Hemingway, SC, USA: I would call this a sneaky attempt by someone in authority who does not like cats to stop a kind-hearted lady from feeding them.
Hemingway resident, Faye Owens made a complaint at a council meeting about no-trespassing signs which had suddenly sprung up on the property where she’s been feeding the cats.
She told the council that she had been feeding three feral cats who had come out of nearby woods at Hemingway High School and the National Guard Armoury building on Cribb Street. She said that she lives near this area.
She has been feeding the feral cats for about two years because she’s kindhearted and because she had asked the county’s Animal Control to pick up the cats and do something about them but they had not responded (comment: was that a good idea?).
About a month ago while she was feeling the cats a neighbouring homeowner ‘verbally attacked’ her, she said, claiming that she was not allowed to feed the cats. She responded that she was not on the man’s property and believed that she was not trespassing on anyone else’s property either.
It appears that the police chief, Bryan Todd became involved and told the man that Faye Owens was not on his property but that she might be on government property.
Here’s the sneaky bit: later that day she returned to her house and saw small no-trespassing signs on the National Guard Armoury property. She said that the parking lot to the National Guard Armoury is used for funerals, school parking and graduations and those sorts of events.
Faye Owens made a good point. She asked the council whether she was the only person who was trespassing. The point she was making is that it is impossible for her to be the sole trespasser. Either everyone is going to trespass if they go onto that property or no one is. As the place was used for various events it appears that no one is trespassing and that the signs that were put up were directed at her in response to what happened that day.
Faye Owens said:
“I don’t expect everyone to feel the same way about animals as I do but their rights don’t outweigh mine.”
Faye Owens
A council member said that somebody would be in touch with her and thanked her for coming to the meeting.
Source: King Street News
Comment: Now, I think that she did a great job and I also believe that she was targeted. Somebody, perhaps the police chief, wanted to stop her feeding the cats and tried to achieve his goal in an underhand and unsuccessful way. If it was the sheriff, this would appear to be misfeseance in a public office.
I would hope that when she is contacted by the council that they agree that she can continue to feed the cats. I would also hope that all three cats are spayed or neutered.
