“The proposed bill, Bill 21-386, gives the mayor the authority to categorize cats as an invasive or nuisance species”

Thanks to all who passed on from the Humane Rescue Alliance:

“DC CATS ARE BEING THREATENED

The District’s City Council has taken the first vote to approve a bill with potential long-term threats to ALL cats residing in the District of Columbia. The Humane Rescue Alliance (HRA) adamantly opposes this language and you should too. The bill, as proposed:

Would give the mayor the authority to categorize cats as an invasive or nuisance species.
Could jeopardize the use of our nationally-recognized and highly successful Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program.

The proposed bill, Bill 21-386, gives the mayor the authority to categorize cats as an invasive or nuisance species.

The Department of Energy and Environment, which represents the mayor, has published a Wildlife Action Plan that categorizes cats this way. No other state in the country classifies cats as an invasive or nuisance species. If this language remains, all cats will have more vulnerability than they did previously, particularly those who go outside. The intent of the bill is to narrowly target feral cats, which is bad enough – but the consequences could impact all cats, because you cannot scientifically differentiate between types of cats. Make no mistake, if this goes through, the scientific name for the common house cat, Felis Catus, could be classified as an invasive or nuisance species.

Furthermore, language in this bill could jeopardize the use of Trap-Neuter-Return programs that control the feral cat population in our city. Without TNR, the District could return to the institutionalized killing of cats. This cannot happen.

We are calling on you, our loyal supporters, to contact your council member today to urge them to exempt cats entirely from the mayor’s authority to categorize invasive or nuisance species, and to keep TNR legal for all District residents.

It is important that you contact your council member right away. If a second vote is taken, this bill could become law.

As always, your assistance is appreciated. We will be calling on you again as this issue moves forward.

Sincerely,

Scott Giacoppo
Chief Community Animal Welfare Officer
Humane Rescue Alliance”