Craig Street Cats

This documentary will be shown on Global, at 7pm on October 9th.  I intend to watch, I hope you will too.

The film is about feral cat colonies, and their caregivers, in Toronto, but I’m pretty sure the theme applies across the country.

Over the past week the Winnipeg Humane Society has been engaged in a controversial bit of name calling.  WHS executive director, Bill McDonald, was quoted as having called no-kill shelters warehouses for animals that aren’t being adopted because nobody wants to adopt them.  When asked to apologize McDonald went on the offensive and claimed that “so called” no-kill shelters don’t want to acknowledge that “euthanasia” is a sad fact of life here in Winnipeg.  I don’t want to get involved in the debate over who is or isn’t right.  I do want to convince everyone to use the correct terminology, though.

Euthanasia means mercy killing.  When you euthanize, you end suffering.  You put a being out of its misery.  Ending the life of a creature that is suffering is rightly called euthanasia.  In our society it is deemed humane to euthanize animals for which there is no other way to end suffering.

Ending the life of a healthy, adoptable animal, soley to create space for more animals, IS NOT EUTHANASIA.  Ending the life of a sick animal with a treatable illness or condition is not euthanasia.  Ending the life of a non-symptomatic animal with an untreatable disease or condition is not euthanasia.  These acts are destroying, putting down, or killing.  The WHS kills thousands of animals every year in order to make space for more animals.  They apply the word euthanasia to this space clearing in an attempt to make it appear humane, because our society does not consider the act of killing animals to create space for more animals to be humane.

Unfortunately, applying incorrect terminology clouds the issue and makes it difficult to follow whatever logic might be in use by the different parties to an argument.  The Humane Society calls its space clearing “euthanasia”, thereby implying that it is humane to end the life of an animal that is not suffering.  The act may be done humanely, but that does not make it a humane act.  The use of the word “euthanasia” is, therefore, inappropriate.

I am asking all concerned to PLEASE FIND ANOTHER EUPHEMISM for what the WHS does when it kills animals to clear space for more animals.  Stop clouding the issue by using a word that means something entirely different.

Zoe and best friend Maud

Today I received an email from Beth and Evan on Home St.  It seems that their calico cat, Zoe Paprika, managed to slip out on Friday night, and has been out galavanting ever since.  They are sick with worry, because Zoe is an indoor only cat, and has been declawed.  If you see Zoe, please pick her up and call 223-6652 so we can let Beth and Evan know where she is.

Zoe is the sleepy calico in the background of the photo.

UPDATE, Sept. 30:  It seems Zoe is back at home.  I got this message from Beth last night:

Hi Lynne,

Just wanted to say thanks again for your posting of Zoe’s picture on your site.  We have some happy news to share tonight- she is home safely!  John, on Chestnut Street found her lounging on his porch.  He remembered he had seen a poster, ran back and checked out the pole and gave us a call.  She’s a little grubby but no worse for wear.  We’re so thankful for him, for you, and all of the thoughtful, caring people in our Wolseley community!

Beth

Well, we’re famous again

Trevor Suffield, from Canstar Community News (Metro, Lance, Herald, et al) came to interview me last week, and the story hit the papers today.  It’s a very nice story, and I truly appreciate the time and effort that went into it.   All told, it’s a very flattering piece, but there is one error that I have to clear up.  Craig Street Cats is not a charity.  We are a registered non-profit organization, with authorization to solicit funds for a charitable purpose.  We are NOT a registered charity.

Elizabeth Labelle made the original contact with Trevor because she is holding a garage sale this weekend and wants to donate the proceeds to Craig Street Cats.  Thank you Elizabeth.  The sale details are as follows:

Garage Sale in Support of Craig Street Cats

Date:  Sept. 19 and 20
Place:  45 Worthington
Time:  9am to 4pm
Rain date:  Sept. 26 and 27

You can call Elizabeth at 256-0712 for more information or to donate items for the sale.