Every February — as surely as the sun rises in the east and sets in the west — you can be certain that the following events will occur:
The Virginia Department of Agriculture will release PETA’s statistics for the prior year and, while communities across Virginia and the country will have reported placement rates as high as 99%, PETA will once again have needlessly killed the majority of animals it took in.
PETA will attempt to divert attention by posting the same press releases and articles they always do after the kill stats come out — spay/neuter, how many dog houses they gave out (to people who would not surrender the animals to them for killing), and winter pet care tips.
The Virginia Legislature will consider (for the umpteenth year in a row) a bill to clarify that community cat programs (i.e., trap-neuter-release) are not illegal and should be encouraged.
PETA will oppose it and put out the same article they always do, calling for community cats to be trapped and killed. (See also this and this.)
And they will practice what they preach, rounding up and killing or causing to be killed healthy community cats and kittens (and here and here), even though a TNR/community cat program:
- Reduces suffering;
- Reduces intake and killing of community cats;
- Reduces complaint calls to animal control;
- Reduces illness in the shelter;
- Reduces spending (and waste of taxpayer money);
- Increases opportunities to expand lifesaving of other animals, such as dogs; and,
- Encourages kindness toward cats as caretakers provide positive role models for others to emulate.
It’s what always happens. Always.
But the future is not yet written. And whether the TNR bill also goes down to defeat as it has in years past or this year marks a turning point is, as always, up to the people of Virginia.
If you live in that state, now is the time to make your voice heard. Please contact your representative and urge a YES vote on SB 1390.
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