Washington, DC, On January 10, 2002, Admiral Vern Clerk, Chief of Naval Operations, approved a new "Policy Letter Preventing Feral Cat and Dog Populations on Navy Property" that expressly prohibits feeding feral animals and/or implementing Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) programs for feral cats on Navy property. The new policy also requires the "humane capture and removal of free roaming cats and dogs…no later than 1 January 2003." Because feral (wild) cats are not considered by animal shelters to be adoptable, these animals face certain death.
This policy was approved by Admiral Clark despite:
opposition by the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) to any policy that limits the Commanding Officer of an installation to effectively discharge his/her duties. NAVSEA's recommendations also included the use of TNR as "an effective alternative to trap and removal."
evidence that TNR is effective in reducing feral cat populations at Navy installations. Because lethal methods had failed, the Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) in Portsmouth, Virginia contracted with Alley Cat Allies to perform TNR at this highly industrial facility.
Lethal methods of feral cat population control are ineffective and unenforceable on vast Navy installations worldwide. The evidence of this is the large numbers of feral cats that currently roam Navy property.
The majority of Navy personnel and Navy residents who have been in contact with Alley Cat Allies support nonlethal control for stray and feral cats, and many say they will participate in humane population reduction programs, whether or not they are officially sanctioned.
Please send your polite letters to Admiral Clark. Urge him to revoke this futile and inhumane blanket policy and to institute a policy that allows individual Commanding Officers to consider on a case-by-case basis what is the most effective and acceptable method of reducing feral and free-roaming animal populations at their installations, including TNR.
Admiral Vern Clark
Chief of Naval Operations
2000 Navy Pentagon
Washington, D.C. 20350-2000
Phone: 703.692.5304
Fax: 703.692.5303
e-mail: [email protected]
Please also send a copy of your letter to your senators and congressman. You can find their names and contact information at www.visi.com/juan/congress.
This policy was approved by Admiral Clark despite:
opposition by the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) to any policy that limits the Commanding Officer of an installation to effectively discharge his/her duties. NAVSEA's recommendations also included the use of TNR as "an effective alternative to trap and removal."
evidence that TNR is effective in reducing feral cat populations at Navy installations. Because lethal methods had failed, the Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) in Portsmouth, Virginia contracted with Alley Cat Allies to perform TNR at this highly industrial facility.
Lethal methods of feral cat population control are ineffective and unenforceable on vast Navy installations worldwide. The evidence of this is the large numbers of feral cats that currently roam Navy property.
The majority of Navy personnel and Navy residents who have been in contact with Alley Cat Allies support nonlethal control for stray and feral cats, and many say they will participate in humane population reduction programs, whether or not they are officially sanctioned.
Please send your polite letters to Admiral Clark. Urge him to revoke this futile and inhumane blanket policy and to institute a policy that allows individual Commanding Officers to consider on a case-by-case basis what is the most effective and acceptable method of reducing feral and free-roaming animal populations at their installations, including TNR.
Admiral Vern Clark
Chief of Naval Operations
2000 Navy Pentagon
Washington, D.C. 20350-2000
Phone: 703.692.5304
Fax: 703.692.5303
e-mail: [email protected]
Please also send a copy of your letter to your senators and congressman. You can find their names and contact information at www.visi.com/juan/congress.
