Fire Fighters ordered to give up their pet cat due to "anonymous complaint".

[Takket]

https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/San-Francisco-fire-station-department-Edna-cat-13604251.php?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Firefighters, medics, EMTs, and staff at a San Francisco fire station are trying everything they can to keep their pet cat, Edna, after management has apparently asked them to get rid of the feline.

Employees at Station 49 on Evans Avenue in Bayshore said in an email to SFGATE that an anonymous complaint was lodged with the city over the presence of Edna. They were told to "get rid of the cat" last week, according to the email, and were given a Monday deadline before animal control was called.

Edna became a part of station life four years ago, when she first began visiting Station 49 as a feral cat. From there, the email went on to explain, she grew to become a part of their group.

"We slowly started to show her love and care, and she [became] our family," the email reads. "Now she is always there, and is the most docile, loving baby.

~snip

I cannot believe they are doing this over only an "anonymous complaint"?

You can write to the SFFD here if you want to speak POLITELY on behalf of Edna:

[e-mail]

[htuttle]

1. "SMELLY KAT! KAT BAD! KAT MUST GOEZ!"

-- SIGNED ANONYMOUS

[Croney]

2. "They were playing with the cat and let my house burn down!"

I can't think of a possible legitimate complaint unless maybe it came from inside the station...someone with a grudge??

[dewsgirl]

26. This is what I am thinking.

[Dorian Gray]

27. If it's someone who works at the station

with an allergy, i get it.

Other than that, there is no good reason for this.

[Mariana]

53. If someone works at the station and has an allergy

why not just say so? Actually, they probably wouldn't have to say so. It's pretty obvious when someone who's allergic to cats comes into contact.

If it is someone who works there, it's much more likely to be someone who just hates cats.

[Ms. Toad]

60. Because everyone else wants the cat

which makes the person to whom the cat allergy is a health threat.

There are a lot of people who don't believe allergies are as serious as they actually are, so it might be difficult to speak up without retribution.

[WeekiWater]

63. Some without allergies don't get how bad cat allergies can be.

I have been hospitalized twice over my cat allergies. My allergy to cats is so severe that I can't take allergy shots for it. When I eat out with my uncle I have an allergic reaction. For one he is an ass and second he has multiple cats at his house and isn't a very clean person. The dander on his clothes sets me off. It's a little better now that I am older. I still have severe allergic reactions to cats but I no longer have asthma. My asthma disappeared in my late teens early twenties. The allergic attacks use to set of my asthma causing a closure in my airways. Two times it was a complete closure. Now days my eyes swell and get itchy, I have difficulty breathing, and feel all around like crap. My eyes will almost swell shut.

Someone there might be able to take medication to help them get over the cat. Maybe they don't want to take daily medication for it.

[Mariana]

64. Some of the people who work there are medical professionals.

Do you really believe that these people, who are trained and licensed, and who actually answer 911 calls and sometimes treat people who are suffering from severe allergic reactions, "don't get how bad cat allergies can be"?

[WeekiWater]

65. If the person is taking daily medication to overcome symptoms of the cat allergy...

They might not know the problems the cat is causing for one individual. As for your reply, I was replying to the thought of the other poster. It's also in context to the many people commenting. Not your defined few.

[Mariana]

67. You know, I really hope it isn't someone who works there

especially if it's because of an allergy. If it is, the employees are bound to figure out who it is eventually, and it will be much worse for them than if they just told the truth to begin with. I suspect medics and EMT's understand allergies a lot better than they understand a cowardly and dishonest "anonymous complaint".

[WeekiWater]

68. Or they could just re-home the cat and move on like adults.

I think it's funny what happens to adults when cats are brought into the picture. It makes they squee at the little fur balls all while puffing out their chests and hunting for "cowards" and "dishonest" people. Cute in its own right.

There is very little "cowardly" or "dishonest" about many "anonymous complaints".

[Kurt V.]

37. my first thought was the complaint came from the inside

[Ms. Toad]

59. How about I have severe alergies to cats -

and having her in my (fire)house - when I have to spent hours every day with her dander - is hazardous to my health

[Mariana]

66. And you think that the medics and EMT's who work in the firehouse

who actually are trained to deal with severe allergic reactions, would be so oblivious and dismissive of your medical condition that you'd send a cowardly "anonymous complaint" rather than tell them the truth about your severe allergy to cats?

[Ms. Toad]

70. Look at the comments in this thread.

Are you under the illusion that the blindness to the impact of severe of allergies somehow skipped first responders?

[Rhiannon12866]

3. Thank you! That really does suck!

It's a home away from home for these hardworking guys and they sure deserve a pet - not to mention that they have done a wonderful thing by giving this lost kitty a loving home.

[ornotna]

4. They should all be fired for this

How can they possibly do their jobs effectively with this hanging over their heads.

[Nictuku]

5. I wrote a short (polite) email, I hope it helps.

[Sneederbunk]

6. Complainant could be a non-catloving fireman.

[LakeSuperiorView]

15. Could be a fireperson with allergies.

I am allergic to cats and was at a friend's house yesterday. They have cats. While I can be there for a matter of hours, I would not be able to spend 40 hours a week in that environment. I am not hugely allergic, but my eyes are itchy still today and I am coughing and sneezing.

My cousin has a Bengal cat that is hypoallergenic and I feel no ill effects from that cat. When I watched the pets for a week and a half, she and the dog slept in the bed together every night. When they got back, my cousin asked me what sort treatment I had done on the cat as she was much friendlier and started approaching her for attention, which she normally didn't do.

I do like cats, but can't handle being around non-hypoallergenic cats long term.

[Hekate]

19. Unlikely, as firefighters have to be around things much worse than animal dander...

...in the course of their work. Anyone that sensitive wouldn't be able to do the job in the first place.

Something really doesn't seem right about this situation though.

[LakeSuperiorView]

24. You don't seem to know much about allergies. Or about firefighters.

People with allergies are not "sensitive". You should consider deleting your insensitive (pun intended) insult. While there are people with severe multiple allergies, the vast majority of people that have allergies respond to a couple of specific things and are no more affected by other substances than anyone else. It's completely ridiculous to assume that a person allergic to cats is incapable of functioning as a fire fighter. How many freaking cats does one encounter on a fire call? Do you really think the major role of the job is rescuing cats from trees?

What are these "much worse" substances that firefighters encounter that you think are somehow, for unknown reason, connected to animal dander? It's the specific shape of a molecule that makes it an allergen. There are billions of different molecules, allergies are generally countable on one's fingers.

An allergy is an over-response of one's immune system to a substance. The response could be as severe as anaphylactic shock, but most people have much less serious, while still annoying symptoms. Sneezing, wheezing, itchy eyes, hives don't put one's life in danger, but it's something you try to avoid. Food allergies tend to have have more serious consequences, as the allergen actually enters the body.

Exposure to cat dander is not a reasonable expectation for most jobs other than veterinarians or animal shelter worker. There is no functional purpose for a cat in a firehouse.

Not everyone loves cats. No one is required to love cats. Maybe that in an inconceivable notion for you, but that is reality.

[Meowmee]

31. I think they are probably somewhat frequently

Exposed to pet dander and they are known for rescuing cats and dogs in many situations so I doubt someone with a severe cat dander / protein allergy would be hired as a firefighter.

https://www.clickorlando.com/lifestyle/copy-of-omaha-firefighters-resuscitate-cats-after-house-fire

[LakeSuperiorView]

34. I believe you might be too emmotionally attached...

Considering your screen name, you might just be a cat person.

My brother-in-law is a firefighter. Rescuing cats is not a job requirement for a fire fighter. It makes a feel good news story when a cat is rescued by a firefighter on a slow news day, but it doesn't happen to firefighters on a regular basis. Think about it, if it happened often, it wouldn't be news.

There is no evidence that the writer of the letter has allergies, much less severe allergies. People have speculated that allergies might be involved, and believe me, itchy eyes is enough of a reason not to want to live with cats.

[Meowmee]

35. 😹

Just😹

[Hekate]

39. Rescuing kittens from trees never occurred to me as a job requirement. I live in California...

...where the toxins in smoke and ash sooner or later affect us all. My infant grandson ended up back in the NICU due to the Thomas Fire. I got a rip-roaring case of poison oak from the smoke that billowed out of the foothills and filled my house during the Gap Fire. When houses go up in smoke that smoke can be deadly, too.

I only wondered whether someone with a pre-existing condition affecting the lungs (i.e. Asthma and/or hives) would seek out a job like that.

I don't take allergies lightly and I don't take firefighters' jobs lightly. I don't confuse allergies with other sorts of "sensitivities" -- including but not limited to the sensitive feelings of ailurophobes.

Aside from my deep gratitude to all who stand between us and fire, I can understand how an animal living at the station would be a great source of stress-relief for most, whether the traditional Dalmation dog so often featured in paintings or a volunteer cat. And I question whether an anonymous complaint that leaves everyone wondering whatthehelljusthappened is the best way to handle disagreement.

And no, I have no intention of deleting my previous post, LakeSuperiorView. I wasn't being a big ol' meanie.

[LakeSuperiorView]

41. Assuming that an allergy would prevent one from being able to function in a job,

over the perceived emotional appeal of a cat makes you something. I said you should consider deleting your post, but you choose to double down on insult.

"Anyone that sensitive wouldn't be able to do the job in the first place."

"I only wondered whether someone with a pre-existing condition affecting the lungs (i.e. Asthma and/or hives) would seek out a job like that. "

Not really the same thought, is it?

I don't take allergies lightly and I don't take firefighters' jobs lightly. I don't confuse allergies with other sorts of "sensitivities"

I never accused you of taking firefighter jobs lightly, you apparently think that anyone with allergies is too "sensitive" to do that job. It's still a damn insult.


Not everyone likes pets. I don't believe anyone should be forced to share living quarters or be forced to find another job because other's like pets. With the amount of hate and insult here in this thread, I can see why the person wrote the letter anonymously. Sure they could have come out and had that thrust in their face just to make YOU feel better.

[Hekate]

42. Don't know why you are turning a disagreement into a fight, but I am not "insulting" anyone

Byeeeee.

[LakeSuperiorView]

43. You may think that you are not, but dismissing people with allergies is insulting.

Assuming that everyone loves cats is insulting.

Saying that it is bad to write an anonymous letter to avoid the scorn of people like yourself is insulting.

Have a nice life.

[Takket]

47. The removal had nothing to do with allergies so the point is moot

[LakeSuperiorView]

57. Thank you! Boy, a lot of handwringing over a cat.

Good to know that all the misplaced angst over the evil anonymous letter writer can now be put to rest..

[JHB]

25. Allergies can get worse over time

My allergy to cats has. Didn't have it at all when I was a kid, was a minor irritant in my 20s, now, in middle age, it's the full-blown sneezing-and-feeling-sick thing.

I like cats (well, most of them), but being around them has become problematic.

I have no idea if that's the issue in this case, but don't rule out the possibility. Although if it is the case, an anonymous complaint is a terrible way to handle it.

[ProfessorGAC]

30. Well On The Bright Side...

...it's likely it will reverse.
Unlike some chemical agents (for instance, the active ingredient in poison ivy), allergens are unlikely to be progressive sensitizers.
So, hopefully over time, your reaction will moderate.

[Ms. Toad]

61. Not the case in my family.

My mother was never allergic to cats until she hit her late 70s/early 80s (and we always had at least 2 cats).

She is now not only severely allergic, she has been diagnosed with allergy-induced ashthma - which has dramatically reduced now that her last cat has died.

Her mother and brother followed similar patterns developing allergies (and in at least one of them allergy-induced asthma) late in life.

[Hekate]

40. My allergies have, definitely. We no longer have a cat, but only partly because of that...

A year and a half ago we moved into the foothills, where coyotes are so ubiquitous that a cat becomes a snack. My risk of asthma becomes secondary to that consideration.

[Dorian Gray]

28. I thought about that myself

but if he or she had allergies, why wouldn't they just say it openly?

Hey! I'm allergic. The cat makes it tough for me to be here.

[LakeSuperiorView]

33. Look at some of the responses to this post.

Some view it as a crime to violate the inherent rights of a cat.

Whatever the reason, be it allergies or even just not liking cats, the person who wrote the letter is probably an employee. If they are a firefighter, it may involve 24 hour on-call duties in which case, one is sleeping in the firehouse. I have to vote human over feline in that case. I'm not a cat hater, I'm slightly allergic to cats. I love my cousin's hypoallergenic cat. No one should have to find another job due to a feral cat that sticks around until it becomes tame.

[Demit]

36. This is what I think. They work in such close proximity.

Somehow I can't see a firefighter being so passive aggressive. Plus if the person has allergies, they wouldn't stay anonymous for long.

[LakeSuperiorView]

49. Speaking of passive agressive...

We don't know who wrote the letter and what we think doesn't matter at all. We don't work there. We aren't firefighters, so we also don't have the first idea how every firefighter behaves. The generalization that that every last firefighter would share any type of behavior is kind of objectifying them, no?

My allergies to cats means my eyes itch. You could be sitting next to me all day and you wouldn't have a clue, unless you noticed me rubbing my eyes. I have no overt symptoms. They do not stop me from doing anything, yet are annoying enough that I thoroughly wash my hands after petting a cat. I like cats, but I choose not to have one. I have had cats stay at my house, but I knew it was a short term deal, with an end in sight.

Look, for all we know, the letter writer just hates cats. The point is, if they work there, they should not be forced to live with a cat, or face the scorn that cat lovers have heaped on them in this post. Which wouldn't happen unless they read DU, obviously, but I am referring to the same type of treatment from the people contacting the fire department.

[Demit]

50. For someone who thinks that what we think doesn't matter,

you're sure jumping in a lot to tell us what you think. And repeating the same thing over and over.

Lighten up with the obsessive refuting of everybody's opinion.

[LakeSuperiorView]

51. Do you have a mirror?

I offered a potential explanation, without criticizing anyone. I got a lot of criticizing feedback, mostly emotional tripe which favors a cat over a human.

You are free to have whatever opinion you wish, but please don't try to dictate mine.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

52. The key word in your above post is cats. Plural.

I'm actually highly cat allergic, but I love them and when I have an animal, it's always going to be a cat. When I had three, it was a bit of a problem but I simply used OTC allergy medicine and was just fine. I realize that doesn't always work for everyone.

One cat in a space as large as a fire house isn't going to trigger allergies unless the person is so incredibly sensitive that they wouldn't be working there in the first place. And "sensitive" in this context is purely physiological.

[LakeSuperiorView]

56. Again, it is totally naive to think that an allergy would be a non-starter for a firefighter.

One cat could like to climb on the beds and cause every one who is allergic to suffer, no matter how big the fire station is. I have no clue how big it is, do you? The living quarters in some (most?) fire stations are no bigger than a house.

Hell, I don't know if the letter writer has allergies of just doesn't like cats.

The key point is that they should not be forced to live with a cat, if they even work there. There is no inherent need for a pet in a fire station. It can function in every way without one and all the emotional angst in the world won't make it a necessity.

[treestar]

58. A cat is not an inherent necessity for firefighting

They need people trained to put out fires. This is possible without a cat.

[Mariana]

54. I suspect if one of the firefighters is allergic

it would be obvious to everyone, since they are spending so much time in the environment with the cat.

[LakeSuperiorView]

55. You don't have allergies do you?

You could be next to me all day and not know that my eyes were bugging me. Not obvious at all, unless you could feel my eyes.

Besides, it doesn't matter what any of us think, we don't work there. The letter writer could just be a person who doesn't like cats. I don't think they should be forced to live with one.

[Mariana]

62. Elsewhere in the thread, you say you're coughing and sneezing today

because you were exposed to a cat. People really don't notice when you cough and sneeze around them?

I do have an allergy that results in me breaking out in hives. If I were being unnecessarily exposed at work, I'd be bringing in a doctor's note describing the problem, and explaining why the situation has to be remedied. I would apologize to my coworkers who have to give up something they enjoy on account of my medical condition. What I would never do is send a cowardly dishonest sneaky lying "anonymous complaint". Would you?

[LakeSuperiorView]

69. Well, as you could read elsewhere, the anonymous letter that everyone was so horrified by was BS.

The hand wringers for the cat can now rest in the knowledge that their angst was for nought. the "cowardly dishonest sneaky lying anonymous complaint" never existed except in the fevered minds of those that would value a cat over a human.

After seeing the bullshit in this thread, you can bet your ass that I would be anonymous if I were to ever be faced with this situation. I like cats, but they are not worth the haughty tones of many in this thread.

Nobody should have to face the outright hate that some have spewed here.

[broiles]

7. The mayor of a small Texas community wanted to get rid of the library cat.

The community was outraged and got rid of the mayor instead.

[Judi Lynn]

9. That's a perfect response. What a great surprise! Thank you. n/t

[rpannier]

16. It was not the mayor, it was a member of the council

City: White Settlement, Texas
Council Member: Elzie Clements
Reason: A worker complained when they were not allowed to bring their puppy to work at city hall

end of story
The White Settlement City Council took up the issue of what to do with Browser, with Clements being the lone vote to get rid of the favorable feline.

Browser got a reprieve following a world-wide backlash, and reports say there were still some hard feelings among council members after the cat fight.

Councilman Clements eventually ran out of his nine lives after he was defeated in a landslide in November’s election.

Mayor Ron White says as far as he’s concerned, Browser’s job title is now “Library Cat for Life.”

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/library-cat-outlasts-councilman-that-wanted-him-gone/

[Meowmee]

29. Good choice

😹

[bdamomma]

8. Some people

are so fucking cruel. Horrible

[Unrepentant Fenian]

10. e-Mail sent... Thank you for letting us know.

[rurallib]

11. maybe they could put her on the payroll as a "Vermin Riddance Engineer"

[akraven]

12. First off, one does not own a cat.

The cat owns them! Stand up for Edna (I sent mail).

Firefighters are heroes/heroines PERIOD.

[not_the_one]

17. as the saying goes...

Dogs have masters, cats have staff...

Our cat-house is pretty much run under those rules. (no dogs, two rescue sister cats who love us on their terms. One is sitting at the left end of the keyboard as I type. Everything I type on DU must be edited by at least one supervisor. )

Our life would be so much less without them.

I will email.

[bdamomma]

18. aww.......

come on look at that face, some fireman can take it home. Poor thing

[Demobrat]

13. Maybe somebody is allergic

And doesn’t want to be the bad guy.

[Honeycombe8]

14. I hope they can find her a loving home. Poor Edna. I bet it was one of the firefighters.

Allergies or doesn't like cats. A lot of people are allergic to cat dander.

[Hekate]

20. See my post 19 above regarding sensitivities vs ability to do the job... nt

[TheBlackAdder]

21. Simple. File a lawsuit and that email sender will be disclosed in discovery.

[Duppers]

22. I wrote a polite email.

Thanks for posting on Edna's behalf.

💕 kitties.

[Raine]

23. I sent a nice respectful email

I hope it helps ... THANKS for posting this.

[Meowmee]

32. Very sad

I hope if she can’t stay that she gets a good home, I’m sure she will because this has been widely publicized.

[Croney]

38. Thanks to a Judge Judy rerun, I have a possible motive.

Neighbors sued a cat owner because the cat roamed freely and pooped on lawns and flower beds. Judge ruled for the plaintiff and told defendant to keep cat indoors.

I'll bet there's a GET OFF MY LAWN curmudgeon nearby and he might wear a certain red hat.

Just a thought.

[Takket]

44. bump for an update

Edna has been adopted by a paramedic....... official reasoning below..............

Link to tweet

[Raine]

46. THANKS for the update

I'm glad she's been adopted but sorry the firefighters don't get to keep her.

[TeamPooka]

45. The complaint was filed by a dalmation.

[Takket]

48. Another update...

Okay... time to be pissed now.

Edna has been removed from her home and the story about her being adopted was a crock of shit. She is just be housed by someone who already has four other animals until she can be placed somewhere.

And the excuse about storage of supplies is another crock of shit. Surely they can just be placed in a closet with a door Edna can’t access. Four years there and how many patients have suffered because of the cat? How many lawsuits filed? How many medical diagnosis of cat exposure to medical supplies being the reason for some reaction in a patient?

Give be a break. This is pathetic.

https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/amp/Edna-cat-fire-station-49-San-Francisco-ednastays-13608683.php?__twitter_impression=true

Ybarra said that Edna does not have a permanent home yet.

"Nobody adopted Edna, the person who took her home today has two dogs and two cats at home already so this is not the ideal situation," she said. "She is still working to try to figure out [where Edna will go]."

Ybarra, who now lives in Washington state, said the original plan was for her to adopt Edna after retiring in 2017.

"I was going to bring her to Pacific Northwest when I retired, " she said. "Ideally I would still like to be the one who adopts her, but that's going to be a couple of more months."