Stop killing cats: Paw It Forward Project #justiceforoakportcats
HIYA!! SAVANNAH HERE!!!
I’m gonna paw over the typing keys to my Mom L for this blog post. But first, let me ask every reader of today’s blog post to do me, Savannah the Former Shelter Cat, a huge favor. PLEASE TAKE ACTION TO STOP EAST BAY REGIONAL PARKS DISTRICT (EBRP)FROM SHOOTING ANYMORE ABANDONED COMMUNITY CATS. Thanks my pals for offering your paws to hit the “send” button on your letter to the persons Mom L identifies below.
Hi everyone. Mom L here!
Thanks sweet Savannah, my “Nana”, for letting me have your blog today. I will make this short so you all have time to take action and send emails to East Bay Regional Parks personnel I identify below with their contact information.
But first, let’s review what’s happening here in the East side of the San Francisco bay area in California and why everyone who reads this blog needs to take action, no matter where you live. We need GLOBAL involvement to convince a local parks district to stop hunting innocent abandoned community cats like they are “big game” to be shot and killed! The East Bay Regional Parks (EBRP) district is funded in part by public funds and they are expected to be our stewards of the parks and the animals that call them home—including abandoned community cats!
THE SITUATION
A video is worth a thousand words. Let’s start with this investigative report from a local bay area tv channel, ABC Channel 7’s I Team reporting.
EBRP has not even agreed to eliminate their policy that advocates and sanctions killing abandoned community cats on EBRP property by gunshot. There is no part of the policy that states they must first seek out assistance and guidance from local nonprofit cat rescues nor local municipal animal services. This is NOT OVER and will continue on if we cannot let them know that the whole world is watching their every action.
Please help us get JUSTICE for Sherbet, Milton, Jerry, Wildflower, Panther, Cali, Tabitha, Simone, Bear, Blue, Whispy, Lucy, Sylvia, Lilimom, Button, Ollie, Nova and more!!
Some of the cats have been saved thanks to their feeder, Cecelia Theis and Island Cat, Resources and Adoption. Here is a sweetie being cared for at Marin Humane Society.
Suspension of killing the cats IS NOT ENOUGH (click for update)
EAST BAY REGIONAL PARKS CAUGHT OUT OF ALIGNMENT WITH STATED VALUES
They say the right words but they do not “walk the talk” they spew out on their website. Their only excuse to this colony’s feeder/caregiver is that “gosh, some of our staff have cats as pets and feel awful, but a lot of them don’t like the cats”.
Values: How We Work
Respect: We honor the land we steward, each other, and the park visitors we serve.
Resilience: We creatively adapt to change. We address challenges with empathy, perspective, and determination.
Relationships: Our greatest strength lies in the trust, accountability, and teamwork we cultivate with our colleagues, partners, and the public we serve.
Responsiveness: We communicate openly, honestly, and reliably.
Transparency: We hold the public’s trust through meaningful stakeholder engagement and access to timely and reliable information on decisions and performance.
WHO TO CONTACT WITH YOUR CURTIOUS CONDEMNATION OF THIS POLICY
Robert Doyle, General Manager (bdoyle@ebparks.org)
Matt Graul, Chief of Stewardship (mgraul@ebparks.org)
Doug Bell, Wildlife Program Manager (dbell@ebparks.org)
Dave Riensche, Wildlife Resource Analyst (docquack@ebparks.org)—he and another staff member are the alleged organizers of the cat shootings. They apparently asked for some gun owning employees and they laid in wait until after the cats had been fed, the feeder Cecelia had left and the cats were lounging about cleaning and rolling in the grass and head butting each other; feeling full and safe. The cats were picked off while they appeared to not even be on EBRP property then the bodies removed.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Ward 1 Board Member: Elizabeth Echols; eechols@ebparks.org
Ward 2 Board Member: Dee Rosario; drosario@ebparks.org
Ward 3 Board Member: Dennis Waespi; dwaespi@ebparks.org
Ward 4 Board Member: Ellen Corbett; ecorbett@ebparks.org
Ward 5 Board Member: Ayn Wieskamp; awieskamp@ebparks.org
Ward 6 Board Member: Beverly Lane; blane@ebparks.org
Ward 7 Board Member: Colin Coffey; ccoffey@ebparks.org
SAMPLE EMAIL MESSAGES—FEEL FREE TO USE OR CUT AND PASTE
Sample One:
I am commenting on the recent Investigative Report published by local ABC Chanel 7 News. They exposed a common practice and policy at EBRP that sanctions and supports the violent eradication of abandoned community cats by gunshot if found on or near EBRP properties.
From Oakland Animal Services and the Board of Directors of Friends of Oakland Animal Services
California regulation of feral cats
Cats impact on birds and wildlife
Science for TNR advocates
Please read the UPDATED information. There is another opportunity to address the EBRP Board of Directors THIS WEEK IF YOUR COMMENTS ARE SUBMITTED NO LATER THAN 3pm PDST ON DECEMBER 14. You do not have to be a USA citizen to add your voice to our cry for #justiceforoakportcats
Savannah's Paw Tracks 
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This is disgusting behavior. The necessary email will follow. So happy I’m across the country or I would need bail. Disgusting.
I cannot approve you comment without knowing who you are. Your identity is hidden. So sorry but thank you for caring about the lives of these community cats at the hands of such callous management
I’ve e-mailed ’em all! Staff and board members. All the peeps responsible for this slaughter. Those poor kitties… Paws crossed we can get through to the peeps and make the killin’ stop. purrs
Hi Savvy and Mom I have written a very strongly worded email to most of those on the list you gave. It IS sickening and barbaric. I see that they have halted the killings for now, so let’s hope that they discover their collective humanity and stop altogether. PS I did tell them where I live, and that the world was watching them. ❤️
Luvluvluv you Carolyn and Austin. Thank you for helping us bring global attention to this unbelievable policy
Well I got my reply. It’s probably the same as everyone else got! Basically they said they were working within the law, but I should not feed the cats as that is against the law and I could be cited. They took no notice of where I lived at all. It made me feel sick to be honest.
Oh and also that the cats killed the wildlife, so they obviously feel justified!!
Please forward the email to me. I never got anything. Marjorie Dawson in New Zealand got a reply that we are researching material to help her send back a response to them. She is Dash Kitten blog. I am not done with these park people thanks Carolyn for sending your reply to me. Hugs.
I have forwarded to your email address that I’ve got for you. Let me know if you don ‘t receive it! xx I have not answered them as yet.
My email is: rodgerslcr at gmail dot com
Only when over-populations of unwanted cats are greatly reduced in number by responsible owners consistently spaying/neutering their felines, will this beautiful animal’s presence be truly appreciated, especially for the symbiotic-like healthy relationships (contrary to common misinformation) they offer their loving owners.
We have rallied to all the help we may add.This is absolutely horrible.
OMG, this is sickening.
This is SO wrong!
Please take a moment and copy/cut/paste from our samples to email to as many of the EBRP folks as you can. This is serious and it needs national and international attention. Purrs to all, Savvy and Mom L
Just three days short of National Feral Cat Day (October 16), I spotted a dead feral cat on the roadside, likely hit by a car.
It was quite saddening to know his/her life and death would not at all matter to general society. On the contrary, many people would be glad that the cat would never harm another innocent bird, presuming it ever had.
About three years ago, it was reported that Surrey, B.C. had/has approximately 36,000 feral and stray cats, so many of which are allowed to suffer severe malnourishment, debilitating injury and/or infection by callously neglectful municipal government as well as individual residents who choose to remain silent.
(Progress might also be made by discontinuing allowing pet cats to roam freely outdoors and notably risk them becoming another predator’s meal or some sadistic person’s target for a torturous death.)
When I made a monetary donation to the local Trap/Neuter/Release (TNR) program, a lady volunteer left me a tearful voice mail expressing her appreciation, which to me suggested a scarcity of caring financial donors.
No wonder cat Trap/Neuter/Release (TNR) programs are typically underfunded by governments and private donors, regardless of their documented success in reducing the needless great suffering by these beautiful, sentient animals.
I fear a possible presumption of feline disposability.
Could there be a subconscious human perception that the worth of such animal life (if not even human life in regularly war-torn or overpopulated famine-stricken global regions) is reflected by its overabundance and the protracted conditions under which it suffers?
(Frank Sterle Jr.)
Thanks lots for your thoughtful reply
Please take a moment and copy/cut/paste from our samples to email to as many of the EBRP folks as you can. This is serious and it needs national and international attention. Purrs to all, Savvy and Mom L
Purrayers for all who are working on behalf of these innocent animals !
We appreciate all the purrayers we can get but what these cats need even more are emails to all those people whose email addies Mom L shared. Please take a moment and copy/cut/paste from our samples to email to as many of the EBRP folks as you can. This is serious and it needs national and international attention. Purrs to all, Savvy and Mom L
We sent our own letter to the first four. I is a terrible situation!
We are so very sorry, we shared shared, shared and sent emails. We hope it helps. and we hope that awful man that shot the cats gets FIRED!!!
That’s just wrong and I’m glad I don’t live there, I’d probably end up in jail. We’re sending the emails though, politely of course. Gonna share on Facebook too.
Emails sent and I’ve forwarded your blog to my cat loving friends and family all over the country, asking them to help. It’s not enough but I truly hope it helps in this fight.
it’s not right that animals have to pay the price for something humans caused…