Tuesday 28 March 2023 | 27

One Voice is asking for a decree from the Songeons town council to ban feeding stray cats to be repealed.

One Voice is asking for a decree from the Songeons town council to ban feeding stray cats to be repealed.

Mis à jour le 24 May 2023

One Voice has been warned by various animal advocates of the fact that the Songeons Town Council has decided to ban feeding stray cats in its area. We have written to the Songeons mayor to express our indignation and to remind him of his responsibilities when it comes to stray animals in his town’s area.
In fact, the municipal decree n° 2023_A016 of 15 March 2023 threatened anyone who risked it with a fine of 38 euros. Posts on the town’s website and Facebook page have since been taken down.

Hr blog

Updated 30 March at 11:55am

Following rallies from animal advocates and One Voice’s letter, the Songeons mayor realised his error and revoked the municipal decree banning feeding cats. We thank him and encourage him profusely to run a neutering campaign in his town’s area. Once again, we are asking for an urgent national plan to put an end to feline straying and the suffering that it causes.

A ban on feeding stray cats or be subject to a fine: this is how the Songeons town council manages straying situations in their area, instead of taking responsibility by restarting neutering campaigns. As reported by the media, the town council justifies this ban with “a fresh outbreak of rambling cats” and the “need and desire to keep the town in a good state of cleanliness and hygiene”.

As a reminder, mayors are responsible for animals roaming in their town’s area. Regarding cats, before even thinking about capturing them to put them into pounds, legislation requires neutering campaigns before they are released (annexe II, section 2, chapter V of the decree of 3 April 2014 setting health and animal protection guidelines). This is the only ethical way to sustainably manage a population of stray cats. Banning feeding them will in no way stem their reproduction and even risks creating problems that were not present before the ban: famished, the cats will turn to bins and small wildlife.

With posts on the town’s website and Facebook page having been taken down by 28 March, we therefore asked the mayor to confirm that these deletions constitute a repeal of the decree and not a deceptive attempt to conceal the truth while the decree is still in force.

Translated from the French by Joely Justice

Lola Rebollo
Hr blog
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Yvabra | Friday 31 March 2023

On sait bien que la stérilisation est le meilleur moyen pour éviter la prolifération des chats, mais cela n'empêche pas de nourrir les pauvres malheureux qui naissent malgré tout ! Ne pas les nourrir équivaut à de la maltraitance animale ,c'est au maire de programmer des campagnes de stérilisation !

Fred | Friday 31 March 2023

Il est tellement plus facile de sanctionner que de trouver des solutions.
Dans certaines communes (j'habite l'une d'elles) il y a des employés municipaux qui ramassent les chats errants et qui les transportent dans une SPA qui les prend en charge et recherche des adoptants. Il faut cependant savoir qu'il y a des périodes pendant lesquelles il n'y a plus de places disponibles.
Il faudrait qu'une stérilisation soit faite en grand pour éviter d'arriver à autant d'abandons et/ou d'errances.

carmen | Friday 31 March 2023

As the owner of 4 cats that I spayed when they were six months, I believe that everybody should do it. It will save so many unnecessary deaths and suffering for the animals !

Sucrette | Thursday 30 March 2023

Il serait inadmissible de participer et contribuer à la souffrance animale....les pauvres chats ne sont que des victimes des hommes....aidons- les, protégeons- les, sauvons- les....voilà ce que doit faire un élu avec ses citoyens.