Fall/Winter 2011 - Chihuahuan Desert Wildlife Rescue

Board of Officers
President: Susie Jensen
Vice Pres.: Marcia Fulton
Secretary: Inga Groff
Treasurer: Sheila Morrison
Board of Directors
Diane Fox
Debbie Lofton
Dr. William Snyder
Carol Miller
Vacant
Newsletter Editor
Susie Jensen
The Purpose of CDWR
Wildlife rehabilitation is the
care of injured or orphaned
wildlife for return, where
possible, to the wild. Successful
rehabilitation takes a
lot of time, a lot of effort and
no small amount of money.
It is challenging work, done
by special people. Chihuahuan
Desert Wildlife Rescue
is a nonprofit organization
which exists to help the rehabilitators
in the El Paso/Las
Cruces area. Our purposes
are to:
♦ provide a volunteer network
to assist active reha-
♦
bilitators in their work
support wildlife rehabilitation
programs financially
♦ provide education and
instruction in wildlife rehabilitation
♦
♦
Page 4
* CDWR *
El Paso / Las Cruces
educate the public about
wildlife conservation
problems
work for the reduction of
pressures on native wildlife
from domestic animals
and humans
Cat Overpopulation is a Problem That Must
be Addressed Quickly by Darin Schroeder
Recently, American Bird Conversancy (ABC), the nation’s leading bird conservation
organization, called on the major of the 50 largest U.S. cities to help stop the epidemic of
feral cats that threaten our bird populations as well as scores of other wildlife species.
In the letter (www.abcbirds.org/PDFs/TNRmailing.pdf) ABC urged the majors to support
responsible pet ownership and to oppose Trap=Neuter-Release (TNR) programs that
promote the feeding of outdoor cats.
Cat overpopulation is a human-caused tragedy that affects the health and well-being of
cats, our native wildlife, and the public.
Outdoor cats, even when well fed, kill hundreds of millions of wild birds and
other animals each year n the United States, including endangered species.
Birds that nest or feed on the ground are especially vulnerable.
The domestic cat is an extremely effective predator that has been introduced by modern
man into an environment whose native species are ill-equipped to defend themselves.
For the cats, it means one easy meal after another. For native wildlife, it is a death sentence.
It is not surprising, therefore, that studies indicate that the 95 million outdoor and feral
cats on the loose in the United Sates kill at least 532 million birds each year, possibly significantly
more.
Specifically, ABC is asking the majors to issue a policy directive opposing TNR, and
to halt city funding for the practice if any is currently being expended.
Clearly, dog overpopulation problems aren’t solved by simply turning unwanted dogs
loose into the streets, the same should be true for cats.
And TNR simply does not work in reducing the free-roaming cat problem.
Study after study shows that TNR colonies to not diminish over time.
Instead, they become dumping grounds for unwanted pets, and cats too wily to the
trapped continue to breed.
Instead, ensuring responsible pet ownership must be at the core of any long-term solution
to cat overpopulation.
Cats can also transmit diseases such as rabies, toxoplasmosis, and cat scratch fever to
humans. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has declared that cats are
the top carrier of rabies in domestic animals.
In just the last month, about 30 feral cats in northwestern Florida were euthanized following
tests that confirmed two were rabid.
Food left out at TNR colonies attracts not only more cats, but hungry wildlife as well,
which increases the chances for interaction with rabid animals.
Three people in Florida living in the vicinity on TNR feeding sites were bitten last year
by rabid cats and had to undergo rabies treatments.
ABC suggests communities concerned about feral cats work to enact mandatory licensing
programs, the fees from which can fund programs to help find homes for unwanted
pets and education pet owners about keep their cats indoors.
TNR is not humane to the cats or wildlife. Free-roaming cats are in constant danger of
being hit by cars, contracting diseases and parasites, or being attached by other animals or
people.
The dumping of unwanted pets at colony sites only serves to continue the inhumane
cycle.
Some TNR programs track TNR managers and neglect to track the NTR colonies
themselves, compromising their ability monitor related health and safety issues.
Other groups who, like ABC, oppose TNR programs include: National Association
of Public Health Veterinarians, The Wildlife Society, and the People for
Ethical Treatment of Animals.
C D W R * El Paso / Las Cruces
Darin Schroeder is vice president
for Conservation Advocacy
American Bird Conservancy in
Washington D.C.