Dear editor:
In rebuttal to Chris Covington's "A disgusting situation," the letter contains one-fifth truth and the rest written to deflect the real truth: the torture of helpless cats and dogs, which was reported to the police and animal control. It is a felony to hurt animals. Some people hate animals, period.
Another neighbor who lives in this complex reported to me that someone was sneaking around at dusk and putting down mouse traps to hurt the feet/phalanges of animals -- one cat's toes were broken, two dogs were injured, two cats disappeared. Hopefully, they were able to get these traps off of them. Can you imagine?
When the neighbor and I told others in the complex who have pets, they were very grateful. Mr. Covington yelled across Cooper Street to me that my cat Zoe was dead. Well, Zoe is alive and well, but someone else's beloved pet is not. After careful examination, we concluded that the cat must have been poisoned (felony). When yard workers there were informed, they said they have never seen mice nor other vermin. They were very concerned these traps could be run over and damage their tools or fly up into one of their faces.
All my cats are spayed/neutered and I am one of many "cat ladies" who have had countless animals spayed/neutered and saved a lot of innocent babies being born and suffering and over populating the city, and I am proud of it. I do not go on private property without permission.
To address the "yard" issue, the landlord is rebuilding the back part of the house. C.A.P.S. comes by two times yearly and when we get enough for them to take, more than what is on the curb, we will call them. Our yard is not cluttered with useless items.
To conclude, any cat I own is fixed and not feral. If I move, it will be because of the gun activity on Cooper Street, not these ridiculous behaviors and accusations, accusations which have caused two of my beautiful, fixed pets to be locked up and scared to death at animal control. As a taxpaying citizen, my civil rights have been violated, as I have been ordered to have no contact with animal control and will not be able to reclaim my innocent cats, which will possibly be "put down" after seven days.
Nikki Schoenfeld, M.ed, MSW
Hot Springs
Editorial on 10/13/2017