I will update this page throughout the day as I learn about more of the people and organizations who are speaking out against EBRPD's policy.  There are so many, and it is such a joy to learn of them and to share information with you.  Again, as I said in the previous update:  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, I would be so grateful if you would help everyone, myself included, by making a comment and sharing a link to what you have learned.  Thank you again!  Here are some links to get us started today!

Alley Cat Allies speaks out against the EBRPD cat shootings.  I just can't say enough wonderful things about Alley Cat Allies.  I am also linking a page about their history, mission and goals (among other things).  If you have the time, I strongly encourage you to explore their website.  There is an incredible amount of information there.  They are amazing.  My words fail to do them justice.

I am delighted to learn about "Pain in the Bud".  The page describing what they're about is too funny.  However, the site's response to EBRPD is completely serious, and very informative.

I also just learned about a wonderful blog called Savannah's Paw Tracks!  The site specifically asks that you gain permission before reproducing or reprinting any content, so I wanted to make sure that Savannah and Mom L were ok if I put a link here.  Luckily, they both agreed that it was okay for me to share their work with all of you!  Here is the first entry from 14 December.  They also posted an update on 21 December.  Although Mom L sent many emails to EBRPD, she never received a reply.  However, a friend of hers did receive a reply (reprinted in its entirety in the blog), from retiring EBRPD General Manager Robert Doyle.  The content is very similar to the remarks he made at the 15 December Board Meeting.  I found Mom L's thoughts about that reply, as well as the observations of Peter J. Wolf of Best Friends to be particularly insightful.

Lastly, because nobody should have to read all my ramblings without getting to see so much as a single photo: it is my pleasure to introduce Satchee.  The photo on the left is Satchee on the day she was found in Anthony Chabot Regional Park by Trish Roque: petition signer, current member of the Board of Directors of FOAS (Friends of Oakland Animal Services) and co-signer of the letter I linked in my 14 December update.  The photo on the right is Satchee just three months later, "after becoming [Trish Roque's] beloved companion".  This is what just 12 weeks of love and care can do for an animal that has been abandoned and left to fend for itself.  It breaks my heart that so many people look at that photo on the left and see only a nuisance.  They see something that is closer to a piece of discarded trash than it is to their own beloved pet cat.  They see a cat that they assume has never and will never coexist comfortably with humans.  Some even see a cat whose life has so little value to them that they honestly see nothing wrong with a sanctioned policy that allows for such a cat to be killed without making the slightest effort to contact an individual or group that might be able to save that life.  Satchee was cherished and loved for eight years before she succumbed to kidney disease.  Trish Roque described her as "a little firecracker".  This photo was attached to the letter that was sent out to FOAS supporters, both to make them aware of EBRPD's policy, and to ask them to take action to bring that policy to an end, once and for all.  After seeing Satchee's photo attached to that letter demanding humane treatment for abandoned and community cats, a friend of Trish Roque's remarked to her that "even in death, [Satchee] is stirring things up".  It is my honor to be able to help Satchee keep "stirring things up" by posting her photo and sharing a bit of her story with everyone here!