West Miami man ordered to give up his elderly cats

perez cats
Two of Perez’s cats in a mobile cage he has built. This is not ideal.

By Elisa Black-Taylor

West Miami resident Hans H. Perez is now facing a predicament no cat lover should ever have to go through. Hans is the owner of nine cats, whom he’s had and cared for 16 years. He is actually a cat rescuer and lives in rented accommodation.

Now thanks to a city code allowing a three cat maximum per household, Hans was ordered to give up six of his cats or face a $25 per day fine, which started on May 1st  2013 and continues. A Care2 petition to save these senior cats has been started by the Octavio Feline Foundation.

This isn’t a case of a cat caregiver being in over his head and the cats having to suffer. An animal control officer for Miami-Dade County has been out to the home, where it was determined that Perez is a responsible cat caregiver. He’s within County Code and has provided both vet references as well as references by his neighbors.

Mr. Perez has lived in West Miami for 20 years now, and has had these cats for 16 of those years.

The nine cats are all well cared for, up to date with their vetting, spay/neutered, and registered with the city. I’m not sure by the way the article reads as to whether Perez lives in the county and is having to follow a city code, or whether he resides within city limits. Perhaps someone more familiar with this dilemma can clarify this. At any rate, the fines are in place and accruing but he is not paying them. There is the possibility of an amendment to the ordinance that provides for a period of transition, which would benefit Mr Perez and his cats.

The petition, written by Carolina Araica and targeted to the city of West Miama, Chief Code Enforcement Officer Juan Pena, Mayor Eduardo H. Muhina and City Manager Yolanda Aguilar is asking for all of the cats to be allowed to live out the remainder of their lives in the only home they’ve ever known. Some have gone so far as to call the city officials cat haters, whose primary goal is to rid the city of all cats.

The Miami-Dade shelter isn’t an option, because they wouldn’t put the cats up for adoption due to their age. And owner turn-in’s don’t get any time to be adopted, meaning the cats could be euthanized as soon as they come into the shelter. Miami-Dade kills 90% of turn-in’s.

This sounds like a case where government interference is just plain wrong. It would be different if a crime was being committed, such as neglect or animal hoarding. Even animal control has vouched for the cats being cared for and in good condition. Doesn’t local government have anything better to do than to harass a gentleman who has given a great life to his companions?

Here’s some contact info, should anyone wish to make their feelings known.

  • Chief Code Enforcement Officer Juan Pena (305)266-1122 (Main) or (305)266-4214 (Juan Pena)
  • Mayor Eduardo H. Muhina email cwmemuhina@bellsouth.net or (305)266-1122
  • City Manager Yolanda Aguilar (305)266-1122

Elisa

Note from Michael: the picture is published her under fair use principles. It is small and a link to the Miami Herald is provided thereby benefiting the newspaper.

17 thoughts on “West Miami man ordered to give up his elderly cats”

  1. The author of the best comment will receive an Amazon gift of their choice at Christmas! Please comment as they can add to the article and pass on your valuable experience.
  2. Hans H Perez, I am praying that these moronic “officials” will come to their senses and leave you and your cats ALONE! Are they REALLY this cold and heartless? It is one thing if someone is “hoarding” animals or if the animals are in poor health or living in unsafe, unhealthy, or dangerous conditions. From what I have read, this is not the case by a long stretch with you. Your cats are loved and cared for.
    PLEASE, Miami, do not bleed this man dry with fines and PLEASE do not take his precious cats from him! Let them stay with the man who loves and cares for them so well until the natural end of their lives. It is the ONLY humane and compassionate solution to what you so erroneously view as a “problem.”

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  3. I just makes me feel that this law which is so strict has been made by cat haters FOR cat haters!!! Its just horrible 🙁 I hope that a cat lover who has pleanty of money comes forward and pays the fines so he can keep his cats If I had the money I would.

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  4. Another case of the law being unable to cover the right situations only. It’s very sad indeed. If only the man could just move the hell out of there. There should be an additional circumstance added into law that allows for more cats or dogs if its clearly not causing a problem – and it could be argued because of the problem of stray animals. There’s the motivation to allow more animals to a person wherever possible.

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