Bethesda, MD Alley Cat Allies president and founder Becky Robinson has offered the following statement about the article by Loss and Marra that was published by the Journal of Conservation Biology on Jan. 29, 2018.
“Despite what Loss and Marra say, there is nothing close to scientific consensus backing their views and conclusions. A close look at the details of papers written by the authors reveals huge holes. Bad science, using bad numbers, making bad assumptions and ignoring critical facts has left them open to well-justified criticism. Peter Marra’s book “˜Cat Wars,’ for example, attempts to estimate wildlife predation levels by pet cats in the continental US based on only four studies, two of which are over 60 years old. Using a handful of old, geographically limited studies is no way to arrive at valid, current estimates of our vast, varied and highly urban nation.
“It’s important to cut to the chase and focus on what’s really at stake here. Why are Loss and Marra attacking Alley Cat Allies and others who find legitimate fault with their work? It’s because they are on shaky ground. Marra is on record in his book as saying that cats should be removed from our landscape “˜by any means necessary.’ In other words, he wants millions of cats killed with taxpayer dollars. His objective is neither politically viable nor remotely practical. There is a significant body of evidence that rounding up and killing cats is completely ineffective at controlling cat populations. And America won’t stand for it. A 2017 Harris poll showed 84 percent of Americans prefer their community use tax dollars to adopt sterilization as its cat control policy instead of bringing cats found outdoors into shelters to be killed.
“To be very clear, we love birds. The number one threats to birds and all wildlife come not from cats, but from climate change, habitat destruction and development. Killing cats would do nothing to protect them.”
Becky Robinson
President and Founder
Alley Cat Allies
###
About Alley Cat Allies
Alley Cat Allies, headquartered in Bethesda, Md., is the global engine of change for cats. We protect and improve cats’ lives through our innovative, cutting-edge programs. We are seen around the world as a champion for the humane treatment of all cats. Founded in 1990, today Alley Cat Allies has more than 650,000 supporters and helps tens of thousands of individuals, communities and organizations save and improve the lives of millions of cats and kittens worldwide. Its website is www.alleycat.org, and Alley Cat Allies is on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+ and YouTube.
Media Contact:
[email protected] or by phone at 240-482-2597, or 240-482-1980