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Women face trial for feeding, trapping stray cats
https://www.local10.com ^ | December 13, 2022 | Staff

Posted on 12/13/2022 6:04:55 AM PST by Red Badger

WETUMPKA, Ala. – Two women are scheduled to stand trial in an Alabama city court where they’re accused of committing misdemeanors in their efforts to feed and trap stray cats.

Mary Alston, 60, and Beverly Roberts, 84, were arrested and taken to jail by police in Wetumpka over the summer. The police chief said the women had previously been warned not to feed stray animals.

A trial was set for Tuesday morning in Wetumpka Municipal Court. Both women, who were arrested on public property, face misdemeanor counts of criminal trespassing, the Montgomery Advertiser reported. Roberts was also charged with disorderly conduct, while Alston faced a charge of interfering with government operations.

Terry Luck, an attorney for one of the women, said they were performing a public service by trapping stray cats and having them neutered and spayed.

“There were plenty of other ways this could have been addressed without these ladies being arrested and taken to jail,” Luck said.

Wetumpka Police Chief Greg Benton said feeding the cats had created a nuisance because it attracts more animals to the area. He said both women had been “repeatedly” warned to stop prior to being arrested.

The prosecutor assigned to the case, Brad Ekdahl, said he's aware the arrests have attracted attention beyond Wetumpka, a city of 7,200 people that's located about 15 miles (24 kilometers) northeast of Montgomery.

“I think the best approach is to present the evidence in a fair and impartial manner and allow the judge to render a verdict,” Ekdahl said.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Outdoors; Pets/Animals; Society
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1 posted on 12/13/2022 6:04:55 AM PST by Red Badger
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To: Red Badger

This happened in north Texas a few years ago. Guy was arrested for feeding cats...Next day over a thousand people showed up to help him.


2 posted on 12/13/2022 6:07:36 AM PST by devane617 (Discipline Is Reliable, Motivation Is Fleeting..)
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To: Red Badger

Several strange cat experiences..

Recently, a guy living in a rural area shot a cat that was in his yard in a rural area.

Ends up the cat belonged to a neighbor who went searching for it, found it dead and buried it.

Then the neighbor called PITA. They came, dug up the cat, found it was shot and called police.

The guy was arrested and was fined $30,000 and possible jail for cruelty to animals. Out on bail now pending hearing.

Another situation, a friend of mine had a sand box in his yard for his three young children to play. The neighbor had 20+ cats running loose and they used my friend’s children’s sandbox as a litter box.

He mixed a can of tuna with antifreeze and killed all the cats. Animals cruelty people showed up, but could prove nothing as all the evidence was gone except for lots of dead cats that he threw back into the cat owner’s yard.

Pennsylvania has a law that it is illegal to feed stray cats, and if you do, you are liable for any damage they cause. That includes medical bills from cat scratches on children.


3 posted on 12/13/2022 6:19:21 AM PST by tired&retired (Blessings )
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To: tired&retired

Sorry for bad flow. Was interrupted while typing.


4 posted on 12/13/2022 6:20:10 AM PST by tired&retired (Blessings )
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To: tired&retired

When I first moved to NH I lived in a condo complex/residential area that had a lot of stray cats in the vicinity.
The single 30 something woman next door used to feed them.
Sometimes there would ten or more on the deck/patio next to our unit. She said one of the females had kittens under the deck the year before.
Apparently, some had at one time been someones pet. The people moved away and just let the cats go outside.


5 posted on 12/13/2022 6:32:19 AM PST by woodbutcher1963
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To: Red Badger
But we gotta let drug runners, car jackers and terrorists run through the country!!

F'd UP!!

6 posted on 12/13/2022 6:36:52 AM PST by high info voter (Delivery )
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To: Red Badger

Article says they were also trapping the cats. That probably means they were taking the cats to a clinic for spay or neuter. That provides a service to the community, preventing them from multiplying.
It’s the nitwits who dump pets that cause the problem.


7 posted on 12/13/2022 6:38:14 AM PST by Sloopy
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To: Red Badger

I’d much rather see a feral cat in the yard than a squirrel, mole, rat or other rodent.

Maybe they could spay and neuter squirrels?


8 posted on 12/13/2022 6:40:46 AM PST by anton
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To: Sloopy

—> That provides a service to the community, preventing them from multiplying.

Complete service is to euthanize them, sadly.


9 posted on 12/13/2022 6:45:08 AM PST by aMorePerfectUnion (Fraud vitiates everything. )
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To: Sloopy

TNR(Trap Neuter Release) is the way to help with the feral cat population. In my area the tip of the right ear is clipped off so if they are trapped in the future they are instantly released.


10 posted on 12/13/2022 7:01:44 AM PST by devane617 (Discipline Is Reliable, Motivation Is Fleeting..)
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To: Red Badger

Small town cops making a big deal out of nothing.

People here idolize rural areas but crap like this happens in Mayberry...too many Barney Fifes trying to make felonies out of nothing. They got nothing else to do.

Beyond stupid.


11 posted on 12/13/2022 7:06:55 AM PST by Regulator (It's fraud, Jim)
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To: Red Badger

Seems like something should be done to discourage this type of behavior by the town and those officials who arrested these ladies and those who authorized the arrest.


12 posted on 12/13/2022 7:10:52 AM PST by Truth29
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To: Red Badger

We have plenty of stray cats in this part pf Phoenix. No roof rats though. I call that a win.


13 posted on 12/13/2022 7:18:33 AM PST by Dr. Sivana (But yet the Son of man, when he cometh, shall he find, think you, faith on earth? (Luke 18:8))
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To: Dr. Sivana

According to Dr. Laura, cats in Phoenix are ‘Coyote Food’..................


14 posted on 12/13/2022 7:26:05 AM PST by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegal aliens are put up in hotels.....................)
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To: Red Badger
According to Dr. Laura, cats in Phoenix are ‘Coyote Food’....

Depends on where they are. There is some truth to that in north central Phoenix and certainly near the mountains. Not here in South Mountain. though. No evidence of coyotes. Those of us who let our cats out know the price of their freedom.
15 posted on 12/13/2022 7:29:57 AM PST by Dr. Sivana (But yet the Son of man, when he cometh, shall he find, think you, faith on earth? (Luke 18:8))
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To: Red Badger

People feed and at time trap strays all the time here.

I thought that was normal cat-lady behavior.


16 posted on 12/13/2022 7:30:24 AM PST by Chickensoup (Genocide is here. Leftist extremists are spearhheading the Genocide against conservatives. )
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To: Red Badger

Police in Wetumpka must not have much to do with their time.


17 posted on 12/13/2022 7:31:46 AM PST by packagingguy
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To: tired&retired
He mixed a can of tuna with antifreeze and killed all the cats.

There were many other ways to deal with the cats going into his sandbox. Like a cover unless the kids were playing in it. Like calling a local cat rescue group to help out, instead of subjecting those poor cats to a miserable death. I know I hope he has a very miserable death himself. He sounds like a moron.

18 posted on 12/13/2022 7:33:10 AM PST by EinNYC
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To: Regulator

I moved to Appalachia in 1991. There were lots of stray dogs and cats. Lots of road kill.

Then the county turned their shelter into a No Kill Humane Shelter.

Now I NEVER see a stray dog or cat. And no more stray cats show up.


19 posted on 12/13/2022 7:33:43 AM PST by Karoo
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To: Dr. Sivana

There are packs of coyotes south of South Mountain down by Riggs Road.


20 posted on 12/13/2022 7:53:47 AM PST by Jeff Chandler (THE ISSUE IS NEVER THE ISSUE. THE REVOLUTION IS THE ISSUE.)
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