As reported in the Tuesday, May 27, 2008, amNew
York, The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey has resumed
its cruel and ineffective feral cat extermination program at JFK Airport
and plans to begin roundups the week of June 1, 2008.
The lives of 300 to 500 cats and kittens who live in and
near the airport are at risk, despite offers of assistance by expert feral
cat groups for a more humane and effective solution through a Trap-Neuter-Return
(TNR) program.
Cared for by sympathetic airport employees and animal
rescuers for decades, the cats are believed to be descendants of or are
the lost pets of travelers as well as some abandoned pets who started
to breed. Each year, dozens of dogs and cats are lost and found at the
5,000 acres of land at JFK.
There are two things you can do to help the JFK cats:
Attend a Demonstration
No events or demonstrations are currently scheduled. Check
back here soon for news.
Contact the Decision Makers
Please call and write the following and urge them to immediately
stop the roundups at JFK Airport and work with local animal protection
groups to implement a Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program:
The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey
Christopher O. Ward, Executive Director
The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey
225 Park Avenue South, 18th Floor, New York, NY 10003
Port Authority Corporate Headquarters
General number: (212) 435-7000
Public Affairs: (212) 435-7777 (Get a live person on the
line and demand to speak to someone about the JFK situation — keep
calling until they respond)
Fax: (212) 435-4032
Anthony R. Coscia, Chairman, Board of Commissioners
The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey
Phone: (732) 846-2120 (direct line), 732-846-7600 (general
number for Mr. Coscia's law firm)
Fax: (732) 846-8877
Sample Letter to The Port Authority
The following sample letter (written by a Mayor's
Alliance for NYC's Animals volunteer) provides an excellent example
for you to follow. Don't copy the letter verbatim, but use
it as a guide in touching on the key points.
Remember, our basic message is:
Animal protection groups have been pleading with
Port Authority of New York & New Jersey to work with us since last August and implement
a humane and effective Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program at JFK Airport,
but The Port Authority has rebuffed offers by humane groups and
they are now rounding up the cats at JFK Airport in an extermination
program that will sentence the animals to death.
Christopher O. Ward, Executive Director
The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey
225 Park Avenue South, 18th Floor
New York, NY 10003
Dear Mr. Ward:
I am writing this letter to your attention
in hopes that you and Port Authority of New York & New Jersey will rethink your
decision to inhumanely round up and ultimately sentence the
feral cats at JFK to their death.
It is my understanding that, "Groups
concerned about the cats' welfare have offered to implement
a neutering program themselves but they say Port Authority of New York & New Jersey
has rebuffed them." As a an individual that uses Port Authority of New York & New Jersey facilities, I demand an explanation as to why
this compassionate offer of assistance is being rejected for
the less humane alternative.
If it is true that…"Many of the
cats arrive at JFK after they are inadvertently lost at the
airport. In time, colonies of feral cats have taken over the
grounds, as many New Yorkers dump kittens there that they
no longer want to take care of," this is a poor reflection
on a public agency whose survival is based on revenues collected
by individuals/patrons such as myself. Allow me to ask two
questions: Why are animals inadvertently lost at JFK? If the
airlines/passengers are filing claims (which are able to be
tracked and determine airlines' records), should they not
be responsible for assisting with this problem in a way deemed
suitable by Port Authority of New York & New Jersey and the public; and, if airport
security is such an issue, please explain how people are even
able to get close enough to the property to dump their animals?
Maybe this lack of security requires further investigation?
I urge you to rethink this decision and work
with the numerous agencies that are willing to give their
time and effort to resolving this problem. It is my understanding
that you once wrote a thesis based on the idea that, "salvation
comes through effective social reform." Is the humane
treatment of innocent animals not just that?
Sincerely,
YOUR NAME
Governor of New York
The
Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) suggests that you also
contact New York Governor David A. Paterson to urge him to ask The Port
Authority of New York & New Jersey to end the lethal cat roundup and
work with feral cat organizations to implement a TNR program at JFK.
Please make a brief, polite phone call to Governor
David Paterson. When you call, you will likely speak to a staff
member who will pass your message along to Governor Paterson. Remember
to be polite and professional, and leave your name and address so
it is clear that you are a constituent. After making your call,
please send
a follow-up e-mail to Governor Paterson and tell him you want
the roundups to stop. And don't forget to tell your friends and
family in New York how they can take action, too.
You can say:
Hello, my name is [YOUR NAME] and I am calling
from [YOUR CITY] to ask Governor Paterson to ask The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey to immediately stop the
roundups of the JFK Airport cats and work with The Humane
Society of the United States and other experts in animal care
and population control to implement an effective, humane,
and proven solution to this issue through a Trap-Neuter-Return
program. Thank you.
