Posted on 12/23/2008 9:54:37 PM PST by MovementConservative
PRAIRIE CITY, Ore. -- An elderly couple accused of trapping their neighbor's cat can avoid a trial if they write a letter of apology and pay a $177 veterinary bill.
But Vera and Dorrance "Smokey" Wilborn don't seem ready to perform either task, the East Oregonian newspaper reported.
The Wilborns say cats have long been a nuisance in their Prairie City neighborhood. To deal with the problem, they set a trap in their carport last spring.
The cat's owner, Tina Willet, called Oregon State Police on May 28 to report that she had to rescue her cat named "Spook." She said Spook hadn't returned that night, so she went searching until she heard cries coming from the Wilborns' carport. Unable to open the trap, Willet took the cat and the device back home.
The Wilborns were charged with theft of a companion animal. The case was headed to trial this month before District Attorney Ryan Joslin of Grant County had the case dismissed by the justice of the peace.
Joslin told he Wilborns' court-appointed attorneys that he could refile the charges unless the Wilborns pay the vet bill, stop trapping cats and write a letter of apology to the Willets.
The Wilborns' court-appointed attorneys, however, said they had already rejected those demands in earlier court proceedings. "I'm ready for trial," said Markku Sario, who represents 87-year-old Vera.
Smokey Wilborn, 83, is also against the settlement: "That cat still comes up here."
Meanwhile, Willet's also not thrilled with the possible outcome.
Though she doesn't believe the Wilborns should do jail time, she thinks a fine would be appropriate. And she says animal cruelty would have been the proper charge -- not theft.
She noted that other cats have disappeared in recent years, and wants assurances the Wilborns will stop trapping.
(Excerpt) Read more at oregonlive.com ...
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Poor kitty kat.
Charge Willet with trespassing and theft. This is ridiculous. the attorneys are loving it.
We have a racoon problem in our neighborhood. The traps used also tend to catch neighborhood cats. Identified cat owners get their cat back along with a notice to not let their cat roam at night, otherwise they will be fined. The racoons get released at the WMA down the road.
I have an escape artist cat(fixed). Neighbors decided to trap my cat. I went over and told em my cat was in their trap. They yelled about the cat getting in their garden etc etc. I asked them not to trap him, but if they see him in their yard at all don’t be afraid to soak him with the hose.
Cat doesn’t go over there anymore when he slips out of the house.
sounds fair and balanced
Also fair and balanced
In my county cats are obligated to the same leash laws that dogs are. I love it!!! I also have a strong dislike for irresponsible cat owners who let their beasts run about because “ its what cats do”.
There are two kinds of people:
1) Sane people
2) Mindless, brainwashed tools who kneel before their feline overlords
I have a perfect right to have my house
Somebody else has a perfect right to have their cat
I have a perfect right to not have someones cat around, under, in, or on top of my house.
The cat apologists are gonna start whining “They’re so cute!” Yada Yada Blah Blah Ad Nauseum.
I call BS, because they are inquisitive, exploring, destructive animals that have far less fear of humans than a real wild animal like a raccoon.
And they are true killers. Ever watch a cat kill something? He basically takes his time, and only finishes it off when he’s bored. Like some kind of Truman Capote novel or something!
Keep YOUR CAT away from MY HOUSE!!
(I don’t mean you personally)
We have two cats that stay in our yard because we put collars on them and have an invisible fence. Unfortunately, neighborhood cats come into our yard and sometimes get into fights with our cats. The vet bills and trauma to our cats when this happens are very bad.
People should keep their pets at home in their own yard, for crying out loud. Be responsible. Use an invisible fence. It works.
Cat owners generally feel leash laws do not apply to them, even when those laws explicitly state cats are included in the leash laws.
Our cats are all indoor-only rescued kitty cats. Because we knew they would appreciate some fresh air, we enclosed one of our patios (it’s now a “catio”) which lets them be outside, but safe and enclosed. Indoor-only cats live longer, safer lives.
My preference is to kill 'em on sight. Not that I DO that mind you. It's against the law:)
I tend to piss off many “cat people” but they should have no more rights than my dogs. BTW I have a maltese and a mutt. I am also a birder so I have a special disdain for cats who roam freely
Good for you except...
You are propagating a stereotype by your use of the word “kitty”.
So now, if I do anything at all to try to keep SOMEBODY ELSES CAT away from my house, I’m worse that someone who boils small children and eats them on rye bread or something!
If your cat was twice as big as it is now, and you were only half as tall as you are now, you would not be the “owner”. You would not be the “master”. You would not be the “caretaker” or the “friend”.
You’d be the “lunch”!
These are just my thoughts and are not aimed at you. But there are alot of cat owners who should NOT BE cat owners!
My platoon of cats are highly trained rat-killing machines. They provide a service.
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