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The Department of
Sanitation Chooses Humane The Fresh Kills Landfill, located on the western shore of Staten Island, was long home to New York City's garbage - and to a large colony of feral cats who fed off the refuse and handouts from the hundreds of employees. Recently, the landfill closed and almost all the workers have left. But the cats remain and their unchecked reproduction posed a serious threat to their survival now that their food source is no longer as plentiful.
Free spay/neuter and veterinary
services were provided by the Humane Society of NY, who also took in the
adoptables, and by the ASPCA Cares mobile spay/neuter van which operated
on-site, neutering 26 of the cats. Financial support for the project has
been provided by the ASPCA/Fresh Step Safe Steps Home program and the
Artemis Project. Ongoing (healthy!) food donations have been generously
provided by Pet Stop, located on Columbus Ave. at W. 87th St. in
Manhattan. |
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In
a humane and compassionate gesture, the New York City Department of
Sanitation allowed Neighborhood Cats to carry out a trap-neuter-return
project at Fresh Kills. Over the course of two weeks in March, 39 of a
known 43 cats were trapped - 5 were friendly and placed up for adoption
while the remaining 34 were neutered and returned. Efforts are ongoing to
catch the last few. 