Fort Armistead ferals need help!

Hey everybody.

The feral cat feeding schedule at Fort Armistead, Hawkins Point, Baltimore, Maryland needs help from local volunteers...very badly!

The TNR people that have been taking care of this feral population have thinned to a sparse few over the past 25 years. They are the people who started some of the more established cat rescue groups in Maryland and they really, really need help from the next generation of cat people!

If anybody (in life) who lives close to Baltimore or knows anybody close to that area who can swing one feeding day during the week, please, please, please help!

These kind people have been taking care of the Ft. Armistead cats since they were first discovered and have had to battle so much opposition to make this happen. If new feeders are not found to cover the shifts, the cats will starve to death and that will have defeated the purpose of all the work they have done.

I hope I'm not overstepping my boundries here, but it's a desperate situatuion that requires attention from whoever can help in any way possible.

Thank you everybody! I hope this is the first and last post about the Fort Armistead ferals!

-kiki

Kiki...I would contact Alley Cat Allies regarding this.

http://www.alleycat.org/index.html

Katie

Thank you Katie, I'll try writing to the links you sent and see if anybody responds this time.

Rumor has it that Ft. Armistead is for sale...imagine that?

Katie!

Somebody from one of the links you gave me responded and I sent the information to the people who schedule the feedings at Ft. Armistead, thank you forever for that.

The lady I sent the information to is my "cat mentor" who has been doing rescue for 25 years and she has more on her plate than I could think possible. She simply has no time to spare for full time rescue anymore. Another cat rescue has been feeding them but there are only three people involved and they are all getting too old (I hope they don't get mad at me for saying that, but it's the honest truth) to do what they used to do full time.

We moved to West Virginia back in August from Maryland and used to be able to visit the cats at Ft. Armistead every Sunday. We can't do that now because it's at least a 3 hour drive one way and we have our 37 cats and 2 dogs to care for (all rescues, yes). We want to help so badly it hurts, but distance prevents us from doing anything but writing and making phone calls.

the problem...

People now consider Ft. Armistead a dumping ground for cats, dead and alive. Some people think that if they drop a cat off in a nice park-like setting they will fend for themselves. Every cat person knows that is NOT TRUE (pardon the tantrum) and that the cat will starve to death if the elements and/or disease don't get them first.

Some people have been feeding the cats at Ft. Armistead chicken from their cars and the cats have grown used to running up to cars in a certian area of the park for an easy meal. Instead of getting that, they are being shot with guns for fun. No joke.
Friends of mine have found cats killed by guns, tortured, set on fire, placed in plastic bags and then thrown into the water both dead and alive. It's really bad but the problem is catching these people in the act.
Nobody can get tag numbers or photos to put these criminals in jail and good people are badly needed even if it's to drive over and check on the cats.

We have written to PETA, the Humane Society and many other cat rescue groups that sent me form letter responses (except for one that Katie gave me, I'll keep you informed) that say they don't have to resources to help...yes...PETA said that.
I really hope someone reads this who can do something or even throw a better idea our way because what's going on at Ft. Armistead is disgusting.

I'm glad someone responded....keep us informed of the situation. You may even want to ask for assistance on Craigslist:

http://baltimore.craigslist.org/pet/

And

http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/pet/

Also...not sure I provided this to you before but you should also contact the Best Friends Network:

Contact the Best Friends Network: at (435) 644-2001 ext 123, or e-mail them at [email protected]

They can contact their members in the area to see if they can help.

Katie