Animal lovers in shock after City takes away food, shelter for cat colony
Dec 11, 2008 - 04:30 AM
By Jillian Follert
OSHAWA -- Every day for the past year and a half, William Stuart has started his morning by driving down to Lakeview Park, his car stocked with cans and bags of cat food.
The Oshawa man is one of a small but dedicated group of volunteers who brave the rain, snow and cold to care for stray cats that make their home at the city's waterfront.
"We have names for all of them," Mr. Stuart said fondly. "There's Goldie, Blackie, Grumpy and Sammy. We know them all,"
The colony of roughly a dozen cats has been living in and around the park for years under the watchful gaze of local cat lovers, who put out food several times a day, set up shelters when the weather gets cold and even take the cats to be spayed and neutered.
But as of last week, some of those creature comforts are gone.
On Friday, officials with the City's Animal Services department removed the shelter volunteers had erected in a quiet corner where the City parking lot meets the beach. They also took away plastic food bowls that had been arranged under a tree.
Animal Services manager Kathy Duncan said a resident complained the cat accoutrements shouldn't be allowed on City property because they look unsightly and attract other wildlife.
Under the City's parks bylaw, it is an offence to construct or install any type of building or structure in a City park without permission.
"We're kind of stuck in the middle," said Ms. Duncan, explaining that her staff had to uphold the bylaw.
But that doesn't mean they don't feel for the cats and their caretakers.
"We've been working with these volunteers who look after the cats for the past year. We understand what they're trying to do."
Ms. Duncan said her department plans to work with everyone involved to find a suitable place to relocate the food and shelter.
With this week's harsh weather, the cat caretakers say that solution can't come fast enough.
"It's so cold out, some of the cats can hardly walk. They're frozen," said Mr. Stuart, who can't understand why anyone would complain about the food and shelter. "It's just totally mean spirited, we're only trying to do good and help."
On Tuesday afternoon, he and a handful of other volunteers gathered at the park to check on the colony and put down a bit of food.
Six cats materialized as soon as the cars pulled up. Most of the cats were soaked through from the rain and were shivering as they walked through puddles to get to the food bowls.
Betty Wilson, 76, who comes to the lake every afternoon to feed the cats, says it breaks her heart to see them suffering. She has two of her own at home and considers the lake cats to be part of her extended pet family.
"These are beautiful, friendly cats," she said. "They come to us when we call their names, they let us pick them up. Now they're left out in the cold with no place to take shelter, because someone complained. Why would someone care that we wanted to help these cats? How is it hurting anyone?"
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