Reader Rant: ‘San Diego Needs a Humane Adoption and Fostering Program for Friendly Cats’

By Christine Haslet

Life on the streets of San Diego for our orphaned, friendly cats is neither ethical nor legal~ Not when San Diego taxpayers are paying SD Humane Society over $20,000,000 a year and collecting countless donations to care for our homeless animals.

There is a world of difference between a feral cat and a friendly cat. Sadly,our SD Humane Society treats them the same and has been busy blurring the lines to confuse us.

A “Community Cat Program,” is basically dumping friendly, lost cats back out on our streets. No microchip or tag? Friendly cats sentenced to a life on the streets.
SD Humane calls it “an innovative way to care for these cats.” Cat lovers like myself and fellow animal advocates call it cruel and a violation of California law. As a San Diego taxpayer, grandmother of ten and decades long animal rescuer, I was horrified to hear of this practice and I am thrilled there is a lawsuit to raise awareness and to hopefully stop it.

I have personally been in the courtroom to hear the details of the case. The lawsuit is NOT about feral cats and TNR “trap-neuter-return” program that alters unsocialized cats, returns them to colonies where volunteers provide food, water and check their welfare.

This lawsuit is about turning away friendly, adoptable cats/kittens that good Samaritans in our community bring to the shelter. In court, witnesses have testified that the good Samaritan is asked to fill out a form, stating where they live so SDHS can dump the cat back to the SAME LOCATION. No caregivers, facing starvation, sickness, parasites, coyotes, even possible suffering at the hands of bad actors. For decades, there is a reason veterinarians have been telling us it is safer for cats to live indoors!

SD Humane claims this helps friendly cats avoid stress at the shelter. When did having a chance to be adopted in a safe environment become worse than searching for food, water, untreated fleas, dodging vehicles, coyotes, rain storms and heat waves? Friendly house cats have little experience living outside, lack survival skills~ they don’t fare well against resident feral cats who chase them off from food sources.

SD Humane admits they are required to take in lost, abandoned cats in for possible reunification with owners or adoption. No microchip or collar? Cats/kittens are dumped. How many pet owners fail to do these simple things?

SD Humane Society claims this program prevents overcrowding and euthanasia, but at what cost to cats and the community? Shouldn’t a shelter that can afford to pay their CEO, Gary Weitzman a salary of over $35,000 A MONTH have the expertise, innovation, resources and compassion to do better than tossing cats out on the street? We hear this is all part of their plan to implement a new “ Reduced Intake Policy” for all homeless animals. Are the dogs next?

Until San Diego Humane Society implemented this “Community Cat Program” in 2019, volunteers applauded TNR, trap-neuter-return program for feral/ unsocialized cats who were not adoptable.. Now “sweet, friendly young cats who would have been happy to be placed in homes” are released outside, “hungry and looking for affection,” says a longtime volunteer. When adopters come to the shelter to adopt, they find empty cages.

Putting the ethical/moral reasons aside, dumping friendly cats to a miserable life on the streets, is against California law. Animals who are lost or abandoned must be given shelter and the opportunity to be adopted. Our Civil Code provides that “A public agency or shelter with whom an abandoned animal is deposited … is bound to take charge of it …” Section 1816

Additionally, the Penal Code provides that “… every person who fails to provide the animal with proper food, drink, or shelter or protection from the weather, is, for each offense, guilty of a crime ..” Section 597

Instead of abandoning friendly, adoptable cats/kittens, let’s increase humane education, create a robust adoption and fostering program, use the tens of millions of taxpayer dollars and donations to offer affordable or FREE spays and neuters for our San Diego felines.

Christine and her partner Steve Haslet are founders of the Lucky Pup Dog Rescue of San Diego.