TAKE ACTION: TELL BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA, TO STOP TARGETING CATS
There is no reason an animal control officer should ever capture and impound a loved and cared-for cat. Yet, that is exactly what happened to Nemo, a cat in Birmingham, Alabama, last week.
Alley Cat Allies is exploring all possible legal action against the City of Birmingham and the officers involved in response to this disturbing situation.
The baffling scene was captured on video: a City of Birmingham animal control officer (ACO), upon spotting Nemo resting comfortably on the porch of her home, walked onto private property and directly up to Nemo. That ACO opened a bag of treats, seemingly to coax Nemo close. Another ACO brought over a trap, which Nemo was picked up and dropped into. Both ACOs then took her from the safety of her home to impound her needlessly.
Nemo, the cat in Birmingham, Alabama, who was taken from her home and needlessly impounded by animal control. Thankfully, her family was able to reunite with her.
Nemo’s family called to find her and, thankfully, was able to bring her back home. But what happened to her is unacceptable and outrageous.
“[Nemo] hasn’t been the same since. She’s distant and extremely stressed out, and she’s even lost some of her appetite,” Nemo’s family told us. “She didn’t deserve any of that.”
Alley Cat Allies won’t let it stand, for Nemo’s sake and that of all cats in Birmingham. We have sent a letter to the mayor and city council of Birmingham, which you can read below. We will keep you updated on what we’re doing and what you can do.
August 1, 2024
Birmingham City Council
Mayor Randall L. Woodfin
City of Birmingham
710 North 20th Street
Birmingham, Alabama 35203
RE: Cease Activities Targeting Birmingham Cats and Caregivers
Dear Mayor Woodfin and Birmingham City Council,
Alley Cat Allies is reaching out to express our shock and disturbance regarding the City of Birmingham’s recent aggressive, cruel, and unnecessary actions against owned cats and community cats (unowned cats who live outdoors). We urge you to immediately cease the persecution of cats and harassment of the people who care for them and instead support humane, effective approaches such as Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR).
Alley Cat Allies is the leader of the global movement to protect cats and kittens. Through our innovative programs and fearless advocacy, we champion the humane treatment of all cats. We work toward a world where every cat is valued and protected and every community and shelter has policies and programs to defend them.
Founded in 1990, Alley Cat Allies launched TNR into the mainstream in the United States, and we regularly work with lawmakers, animal shelters, and the public to change attitudes and advance lifesaving laws and policies that best serve the interests of cats and communities. We offer the opportunity to provide our expertise and resources to the City of Birmingham.
Recent Alarming Video and Reports
Based on information received from cat owners, caregivers, and local organizations, Alley Cat Allies believes that the City of Birmingham is needlessly targeting cats and taking action that is outrageous and traumatic to both cats and their caregivers.
We received a recent video showing two Birmingham animal control officers entering private property where an owned cat, Nemo, was resting comfortably on her own porch. They appear to have entered the property solely to lure Nemo from her home to needlessly impound her. It was reported the officer then provided a false address on the impound paperwork for Nemo, thereby impeding her ability to be returned home.
This behavior is alarming and deeply concerning not only because it has caused suffering to Nemo based on reports from her family, but also because it displays an egregious waste of the City’s extremely limited resources and involves submitting false information on an official report. We cannot fathom how the senseless and deceitful removal of a cat from her home could ever be considered beneficial to the Birmingham community.
Alley Cat Allies has also heard reports of recent harassment and penalization of people throughout Birmingham who serve as community cat caregivers. Caregivers provide a community service by engaging in TNR and caring for community cats. They deserve the city’s support, not the criminalization of their compassion.
Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) Is The Only Humane, Effective Approach
Birmingham should direct its time and resources toward the only humane and effective approach to community cats that improves cats’ lives and the community: TNR. Through TNR, community cats are humanely trapped; brought to a veterinary clinic to be spayed or neutered, eartipped (the universal sign that a cat has been spayed or neutered through a TNR program), and vaccinated; and then returned to their original outdoor homes.
TNR is proven to stabilize community cat populations by stopping the cycle of reproduction; improve the cats’ health and public health through vaccinations; and benefit animal control agencies and shelters by reducing cat intake and calls of concern. Communities in Alabama and across the country have adopted successful TNR ordinances or policies, and thousands more worldwide are conducting grassroots, volunteer-led programs.
Recognizing the reality that TNR programs do not always fit squarely within the four corners of existing legal structures, the American Bar Association, the largest association of legal professionals in the United States, took a position in 2017 urging state and local governments to interpret current laws and policies in a way that facilitates TNR. Alley Cat Allies offers our support in ensuring Birmingham’s laws, policies, and interpretations expressly permit TNR for the sake of cats and citizens.
Immediately Cease Persecution of Cats and Caregivers
Based upon the egregious actions of law enforcement against Nemo and other cats and caregivers in Birmingham, and the impending danger the cats of Birmingham are now exposed to by the City, Alley Cat Allies is exploring immediate legal action against the City of Birmingham and the officers involved.
We would prefer to forego potential litigation and work with the City of Birmingham to implement a TNR program. However, we would need the targeting of cats and caregivers to immediately cease while we work together on solutions that humanely and effectively address concerns you may have.
Please contact Alley Cat Allies to discuss ways we can work together for the good of cats and the community. If we do not hear from you by the end of business tomorrow, August 2nd, we will move forward accordingly to address this urgent issue.