I wanted to update everyone on the situation in Canton with the feral cats that are being captured and then killed at the Stark County Humane Society. Fellow trapper and Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) advocate, Tobin Franks (who first alerted me to the issue), sent me a follow up email below. Alley Cat Allies has gotten involved in this fight for the cats, but they still need you to keep signing the petition and calling and emailing the Canton Council members.
If you can also attend the next Council meeting, it will be Monday, February 6, at 7:30 pm in the Canton City Hall, 218 Cleveland Avenue SW.
The cats in the photo above are from one of our TNR clinics. They were released, not killed. TNR works!
From Tobin: Thank you everyone who came to the City Council Meeting & all who called and sent emails to Canton Officials!
ALLEY CAT ALLIES PRESS RELEASE:
http://www.alleycat.org/page.aspx?pid=1123
CANTON REP ARTICLE:
http://www.cantonrep.com/news/x370660645/Canton-Council-urged-to-be-more-humane-with-cats
As you have seen in the paper, read on Facebook & heard on the radio – we are off to a good start, but the City of Canton is still considering the renewal of the city’s contract with Phil Sedlacko for ‘animal control’ services. Phil rounds up cats & kittens and takes them to the Stark County Humane Society. After years of denial, Stark HS Executive Director Louis Criswell has finally admitted that feral cats brought in by Phil are killed.
The Next Meeting is: Monday Feb 6 2012 – 7:30 pm
218 Cleveland Avenue SW
Canton, OH 44702
Summary of Phil’s activity for 2011: (The status of these animals is unknown.)
JAN: 15 cats 1 kitten 1 dog 3 raccoons 1 opossum
FEB: 21 cats 1 opossum
MAR: 23 cats 5 kittens 1 dog 1 raccoon 1 opossum 1 groundhog
APR: 35 cats 11 kittens 11 raccoons 9 opossums 6 groundhogs 3 rabbits 1 skunk
MAY: 46 cats 20 kittens 18 raccoons 3 opossums 11 groundhogs
JUNE: 46 cats 21 kittens 23 raccoons 14 opossums 19 groundhogs
JULY: 26 cats 12 kittens 22 raccoons 13 opossums 23 groundhogs 10 skunks
AUG: 22 cats 14 kittens 20 raccoons 6 opossums 16 groundhogs 10 skunks 2 squirrels
SEPT: 15 cats 6 kittens 6 raccoons 2 opossums 5 groundhogs 2 skunks 1 squirrel
OCT: 13 cats 2 dogs 4 raccoons 11 opossums 2 groundhogs
NOV: 7 cats 2 kittens 1 dog 2 raccoons 4 opossums
DEC: 14 cats 1 opossum
http://cantonohio.gov/council/
Mayor, City of Canton
Canton City Hall – 8th Floor
218 Cleveland Avenue SW
Canton, OH 44702
P.O. Box 24218
Canton, OH 44701
Phone(330) 438-4307
Fax(330) 489-3282
Allen Schulman – Pres
Address:
3519 Culver DR NW
Canton, OH 44709
Home: 330 492-5409
Business Office: 330 456-4400
Council Office: 330-489-3223
E-Mail: allen.schulman@cantonohio.gov
Mary M. Cirelli – At Large
Address:
424 – 19th Street NW
Canton, OH 44709
Home: 330-455-4967
Council Office: 330-489-3223
e-Mail:marycirelli@neo.rr.com
Joe Cole – At Large
Address:
1402 – 27th St NE
Canton OH 44714
Cell: 330-327-2346
Council Office: 330-489-3223
E-Mail: joseph.cole@cantonohio.gov
James Babcock – At Large
Address:
3711 – 9th St SW
Canton, OH 44710
Home: 330-454-4027
Mobile: 330-495-7202
Council Office: 330-489-3223
E-Mail: james.babcock@cantonohio.gov
Greg Hawk – W1
Address:
2907 – 6th Street NW
Canton, OH 44708
Home: 330-455-7333
Council Office: 330-489-3223
E-Mail: gregory.hawk@cantonohio.gov
Thomas E. West – W2
Address:
625 – 12th Street NW
Canton, OH 44703
Home: 330-430-9378
Council Office: 330-489-3223
E-Mail: thomas.west@cantonohio.gov
James E. Griffin – W3
Address:
202 Poplar Ave NW
Canton, OH 44708
Home: 330-478-2297
Council Office: 330-489-3223
E-Mail: james.griffin@cantonohio.gov
Chris Smith – W4
Address:
458 Waynesburg Rd. SE
Canton, OH 44707
Home: 330-453-5981
Council Office: 330-489-3223
E-Mail: christine.smith@cantonohio.gov
Kevin Fisher – W5
Address:
1641 Alden Ave SW
Canton, OH 44710
Home: 330-412-4681
Council Office: 330-489-3223
E-Mail: kevin.fisher@cantonohio.gov
David R. Dougherty – W6
Address:
2426 – 16th Street NE
Canton, OH 44705
Home: 330-453-9950
Council Office: 330-489-3223
E-Mail: david.dougherty@cantonohio.gov
Patrick Barton – W7
Address:
503 – 21st Street NW
Canton, OH 44709
Home: 330-353-9395
Council Office: 330-489-3223
E-Mail: patrick.barton@cantonohio.gov
Edmond Mack – W8
Address:
4816 Ellinda Circle NW
Canton, Ohio 44709
Home: 330-323-3755
Council Office: 330-489-3223
E-Mail:edmond.mack@cantonohio.gov
Frank Morris – W9
Address:
1406 – 19th St NE
Canton OH 44714
Home: 330-224-0913
Council Office: 330-489-3223
E-Mail: frank.morris@cantonohio.gov
Stark County Humane Society
5100 Peach St Louisville, OH 44641
(330) 453-5529
http://starkhumane.org
Stark Humane also has a Facebook Page
Stark County Dog Pound
1801 Mahoning Road Northeast, Canton Ohio
(330) 451-2343
http://www.co.stark.oh.us/internet/HOME.DisplayPage?v_page=commissioners_dogWardenOffice
Thank you Robin for your support!
leave the innocent cats of canton alone stop killing them
While remaining calm and polite, we all need to keep steady pressure on the city of Canton to stop catching and killing not only feral and stray cats, but also all types of wildlife. Currently if your pet cat accidentally gets out and someone calls the Canton Animal Control officier, Phil Sedlacko, your pet will be trapped and then risk euthanisa by the Stark County Humane Society (SCHS), advertised as a no-kill shelter. The 400 cats trapped by Mr. Sedlacko in 2011, as reported by executive director Lou Criswell of the SCHS, 21 were found homes for, 11 are still in their shelter and the remaining 368 were all put to death.
So please take the time to write a letter-to-the-editor to the Canton Repository who has been covering this story and printing people’s letter. My letter is soon to be published, but now I need you all to follow suite. Keeping this issue in the public eye will help to keep the animals safe.
Follow Toby Franks lead and attend Canton city council meetings when asked. And if you haven’t already, take three minutes to address them, again with politeness. You can simply read a prepared statement, if speaking makes you nervous. Remember we are all nervous-speaking, writing, it is all a challenge, myself included, but when we focus on the goal of saving feral & stray cats, along with innocent wildlife, we do what is required despite our shortcomings.