Anyone Near Bridgeport Connecticut??? HELP!

Subject: CT: 30 Cats Thrown Out On Street Along W/Owner By Landlord!
(I crossposted this from a Yahoo Groups list I'm on)

From: DIANE L. COHEN


[email protected]


Sent: Friday, November 25, 2005 10:17 AM


Subject: Adela please read this


Adela,

I don't know where to go with this information.

I met a man who has an apt he owned in Bridgeport, Conn. He threw out a
woman
tenant who didn't pay the rent. She had 30 cats of all ages. Some
babies.

She "said" he called the Animal Control Agencies. Who knows. But there
are
now 30 cats..who we know will multiply soon..or just die.

He threw the cats out too!

They are all now on the Street.


I found the address out:


25 Whittier Street
Bridgeport,CT


He said he has carriers. But they are out in the street.


Can we make a mailing and see if ther are any recuers out there who can
help?


Please get back to me at 631-445-5383


Thank you


Diane Cohen

[email protected]

Jan,

The message is dated 11/25 which was Friday. Are you SURE Animal Control hasn't gotten involved already? I live in New Haven which is about a half hour from Bridgeport. Anything I can do??

I can call my contacts at the newspaper and tv stations. Let me know.

Donna

There's a phone # and email for Diane Cohen who may have the best idea of what's going on down there. What a terrible time of year to ditch housecats out..well no time is good, but with Winter looming...GRR!!!!! :mad: Can you contact Diane (who I don't know, but she's posted her # and need so hey)!

I left a message on Diane Cohen's cellphone and told her to call me immediately. I won't make any calls till I hear from her as to the status of the situation.

I'll let you know what I find out.

Another big THANKS Donna! If I lived near there, I'd be at that address posted getting things done in anyway I could. ;) So happy for the internet and quick notification of things like this. ;) Keep me posted once again and sure hope the cats will be OK and not slammed by cars etc.

I talked to Diane Cohen. She seemed a bit "flighty" but did say that a woman in the building at Whittier Street is feeding the cats. I contacted the Bridgeport Cat Project and left a message to have them call me. Diane said that the landlord DID in fact, put all the cats out. They range in age from babies to adults. They are friendly. She said the landlord went into the woman's apartment and it was covered in cat poo and pee. Evidentally they never had litterboxes.

I am online now looking into other rescue organizations that might be able to help. I'll let you know how I make out. What a nightmare!!!

How awful! Poor cats didn't deserve to be tossed out like that, but the landlord should have put his foot down before renting! :mad: I wish it was mandatory to alter and vaccinate any pet that renters bring in. Not only would a situation like that have potentially been avoided (as no doubt the cats have been reproducing right & left) it would have saved rescuers the nightmare of trying to find places for these cats. Maybe the media should step in....'famous cats' get homes fast. :rolleyes: What an awful sounding situation for all involved. :( Geesh...sure wish I were closer to come a snoopin'!

I called Pet Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) and left a message there. They're located in Norwalk. Let's see who can help. I'm also going to call WTNH Channel 8 and give them the address. Maybe with a little media involvement we can get the cats the help they need.

I just talked to someone in the newsroom at Channel 8. He took down the address and said that he'd look into it first thing in the morning, that there wasn't much he could do tonight (it's 9:50 pm here). They also have my cellphone number and will call me tomorrow. Let's pray the power of the media will help these furkids!!!

What that landlord did was despicable!!! :mad:

I hope it actually is 25 Whittier St. and not some other location just in case the news crew does show up! The landlord deserves a good smack for dumping the cats out. At least he could have called a shelter and explained the situation first! :mad: Most shelters would have come and taken all the cats & kittens away. Instead this idiot creates a nightmare by dumping them outside! :rolleyes: :( :mad: And we wonder why there's so many feral colonies and euthanasia by the millions in this country??!!! :rolleyes: OK..GRRR...Off my soapbox and off to bed. Thanks Donna for helping out on this, and do keep me uppydated if you hear anything more. ;)

Diane Cohen confirmed the address for me. I'll let you know what they say when Channel 8 calls me. When I heard the rain outside, all I could think about were those poor discarded babies hovering to keep dry. :mad: UGH!!!

All in a day's work, but you KNOW that silly billy!!! :rolleyes:

I spoke with a woman from the Bridgeport Cat Project tonight. She sent a bazillion emails to all the volunteers at the BCP. I told her I'd help her in anyway I can. We're trying to find out the name of the landlord so we can have charges pressed against him for animal abandonment and abuse.

I gotta tell ya though, that woman Diane Cohen is a bit of a flake. She was mad because one of the women she talked to who was involved in rescue, according to her, "wanted to be in charge". She rambled on about how how she didn't believe that cats should live in cages. I told her it was much better than being on the streets fending for themselves. BCP said that they only put them in cages for a week, just to isolate them while they're tested and vaccinated.

I also called WTNH Channel 8 to follow-up on their coverage. They said they'd call me tomorrow and let me know either way.

That's it for now. Stay tuned!!

Well maybe Diane Cohen is willing to take them all into her home uncaged until room is available in shelters for them? And sure hope she's financially prepared for the URIs that crop up from them being in the cold damp weather. :rolleyes: She sounds like a flake, too bad there isn't anyone else to go through and get things rolling.

Well, I think that a bunch of us are going to converge on the place this weekend. Since the cats seem to be friendly, according to Diane, we're going to bring carriers. Weather reports say we're getting snow on Sunday. I HOPE we can get them off the streets by then.

My roommate did a check on the property (it pays to live with someone with connections ;) ) to see who owns the building. It's owned by a guy who lives in Stamford. The lady from the BCP said Diane is going to call her later on tonight with the landlord's phone number. This guy is going down for what he did to those poor kits.

Way to go Donna! I'd love to know who the tenant who was evicted is as well...as she is going to start up the same crap,in a different location. :mad: And it's good to get incriminating testimony from the landlords mouth that can be used in court..otherwise well...you know how the court system works in America. :rolleyes: Wonder if there's a form sheet that could be made up for him to sign? Something like I (landlords name) allow such & such an orginization to remove said cats evicted from property at (address)... :confused: The only way he'll get prosecuted is via some sort of document that states he threw out the cats etc.

He CLAIMS he called Animal Control. But according to BCP, the guy never does anything when cats are involved but call them. Nice, huh??

If he did, animal control should have some record of it. ;) I'd still love to know where the tenant went, and if she took some of those unaltered cats with her, or if they were all left behind and dumped outside? :confused: After all, she's as much at fault as he (the landlord). :mad:

I've been in touch with Wendy from the Bridgeport Cat Project. She has put in several calls to animal control and they have not called her back. We're giving them till 5 pm tonight and then we do a media blitz (tv stations, newspapers). We have GOT to get these cats off the streets by Sunday before the expected snowfall. We're trying to get a group together from BCP to go there on Sunday with traps/carriers to see how many cats/kittens we can get.

We've notified the State of CT of the situation and will be filing a complaint eventually, against the landlord AND the Bridgeport ACO. But first we want to make sure we get all the cats with the possible help of the landlord (not letting on that he WILL be charged with animal abandonment).

*sigh* I guess I'm involved, as I did ask Wendy if BCP has a cage I could borrow to POSSIBLY foster some cats/kittens. :rolleyes:

Donna, I can't thank you enough for jumping in and helping these cats out! I hope they're all still around the house, and haven't taken off. Any idea if anyone is feeding them to keep them in the area? I hope also that the landlord cooperates and gives an idea of how many kittens there are versus cats, and can point them out as ones from the house. Never know if a neighbor has let Fluffy or Smokey out for the day, and ends up looking for their cat. :rolleyes:

One of the tenants in the building has been feeding them. I also hope that we're able to get them all.

Jan,

I don't know how you do it, girl. I'm tired just making all the phone calls! :rolleyes:

I got an update from Wendy at BCP.

Here it is:

"I went down to Whittier Street in Bpt this afternoon and met up with Evelyn from Cats, Inc. She has already removed a total of 5 cats from there as of today. They are tame enough to be picked up and put into carriers. After we got another one in the last carrier, she left and I was on the phone with the State. Lt. Perez from Bpt Animal Control walked up and told me that Kenny from animal control would be there this afternoon with traps and they would be there on Friday as well. The Lt. said they are going to try and prosecute the landlord who threw them out. I am hoping they prosecute both the landlord and the tenant. I am also thankful for the help from animal control since they apparently do not have to do that according the the State Animal Control Officer. If anyone wants to help trap, please let me know. The longer they are outside the less tame they will be, so we need to get them soon. Poor things, to be thrown out at this time of the year. The estimate is 20 - 30 cats total and after Evelyn left, I saw about 6 more who came out. The rest may have scattered, but should remain in the area if food is left out for them, which one of the tenants is doing and Evelyn has left styro boxes with hay in them for shelter. There was alot of inbreeding, so many of them look alike."


I've volunteered to go with them and trap the cats. I'll let you know whenever I find out something.

I'm glad the ball's rolling now anyway! What's animal control planning on doing with the cats? Hopefully not snuffing them. :mad: I've been wondering and worrying about the kittens out there. I hope they're old enough to be on their own should their mother(s) be trapped before them. What an awful ordeal for the cats, but soooo happy somethings being done to rescue them before Winter hits. Thanks for the uppydate Donna! :)

WOW! This is so scarey and heartwrenching! QSL, God Bless you for posting about this and moomsmom, God Bless you for stepping up and helping out, helping to get this done!

Well, it's snowing in CT (I love it!!! A day to stay in my jammies and watch old movies!!) ;)

I haven't heard anything from the BPC. I'm worried about all the babies out on the street. :(

I sure hope they got more kitties off the streets, although with it snowing it's the purrfect time to follow footprints. ;)

Quote:

---

it's the purrfect time to follow footprints

---

What a GREAT idea, oh wise one!!!

LOL Donna! :D This is the time of year I get into too much trouble. :rolleyes:
Footprints, footprints everywhere
from nooks and alleys they do stare...
Cats and kittens on the streets
looking for a little eats....
Footprints, footprints everywhere
is that what I think...
some cat hair?
I lure you out with tasty treats,
and no longer will you be on the streets!
TADA! :D (coffee's kicking in lol)! :D

I spoke with Wendy from BCP this morning. A total of 12 cats have been rescued so far. She asked me if I could foster a female who is spayed, has had all her shots and is negative for aids and leukemia. How could I say no???I haven't quite told my roommate yet. :eek: What's one more poop in the box??? Do you think he'll notice one more cat??

Wendy said they're not sure HOW many cats there were. But after the 12 cats, she hasn't seen any. The're going to go into the basement to see if any of them have sought refuge there.

Stay tuned!

Here's the latest update on the situation:

From Wendy Brown, Bridgeport Cat Project:

"Hi all - quick update on Whittier St. cats that were thrown out into the cold by the landlord. So far 11 have been trapped as of last night. Evelyn from Fairfield was there this am and saw two more. She has removed 8 so far, 3 were adopted, Bridgeport Animal Control trapped 3 which the Bridgeport Cat Project took (we thank them for their assistance) and those 3 have been spayed/neutered/vaccinated/tested. The cats are scared and unsocialized, but not feral. Evelyn has been able to work with them. The sooner we get the rest, the more adoptable they will be.

We now need some foster homes due to the amount of cats there and if anyone knows anyone, etc., etc, please let me know. Please pass this email along to anyone you know who might be able to provide short term fostering to these poor cats. They are not used to being outside and with the cold weather we are having now, this is not a good situation for them.

We now have the information about the landlord that we need and will follow up with Lt. Perez of Bpt Animal Control to see if he is going to prosecute.

Would appreciate any help anyone could give."

Thanks so much for keeping me posted about this Donna. Poor cats must be close to frostbitten in this weather. :( I sure hope some justice will be served up for the cats dumped like garbage... :( ...won't hold my breath though. :rolleyes:

I spoke to Wendy just now and we're making plans to meet so I can pick up a kitty. I'm going to try and sneak her in while Mark is away this weekend. Wendy said all the cats are pretty young. That's a good thing because I won't have to keep her in a cage long. The younger the kitten, the easier it is to introduce them.

Wendy said the Humane Society of the United States is also involved. Charges will be filed against the landlord. But we need to get ALL the cats out first. She told me that all the cats they've gotten so far get along with other cats, seeing as they were living (all 30 of them) in a one bedroom apartment. Another plus.

Don't get yourself into trouble sneaking a cat in Donna! Unless you can hide her/him, and get the kitty out relatively fast. I hope they are still managing to trap more with yet another storm due to hit around this area tomorrow...not sure about CT. Must see pics if you foster a kitty. ;)

Just saw this thread.

Bless you for all the efforts! Keep us posted on developments.

Were the rest found in the basement? Those poor babies! I hope they all are found! How many so far?

I hope maybe a few have wound up on some kind person's doorstep!

BLESS you for all you are doing!

Catty1

I haven't heard from Wendy so I assume things are under control.