Feral cat group going to court in Maryland over ban on feeding cats
by Barb Kohn
A local resident and a feral cat group in Prince George’s County, Maryland, are taking that county to court over a law on Good Samaritans feeding feral cats unless they take out ownership licenses for them.
On July 9, Sue Brown and Timothy Saffell, founder of Prince George’s Feral Friends, SPCA, a local nonprofit feral cat group, filed a complaint in the County Circuit Court against the ordinance.
According to coverage in the Gazette.net, Prince George’s County policy bans feeding stray domestic animals because officials maintain it can cause a public nuisance as the animals congregate for food. . The fine for feeding stray cats can be up to $150 per animal.
Also county law says any domestic animal must be confined to an owner's property, properly vaccinated and licensed. It costs $25 for a pet license or $5 if the animal is spayed or neutered.
Courthouse News Service wrote that the county ordinance claims that anyone who feeds a feral cat for "an undetermined period of time, usually 30 days or longer," becomes the cat's owner. As such, the person is considered responsible for the ongoing care, licensing and oversight of the animal. If the cat is returned to where it was found, the new owner can be fined for "failing the duties of animal ownership."
Two years ago, the Gazette.net reports, Sue Brown, a resident of upper Marlboro, MD, began receiving warning notices from the County after a neighbor complained about her feeding strays. Brown told the Gazette.net that over the years she has trapped cats that came to her house, took them to vets to be spayed or neutered and got some adopted. After two warnings, Brown received a $1500 ticket for “failing to license” the cats she fed in 2008.
Brown has refused to pay the fine and along with Prince George’s Feral Friends filed the suit against the County for imputing ownership of the animals by virtue of feeding them. They also assert the ordinance is illegal since the county never held a public hearing on the regulation.
Barb Kohn is a communications consultant. She has a passion for the welfare of animals and has volunteered with many San Francisco Bay Area rescue and shelter organizations, including Homeless Cat Network, Peninsula Fix Our Ferals, Pets in Need and Furry Friends Rescue. She also is the National Cats Examiner for the Examiner.com.
