I'm am writing this petition as a concerned citizen of Harrisonburg, Va and a devastated animal lover.

The beautiful cat that you see in the picture was named Oscar. He was a young, healthy, and happy cat that my family cared for. When he first showed up in my yard, he wouldn't let me or anyone else in my family touch him. Over the next couple of years he became a very loving and happy cat. We fed him, got him neutured, got his shots, and most importantly, we gave him love. 

On July 30th, 2014 Harrisonburg animal control set out traps near my home. Unfortunately, Oscar and one other cat was trapped. They were taken to the Harrisonburg/Rockingham SPCA where the holding period for a stray animal is seven days, unless the animal is severly ill or poses a threat. We were told that Oscar, who was always loving to my family, lounged at staff and was aggressive. He was Euthanized on August 4th, 2014 before the doors of the SPCA opened. My mother did not know of Oscar's whereabouts until the night before and came right at opening to bring him home. She was told that he was euthanized that morning. The reason they said he was Euthanized was because they couldn't change his litter box. I believe that if they could take him out of his cage to Euthanize him (while he was apparently aggressive), they could have very well changed his litter box. 

My family and I are completely devestated by his unnecessary death. Oscar was a TNR (Trap Neuter return) cat, which means he wouldn't have been able to reproduce, thus decreasing the cat population. I believe that TNR cats should be allowed to live out their lives, like any living creature.

Every year thousands of animals are killed at shelters and My mission is to change that. I know that this will not be an easy task, but I hope that with the help of others I can make a difference in my community. In 2013, 70% of cats and 30% of dogs were Euthanized (7 of every 10 cats and 3 of every 10 dogs). Many of these animals were beautiful, innocent creatures like Oscar. I believe that every animal deserves a right to live and a chance to find a good home. I believe that as humans, our job is to take care of the animals and help them in every way possible. I ask that you please join me in my mission to reduce the number of unnecessary deaths.

In 2013, The city of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County funded The SPCA Nearly $500,000. I ask them, as a concerned citizen and animal lover that they could do that for a No-Kill shelter. I believe that if we all could work together, we could make this possible. Many others and I have many ideas on how we could make this work, but first we need to be heard. I believe that we can build a no kill shelter where all animals, feral or not feral, friendly or aggressive, cats or dogs (and other animals) are treated equally and given the chance at finding a good home and living a full life. I'm writing this in honor of Oscar, so he will not be forgotten and that his tragic death can help many other animals. Please sign this petition and help 1000's of animals in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Together we can make a change.