I heard this story on the noon news, and it made me very sad. Hawthorne is about a stone's throw away from where I grew up. There are stray and feral cats on the grounds and they hang around the barns. A woman who lives near the track goes each day to feed and keep an eye on them. The owner of the track has asked her to reduce the number of sites at which she feeds the cats, with the rationale that the food she puts out for the cats attracts rodents and other "critters" who could potentially transmit disease to the horses. I don't disagree with that. When you feed outdoor kitties around here, you feed the raccoons, the opossums, and even the occasional skunk. The problem I have with the situation is that the owner of the track is not allowing the woman a chance to try to safely trap the cats so they can either be taken to a shelter or relocated elsewhere. There are good rescue organizations in Chicago that could probably help her rescue these kitties and determine which of them are healthy, which need medical care, and which can be socialized and possibly rehomed. It would be good publicity for the track to show that they're doing right by the kitties.
I heard this on CBS radio reported by Mike Krauser, who also did the story about NUBS (No Unwanted BirdS). Here's his story http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2014/11/...or-feral-cats/
If you are into online petitions, here's one you can sign. http://www.thepetitionsite.com/153/1...-killing-cats/
Karen, I'm putting this in the Dog House because it involves a petition.
Thanks,
Elyse
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