One Voice is asking for a decree from the Songeons town council to ban feeding stray cats to be repealed.
A municipal decree by the Songeons mayor bans feeding stray cats. One Voice is demanding that it be repealed.
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.
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