered and released back onto the street, many times in busy areas where they’re at risk of being hit by cars or worse. They’re outraged their tax dollars are being spent in this manner but unclear what to do to put an end to this madness.
Below are two cases from this week alone.
Case 1 June 15, 2017: “A litter of 7, yes 7, kittens ran out in front of me pulling into my neighborhood tonight. Apparently, they were dumped today,” Jennifer Hill Miles reported. One of the kittens is Gracie, who is undergoing laser treatment due to her spay incision not holding Jennifer says “She is only 1.5 lbs now, well under the 2 lb limit to be spayed in the first place Vet used laser therapy to treat the wound and she is scheduled for a repeat treatment Saturday morning. He feels we should see incredible improvement after a second treatment! So grateful as I have another 7-10 kittens to catch, care for and adopt out as well.”
Donations can be made to Fountain Inn Animal Clinic 864-862-4707 under Amy Mathis for Gracie!
Case 2 June 22, 2017: Well-respected Greenville dog rescuer Kala Laughter stated “GCAC just had animal control dumped this tiny kitten! On the highway of Wade Hampton. He was just fixed and ear tipped. He is NOT feral as you can see! So the truth is that they ARE dumping kittens! Kitty dumped near Minuteman Press on Wade Hampton this morning after he taken to GCAC Tuesday for safety. AC male officer w blondish hair and a lot witnesses at that company or if not this little guy would have already been run over!!”
WHAT CAN BE DONE?
What can be done to stop the release of kittens who are being spayed/neutered at a weight less than shelter policy and released into busy and unfamiliar territory shortly after surgery? New media won’t help. We’ve gone that route before and no news channel in the area will report on this. Greenville County Council is no better.
IS this animal cruelty? It would appear so because these kittens are being returned to the streets when in reality they’re young enough to be tamed and offered up for adoption. What difference is there between this and people who open their car door and abandon their cat far from home?
Rescues or fosters could be found. The shelter doesn’t appear to be asking for help. Keep in mind these babies are a “live release” which makes the shelter look very good on their stats.
Way to go on that live release rate, Greenville. You must be so proud.
Elisa
If people would stop dumping unfixed cats we wouldn’t even need TNR.
Very sneaky that they’ve substituted ‘Relocate’ for ‘Return’ when actually implementing their TNR programme. The general public would have no idea this is happening, without brave animal-advocates speaking up on behalf of these cats and kittens.
Any animal considered to be living wild, should always be returned to their original location. Dumping them elsewhere always causes problems, but to do this to young, inexperienced kittens is downright cruel. Feral kittens wouldn’t be leaving their mothers at such a young age, so it should be common sense their chances or survival in unfamiliar surroundings are zero.
Has anyone contacted the state agencies?? Possibly the vet licensing board?