Suit seeks to end Prince George's (MD) ban on feeding stray cats

[woo me with science]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/04/AR2010080403834.html?sub=AR

By Daniel Valentine
The Gazette
Thursday, August 5, 2010

The leader of an animal rights group and a Prince George's County resident are taking the county to court over its ban on feeding stray cats.

The complaint was filed July 9 in county Circuit Court by Upper Marlboro resident Sue Brown and Bowie resident Timothy Saffell, the founder of Prince George's Feral Friends, a nonprofit organization based in Bowie that supports feeding, catching and neutering wild cats and allowing the animals to roam free.

County policy bans feeding stray domestic animals, which officials say can cause a public nuisance. People caught feeding stray cats can be issued a $150 fine per animal.

In the complaint, Brown, Saffell and his group argue that the county is using the fines to punish people who are willing to help the animals through issuing steep fines and casting the people unfairly as "owners" of the animals. The complaint asks for a judge to declare the policy invalid and order the county's animal control officials to stop issuing citations.

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Brown said she takes a paper plate of food out for cats every night at her Marlton townhouse. During the years, she has trapped cats that came to her house, took them to vets to be spayed or neutered and got some adopted, she said.

Brown said a neighbor complained two years ago, after which she began receiving warning notices in the mail from the county. After two warnings, she received a $1,500 ticket for "failing to license" the cats she fed in fall 2008, she said.

Brown likely was fined $100 for each animal and given $50 penalties for failing to license each animal, said Taylor, who added that he did not recall the specifics of Brown's case.

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