Jacksonville woman arrested for feeding mom and kittens

June 6, 2001

Please take a moment to contact NAS Jax, for the kitties and the people

trying to help them!

Kristina

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" In the long run it is the cumulative effect that matters. One can do

much. And one and one and one and one can move mountains. "

~ Joan Ward-Harris

Take action!

Action-For-Animals

http://members3.boardhost.com/A_F_A/

COPIED MESSAGEFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Zoe Carson or Becky RobinsonTel: 202.667.3630, ext. 108 or ext. 102 Base Employee Arrested for Feeding Starving Lactating Mother Cat and HerKittens Washington, DC - May 31, 2001 - On Thursday, May 24, 2001, Ms. Virginia M. Grogoza was arrested by base police at Naval Air StationJacksonville, in Florida, for feeding a starving, stray mother cat. Bynot being allowed to provide assistance, the nursing mother is now injeopardy. Ms. Grogoza was taken to the base police station where she wastreated as a Federal criminal. She was read her rights, her mug shot wastaken, and she was stripped of the sticker allowing her vehicle onto thebase. She now fears for the security of her job. Leaving the Fitness Center at NAS Jacksonville, Ms. Grogoza spotted theblack female cat that was clearly famished and lactating. The catrecognized Ms. Grogoza as the person who used to feed her and approachedher for food. Seeing that this cat was in need of nutrients to sustainher kittens, Ms. Grogoza did the only humane thing possible - shefetched a bag of cat food from her car and provided the cat with foodthat she had long been without. Someone nearby reported Ms. Grogoza'scompassionate act to base officials and within minutes Ms. Grogoza wassurrounded by base police. Ms. Grogoza had at one time fed the cats at NAS Jacksonville (where sheworks) and was about to trap, sterilize, and vaccinate all the cats.Operation Catnip in Gainesville, Florida had offered to sterilize thecats free of charge and PetsMart Charities had donated $3,250 toward aTNR program at the base. In April 2001, previous Commanding Officer,Captain Stephen A. Turcotte, responded enthusiastically to the nonlethalmethod of stray and feral cat population control advocated by Alley CatAllies known as trap-neuter-return (TNR). Then, Captain Turcotte and hissuccessor Commanding Officer, Captain Mark Boensel, suddenly decided infavor of a lethal method of feline population control instead.NAS-Jacksonville has now banned the feeding of cats and at an expense totaxpayers has hired a contractor to trap the cats in an ill-advised moveto rid their base of stray and feral cats. The animals are beingrelinquished to the local animal control agency where they are killed.Base employees, local residents, and concerned citizens from severalmiles away have been gathering at the main gate of the base to protestthe lethal policy and mourn for the needless deaths of the cats. BeckyRobinson, National Director of Alley Cat Allies commented: "It is a sadday when showing compassion by feeding starving cats is declared afederal offense. Ms. Grogoza was following her basic instincts to helpanother creature in need. Since when is this a crime in our country?"The TNR program proposed for NAS Jacksonville closely models the programalready implemented at Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) in Portsmouth,Virginia, and Naval Air Station, Pensacola, Florida, to controlpopulations of feral cats. Base employees and volunteers with local animal protection organizationshave pledged to help with a TNR program at NAS Jacksonville butCommanding Officer, Captain Mark Boensel, will not consent to adiscussion about how nonlethal control would effectively control thecats on base. Lydia Nichols Alley Cat Allies1801 Belmont Road, Suite 201Washington, DC 20009202.667.3630 x 110202.667.3640 fax END COPIED MESSAGE

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