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Neighbor News

Antioch's 'Cat Extermination Campaign' Making It Misdemeanor to Feed Feral Cats

How Antioch politicians scapegoat the weak to deflect attention from their ineptitude

March 25th, 2014 Antioch launched their Cat Extermination Campaign, led by Police Lieutenant Robin Kelly, Councilman Gary Agopian, and City Manager Steve Duran, who helped the Lieutenant say the big numbers.

Lt. Kelly got us all on board with her Powerpoint Education Blitz, during which she blamed the rescue groups (who mean well but need to be educated) for causing “the Feral cat threat.” Even though it’s the rescue groups, not Lt. Kelly, who trap and neuter and try to find homes for cats that are dumped downtown; and they’ve been doing it for years, before the Lieutenant even knew there was a problem.

http://www.ci.antioch.ca.us/CityGov/citycouncilmeetings.htm

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Thank you for your passion.”- Wade Harper

The meeting went almost as planned; the room was packed with people worried about what will happen to the cats when the Starvation Ordinance goes into effect.

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The Council made the rescue groups wait four hours, hoping they would get tired and go away. But the crowd stayed anyway, irritating Councilman Agopian past endurance. After twenty people got in their two minutes at the mic, Mayor Wade Harper thanked them for their passion, and voted to starve the cats.

People Need to be educated” – Lt. Kelly, Antioch PD

The extermination campaign started off with a breathtaking presentation by Lt. Kelly, who oversees the Antioch Animal Shelter. So jaw-dropping was it, the guy beside me was moved to whisper, “Wow, she sure hates cats!”

She piled on the evidence for domestic cats being the worst scourge on earth: Quotes from Wikipedia and visuals on the big screen from groups like PETA, known for their endorsement of euthanasia as a first resort, and notorious for rewarding shelters that increase their kill rates with money and gift baskets of vegan treats.

http://www.examiner.com/article/peta-advocating-for-animals-by-killing-them

The Problem Is So Bad I Didn’t Even Know About It” - Lt. Robin Kelly, Antioch PD

As evidence of the problem Kelly showed a photo she took of a couple of cats sitting on the sidewalk. The Feral Cat problem is so bad, she said during questioning by the Council, that she “Did not even know about it until two and a half months ago.”

The big numbers came up when Lt. Kelly made up how much the City would have to pay if TNR is instituted: $324,601 and 89 cents and $157,533 and 89 cents. But since the rescue groups already do all the work, the City wouldn’t have to pay anything, just get out of the way.

Just Say Ditto

Then it was the public’s turn. The rescue groups were ready with their own graphs and studies. Unfortunately they couldn’t show them, having only two minutes each to tell their side. Mayor Harper was so eager to speed them on their way that he recommended they “Just say ditto, if someone has already said what you wanted to say.” But if they wanted to take their two minutes anyway, and waste everybody’s time, that would be OK too, he said.

Wading through a bunch of cats

A few were for the cat-feeding ban. Cats kill wildlife, cause disease and stink the place up. Worse, they make it impossible for a grown man to walk his dogs without having to “wade through a bunch of cats.”

https://www.facebook.com/Rivertowncats/posts/774110382607787?stream_ref=10

Vicious, un-Christian and cruel to starve animals to death.”

But most were against starving the cats. One was a man who runs a business downtown, had to walk back to his office that night and was “more worried about getting mugged by meth-heads or shot by the gang-bangers who live nearby, than some cat urinating” on his feet. He called it “vicious, un-Christian and cruel to starve animals to death.” Mayor Harper thanked him for adding a little humor to the proceedings.

AND THE DRAMA QUEEN OF THE EVENING AWARD GOES TO...

Politician-turned-Ecologist Gary Agopian declared house cats to be an invasive species, threatening the ecology of Antioch’s downtown parking lots. He called the Council “gutless” for pretending to give any consideration to the public comments.

I will not be mocked” - philosophy of Gary Agopian, the sitting councilman

His tirade started when someone objected to his criticism of the rescue groups for not working harder longer. He began by summing up his philosophy of government saying, “This is not a dialogue, this is a monologue; I am a sitting councilman and you will not disrespect me.” Concluding his statement by saying, “I will not be mocked,” he demanded an immediate vote on the Ordinance as-is.

http://vsheridan.photoshelter.com/gallery-image/A-4-to-1-Vote-Do-Not-Feed-Antioch-California/G0000UQ...

Wilson and Rocha, citing their love for animals, vote to starve the cats

After a lot of hemming and hawing, declaring their love for animals and their devotion to their own personal pets, Wilson and Rocha voted to ban feeding, voted to limit pets per household, and if you’re over the limit, voted to require a Kennel License fee of $108.00 to pay for the inspection of your house by the Antioch Animal Welfare Authority, Lt. Kelly.

When you just stop feeding them, then what?” Councilman Tony Tiscanero meekly asked. He questioned what the long term effect of the feeding ban would be and wondered what would happen to the rescue groups’ TNR efforts. He wanted to give them a chance to keep on begging Animal Control to work with them, rather than against them on “TNR” even though Animal Control discourages public involvement that interferes with their euthanasia program. But Councilman Agopian would have none of that.

The City Council will be voting on the final approval and subsequent implementation of the Cat Extermination/Multiple Pet Taxation Ordinance on Tuesday April 8th, 7PM.

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