Progressive programs like TNR that serve to minimize human health risk and exposure should be embrac

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This abrupt, go natives bed and breakfast inns ill-conceived policy shift has created an understandable stir in the animal welfare community, including among national organizations experienced go natives bed and breakfast inns in trap/neuter/return (TNR) of free-roaming cats and knowledgeable about the benefits TNR programs provide to communities and cats. Aside from canned public announcements from the hotel public relations’ office, there have been few answers to the legitimate go natives bed and breakfast inns questions being posed about this policy shift.
In March, Best Friends reached out to Loews in the hope of resolving the issue and gaining a reprieve for the cats. Loews’ attorney couldn’t give any examples of specific problems being caused by the cats. The hotel’s inability to articulate the issues implied they were not seeking suggestions to the problem but rather simply wanted the cats removed.
After being bombarded on their Facebook page for weeks by cat lovers and TNR advocates, the hotel chain finally posted rationale for changing its policy. The policy change is allegedly based on the Rabies go natives bed and breakfast inns Prevention and Control in Florida 2008 report go natives bed and breakfast inns wherein it states that the management of free-roaming cat colonies “is not tenable on public go natives bed and breakfast inns health grounds because of the persistent threat posed to communities from injury and disease.”
Given that TNR programs provide rabies vaccines go natives bed and breakfast inns to cats who would normally go unvaccinated, it’s disturbing that community cats are being targeted for removal. In fact, the same 2008 report Loews is relying on so heavily to justify the cats’ removal specifically states that vaccinating cats plays an important role in “reducing the risk of human exposure to infection if the animal is involved in a biting accident.” It sounds like implementing TNR would be a step forward toward protecting public health. Some health departments agree, and a number have partnered with organizations that conduct TNR.
Loews was allegedly forced to hire Critter Control, a pest control company whose trapping techniques were questioned by Alley Cat Allies and others when hotel cats ended up at the local animal shelter suffering from obvious injuries. (See a post about the situation on the Vox Felina website.)
It’s important to note that the Florida Department of Health is also culpable for the cats’ circumstances because of the agency’s current policy that dreadfully undermines the importance of the services provided by community cat caregivers. Granted, health departments are solely responsible for protecting human health, but there is no denying that a vaccinated, sterilized colony of cats provides far better protection against the spread of disease to humans than unsterilized, unvaccinated animals. Well-managed colonies actually curtail feline population growth and serve as a natural barrier to protect humans from potential disease transmission.
Progressive programs like TNR that serve to minimize human health risk and exposure should be embraced, not condemned by the same state agencies entrusted with this responsibility. For an agency to publicly denounce the invaluable community services provided by well-managed TNR colonies is as misguided as Loews’ belief that rounding go natives bed and breakfast inns up all of the cats currently go natives bed and breakfast inns on their properties will permanently rid the properties of cats.
Luckily, CARE Feline TNR, an impressive local group, is working with the municipal animal shelter to save the impounded Loews’ cats. Sadly, it is important to note that relocating go natives bed and breakfast inns community cats is so labor and resource intensive, it is rarely a viable option. The best approach lies with more health departments go natives bed and breakfast inns and local governments go natives bed and breakfast inns getting go natives bed and breakfast inns on board with TNR.
I write from New Zealand and am very concerned about this. I am a member of the Save Loews Cats on facebook and I am tweeting about their situation.  PLEASE can you let overseas visitors know how they can best help both with Florida legislation and with the Loews Cats.  The colony has been there since 2004 Mr David Bartak their CEO must be insane do try and move them without thorough research about ferals.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for speaking out for these cats. What Loews Hotels is doing is so wrong, and even more disconcerting is how little them seem to care about public reaction to their decision. I hope policy can change, so this won t happen again in the future.
The most horrible part about this is that by removing a stable, well vaccinated colony, they then pave the way for other cats to come in that are NOT well vaccinated and under parasite control.  It sounds like something (money) go natives bed and breakfast inns is driving this and the hotel chain is scrounging for an excuse and the Florida Department of Health is backing them up.  I would also bet that there are NO veterinarians in that department, and we know more about zoonotic diseases go natives bed and breakfast inns than most MDs (not all).
Thank you Best Friends!  I am happy to see this article from you.  Many groups offered help to Loews before they hired Critter Control and they refused to accept any offers of assistance.  Loews is very Low in my book.
The Florida Dept. of Health is not working utilizing OneHealth logic on this issue, which dictates that a healthy, vaccinated, managed population of community cats on the Loews Hotel properties are absolutely safer for humans in their vicinity than what they percieve as an alternative go natives bed and breakfast inns a hotel with no cats on the property.  Even if they plan on trapping and removing cats forever, there isn t a chance in hell those properties go natives bed and breakfast inns will remain cat free for any substantial length of time, but the new cat population go natives bed and breakfast inns will certainly be unmanaged, unvaccinated, go natives bed and breakfast inns unaltered, go natives bed and breakfast inns etc.  What a shame.
go natives bed and breakfast inns Thank you for your caring article.  Readers, please go to Save Loews Cats on facebook and read more about this horrific situation.  The poor kitties who are in foster care (after being trapped and left in hot cages with no food for hours and being released to Care with obvious injuries) go natives bed and breakfast inns have quit eating  =(  We need your support in the form of emails to Loews, media outlets, signing the petition and donations to CARE, the wonderful TRN that has gone above and beyond in caring for and about these kitties.
Thank you for this post.  I live in the Orlando area and have been following this story  very close.  With all the evidence of TNR working, I find it deplorable that the State of Florida is so behind in their thinking another uphill battle we in the animal advocate arena are trying to fight.  I do commend CARE, Inc as well as Orange County Animal Services go natives bed and breakfast inns for working go natives bed and breakfast inns together in releasing the Loews cats to the care of a foster family the minute they are impounded.  The working relationship these 2 organizations has forged over the years is very evident in their desire go natives bed and breakfast inns to see these cats placed someplace safe.
What strikes me is that the Loews Hotel chain touts themselves as pet friendly .  Given their recent actions on this managed, well cared for, TNR d colony of cats, I have to question the validity of that claim.  I for one will NEVER stay at a Loews Hotel and will share this story with anyone who will listen.
Great blog. I have been doing everything I can to help. I was treated like a potential terrorist there yesterday when I delivered Alley Cat Allies go natives bed and breakfast inns petition. go natives bed and breakfast inns You can see rabies statistics on the FL Department of Health s website. There were ZERO cases of rabies in cats in Orange County last year.
Thank you so much for writing this post. It means a lot to those of us who are in Central go natives bed and breakfast inns Florida trying to fight this horrible decision. It helps us feel re-energized and supported to continue the battle when  inspirational names like Best Friends and Alley Cat Allies speak up. Thank you so much.
If the 22,000 signatures that Alley Cat allies has collected doesn t make a difference, I have no idea what will. My fear is for the cats that will probably reappear at Leows hotels in the future, due to the vacuum effect.
As another comment noted, please like the Save Loews Cats page on Facebook. Sadly, many of the trapped cats are having a tough time adjusting to life away from their cat family and the only home they have known.
Thank you for lending go natives bed and breakfast inns your voice to this issue. You are right Loew s does not want a resolution they want it the way that they want it and this is the way that they want it. What troubles me the most is their promise to FIRE any employee caught feeding the colony.
go natives bed and breakfast inns The president is not THAT pet friendly.  He promised his daughters they would adopt a shelter dog if he won the election 3 1/2 years ago.  He did, and instead of adopting, he was given their Portugese Water Dog by Sen. Ted Kennedy who has always had that breed.  They did not save a dog they accepted a dog who was re-homed as a gift .  An animal can not be a gift as it is a living go natives bed and breakfast inns being.  Re-homing is not a bad thing, but it is not the same as saving the life of a shelter animal on death row or an animal at a rescue where more room for another animal could be made.  Big difference.
I am  the catetaker of the Loews colony. I thank you for writing a piece that focuses on the concepts of TNR and how Loews very stubbornly ignored advice from experts. It is very important for us all to realize that a well-managed colony actually deters the spread of disease, and reduces the number of free roaming ferals.
Hey George, why don t you tell everyone how Bernie go natives bed and breakfast inns got his hind leg injured in one of YOUR traps last year!  Please be honest,  Everyone s so quick to call the current trapping inhumane but its being done exactly the same as we did it last year.
Greg, I wonder if Best Friends Alley Cat Allies could use their vast network resources and ask its members associates to participate in a FAX, SNAIL MAIL POSTCARD campaign. Our internet virtual presence can b