I apologize for the long delay between updates. I am so happy to tell all the supporters of the petition that there are now countless people and organizations committed to helping EBRPD understand all the alternatives available to them so that they can FOREVER BAN their policy of shooting free-roaming cats. As I posted in a previous update, a "suspension" is a big step in the right direction, but we will not be satisfied or placated by temporary measures.
I find myself in an odd position now, because I am just an ordinary person who started what has become an extraordinary petition. I cannot and do not claim to have any more knowledge or skills or resources than the vast majority of supporters who have signed this petition. There are so many dedicated, resourceful, experienced and knowledgeable people and organizations that have taken up our "call to arms", that it seems kind of absurd for me to write anything further at all. There are more capable hands and more powerful voices involved now than I could ever have dreamed of when I started the petition, and I am overjoyed and so grateful. I can't even imagine a more wonderful holiday gift than all of the signatures and support that this petition has received and continues to receive, and all of the amazing advocates this petition has played a part in bringing together to achieve our mutual goal!
Despite my shortcomings, I still feel compelled to continue to post updates, simply because change.org is so powerful. I know supporters want to know about new information revealed by Dan Noyes as he continues his investigation, about EBRPD's latest statements and upcoming meetings, about Cecelia and Tiffany and ICRA's continuous efforts to trap and rescue the remaining colony cats, and about what happens to the surviving cats going forward! Perhaps updates here could serve as a sort of information hub, providing links to as many of these developments as possible, so that supporters don't have to scour the web to find information, but rather can use this site as a helpful jumping-off point for their efforts to stay informed and involved. If this is to be successful, I would love to request your help! At the end of each update, there is a "Discussion" section where supporters can "add a comment or a question". If you come across information that is verifiable and directly related to this petition, and I have not mentioned it or provided a link, perhaps you could help everyone, myself included, by making a comment and sharing a link to what you have learned. From Cecelia: "It takes a village...or as Tiffany would say...it takes a colony!" WE ARE A COLONY!
So, with that aim in mind, here are some links to get us started!
Dan Noyes' Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/DanNoyesABC7
It is public, so you can see it even if you don't have a Facebook account! Please enjoy his 18 December post about ongoing efforts to trap the last few remaining colony cats. Cecelia and Tiffany have been at the Oakport site every night since they learned of the shootings, trying to get the last few cats out of harm's way. Mr. Noyes' 18 December post also has news (and a photo!) of Mike, one of the surviving colony cats. Cecelia plans to post a page specifically describing each of the surviving cats that are in need of safe refuge and forever homes. Some are unsocialized, while others are quite friendly, so different cats will have different needs. I will certainly post a link to that page as soon as it is available! Please also scroll down to Dan Noyes' 14 December post. He reports what incoming EBRPD Board president Dee Rosario told him about the upcoming EBRPD internal investigation, noting that the results would be heard by the Natural and Cultural Resources Committee, and would then finally go before the full Board of Directors, "most likely in March". He also writes about a colony cat Cecelia and Tiffany called Charles. Through ICRA and Tiffany, Charles has found a wonderful forever home! JUST LOOK AT THAT PHOTO on Dan Noyes' page! So wonderful!
Another powerful ally has demanded a permanent end to the "Oakland Cat Massacres"! Please visit In Defense of Animals!
From their own website: In Defense of Animals, or "IDA" is "an international animal protection organization with over 250,000 valued supporters and a 30-year history of protecting animals, people and the environment. [They] accomplish [their] mission through education, campaigns, sanctuaries and hands-on animal rescuers in India, Korea, and rural Mississippi. [Their] main headquarters are established in San Rafael, California." This dedicated and inspiring organization is a force to be reckoned with!
You can find the entire video of the 15 December EBRPD Board Meeting here.
I know it's daunting to see that the meeting ran for more than 4.5 hours; however, only the first 43 minutes have anything to do with our cause. That's still quite a lot to wade through, and I have started putting together a sort of guide, including time-stamps, to help supporters jump to the parts of those 43 minutes that they are specifically looking to hear or to revisit. That will have to be included in a future update. It's time consuming, and I also want to try to find a way to constructively bring up some of the misinformation spoken aloud in that meeting, but also published by SFGATE reporter Andrew Chamings on 8 December followed in turn the Bay Area News Group's reporter Angela Ruggiero. Her story ran in The Mercury News on 9 December, and has been run over and over again, in various local papers, even as recently as yesterday, 18 December, when it appeared, almost completely unchanged, in both The East Bay Times and The Berkeley Voice. I could provide links, but I think you need to have a subscription to view them, and I honestly do not know how many papers have run the same story. If you have a subscription to any of the Bay Area News Group papers (and there seems to be quite a lot of them) I urge you to check your local paper. If there are people reading this who have no access to that article and want to read it, please speak up in the comments. I will try to find out if it's ok to cut and paste the contents and put that in an update, or if I have to get permission from somebody, somewhere. (Sorry for my ignorance!)
Last, but certainly not least, Cecelia specifically requested that I give credit where credit is due, and to recognize what an essential (and often unacknowledged) role ICRA (Island Cat Resources and Adoption) has played in helping the Oakport Colony cats, as well as countless other homeless, abandoned or lost cats in our community. Cecelia said that "every single cat that [EBRPD] shot was cared for by Tiffany and [herself] and the [veterinary] appointments were all provided by ICRA". She also said that "if [she asked] Gail [Churchill of ICRA] for anything, then she would have that stuff outside for [Cecelia] within five minutes, and it would be way more than [she] ever asked for". Please go to https://www.facebook.com/icraeastbay to meet Teddy! Teddy was rescued from near the MLK Shoreline and is ready for adoption! He's described as both calm and snuggly.
I will try to post another update soon. Until then, wishing all the members of our colony a happy and safe holiday season!