Announcing Our Next Steps to Protect the Feral Cats of Henrico

A few weeks ago, every animal lover in our community was stunned and horrified to see four of the five members of the Henrico County Board of Zoning Appeals tell Susan Mills that she could no longer care for a small group of feral cats that she had been caring for without incident for many years. Many of you asked us what would be next in our efforts to protect these cats. Today, we are announcing our next steps to protect innocent animals in Henrico from this irrational and callous decision of the Board.

Jack Robb and Will Shewmake of the law firm of LeclairRyan have agreed to appeal this ruling for Susan Mills to the Henrico County Circuit Court and we are deeply grateful to them for their wonderful generosity and concern for the compassionate treatment of animals in our community. We believe that the ruling of the Board of Zoning Appeals is neither logical nor rationally enforceable nor humane. We expect that a judge will see this clearly on appeal and that the decision of the Board will be reversed. We intend to do everything in our power to assist Messrs. Robb and Shewmake in achieving this outcome and to protect the lives of these innocent animals, not to mention those of so many other feral cats in Henrico whose futures are threatened by the Board’s ruling.

We are distributing yard signs to residents of Henrico who want to make clear that they care about animals and want to see feral cats treated with compassion and respect for their lives. The yard signs say “Henrico Can’t Tell Me Not To Care” and provide a link to the page on our website that is dedicated to saving these cats. The words are a reference to the “violation” issued by the county to Ms. Mills which said that “caring for feral cats” in R-4 zoning is prohibited. Please put one in your yard if you live in Henrico and help us to get them placed in as many yards as possible around the county. They will send a powerful message to the county.

The decision of the Board of Zoning Appeals reflected ignorance about feral cats and an irrational and callous approach to their treatment. It also created a ruling that is not susceptible of logical enforcement and that demands that people behave in an inhumane fashion. I do not believe that the citizens of Henrico will put up with being told that they may not feed and care for innocent animals on their own private property. One of the worst things any government can do is demand that its citizens behave in a way that they find to be cruel and unethical. We live in a country that was founded on ethical principles and people will not comply with rules that require them to depart from their own ethical framework. As this matter unfolds, all of us who love animals, and everyone who just believes in decency and kindness, must make clear to the Henrico County government that we expect its behavior and the rules that it prescribes for its people to reflect a code of ethics that its citizens can and should embrace. We will stand up to Henrico, or any other government that does otherwise, because it is our responsibility to protect the animals and ensure that our community is humane.

Henrico residents can visit our center starting today, Nov. 17, to obtain yard signs to show their support and distribute to fellow animal lovers. We will keep you posted as this matter progresses and let you know how you can continue to help. The enormous supportive response that Ms. Mills has gotten from people all over this community who are appalled at the decision of the Board of Zoning Appeals has been wonderful. It is crucial for all of us to continue to work together to send a strong message to Henrico that we will not be ordered to stop caring for the animals we love.

Robin Robertson Starr is the chief executive officer of the Richmond SPCA. To read her biography or that of our other bloggers, please click here. Before posting a comment, please review our comment guidelines. Please note that our comment policy requires a first and last name to be used as your screen name. 

Comments

[Karen Kantor]

I started a petition on Change.org urging the board to reverse their decision. Please sign and share widely!

http://www.change.org/petitions/stop-henrico-county-va-from-outlawing-the-care-of-feral-cats/share#via-email

[Amy Sanchez]

I don't live in Henrico anymore, but would like to know if they still have kill-policy shelters. I would love to see this changed as well.

[Tabitha Hanes]

Hi Karen,
While we’re sure you have the best intentions in creating a petition, urging the Board of Zoning Appeals to reverse itself is not a productive endeavor. The case will go to the Henrico Circuit Court, which has judiciary oversight of such board decisions. While the court is not swayed by letters and petitions, we have listed on our website a number of meaningful actions people can take. These include displaying a yard sign if you live in Henrico county, writing letters to the editor and utilizing social media (such as reposting this blog for your network on Facebook and Twitter).

Thank you for your love of animals,
Tabitha

[Linda Maroney]

Yes, yes, yes - I'll pick up three signs when I volunteer this evening.
If everyone was a responsibile owner, there would be no feral cats. People need to realize that by feeding and caring for feral cats, we are working to reduce the stray cat population not increase it. We're not asking people to feed or care for these cats, only to allow Ms. Mills and others like her to care for these cats.

[Shelby Walsh]

Sorry.....but I disagree with this all. We have ferral cats in in our neighborhood. WHAT A MESS! An elderly lady feeds these cats. They are a nuisance. We cannot walk by her house with our dogs that are on leashes without our dogs go nuts and try to eat the cat's feces. Even our vet said NOT HEALTHY. Besides fleas, they harbor diseases, worms,and chaos. They go under our houses and you can smell them thru the heating ducts. Other dogs have tried to tear up their decks trying to get to these unwanted creatures. I prefer them out in the country or dead.

[Robin Starr]

Shelby: We are publishing your comment because it meets our requirements but I have to say that it shocks me in its utter disregard for the value of the lives of these innocent cats. You cite issues about the cats near you for which they are not responsible, such as your dog going nuts around them and their getting under your house. It is your responsibility to manage your dog’s behavior around other animals and to close openings under your house to prevent animals from getting in. You and your vet are mistaken about these cats presenting health risks. So long as a proper trap-neuter-return program is being provided and the cats are receiving rabies vaccinations, there is no rational reason to fear them for health or any other reason. Feral cats, and all animals for that matter, are sentient beings whose lives are deserving of our protection and whose suffering merits our concern and action to relieve it. We were granted a position of great dominance over other animals on this earth by virtue of our intelligence and that imposed on us a sacred responsibility to treat them with caring and respect, it did not give us license to treat them with selfishness and cruelty. I hope that you will think long and hard about your callousness.

[Jeanne Bowles]

I find Shelby's comments biased and founded on anger rather than fact.
Cats do not leave fecal material around...they dig an area and carefully cover up their fecal material, unlike dogs.
I care for both dogs and cats and I feed feral cats and have for years. Feral cats that are managed are healthy and do not cause problems. As a matter of fact they are effective mousers.
It is sad that folks like Shelby do not understand that we are here on this earth to be caretakers of the creatures over whom we have dominance.
It was Gandhi who said that the mark of a civilized society is how it cares for its animals. It is my hope that this young woman learns from the comments of those who know, understand and
care for these animals.
Jeanne Bowles

[annie pelfrey]

wow! someone can love dogs, yet want cats dead. hard to fathom the disconnect...

[Kelly Vanneman]

It is our responsibility to care for those less fortunate, this includes animals. I live in Henrico County and have feral cats around my house, they provide me with joy every morning and night when I see them. Further more, the decision by Henrico County is a slippery slope. What is next? I will not be allowed to feed the birds or the squirrels or even keep a backyard garden because this might attract birds, squirrels or feral cats. We must remember that the outdoors is their home and not just something to look out of our windows at.

[K Tucker]

First, Thank you Robin and LeclairRyan for fighting for personal rights and for defending the feral cats.

Secondly, is there anything that the community can do at this point? I've been tweeting about it, but don't have a facebook page. I plan to come by to pick up a sign for my yard. What else can I do? Thank you again!

[Doris Muller]

"The Board of Zoning Appeals ruled 4-1 on Oct. 20 that caring for feral cats is not a permitted use of residential areas because it is not a customarily incidental use to a residence." I wonder how many days and nights someone spent looking for this tool to assault Ms Mills with? It's obvious there was malicious intent on the part of the board and whoever did the complaining. I'm sick of elected bodies acting like tyrants! I hope those involved do not identify themselves as Christians.

Just another case of the cat Nazis in action. As big a concern here is the way elected bodies use their position to bully the public. I presume someone made a complaint. There is always unspoken hostility involved in these attacks on compassionate animal care individuals. Most often it is another cat Nazi who is mad because cats kill birds, which is programmed into the cat's DNA.

It is a perfectly reasonable expectation for a caring person to feed a domestic creature in need. We also feed birds, squirrels, and others because we feel compassion towards them. In my area, I also feed the raccoons and any other animal that is hungry.

Also to limit citizens to three cats! Where were these elected brutes born, in China? Some animal friendly lawyer should sue the city/county on that one. Geez, all the cat Nazis are despicable.

[Tabitha Hanes]

Hi K,
We appreciate your tweets and your plans to display a sign in your yard. Those are two of the recommendations we have shared on www.richmondspca.org/feral. Supporters can also write letters to the editors of the Richmond Times-Dispatch and Henrico Citizen to bring additional attention to this case. We would also be grateful if you will make plans to attend the evidentiary hearing in Henrico Circuit Court. While the date and time has not yet been appointed, we will post that information as soon as it is available.
Thank you for your support!

[LISA PARSLEY]

I too have placed one in my yard as well and will try and get everyone i know to do same as well. what kind of country do we live in when our own county wants to tell us we can't be humane to other animals no matter what type that is just wrong. I am an animal lover and a rescuer . if we don't stand up for this one what's next ?? give them hell robin...

[barbara biggerstaff]

Thank you all for the love, knowledge, and support you continue to provide! I have just moved back to Henrico Co. - living in a condo so I can not display a sign BUT I will pick up a sign for my sister's home to display! Thank you, again.

to - Shelby Walsh ..... sigh ......

[Sharon J. Hill]

Thank you Robin, and the county of Henrico should thank those who care for feral cats--what a stigma for all the citizens if these fine creature would have to be killed.