There was an incident in my county, city of North Ridgeville, recently where humane officer, James Acorti, shot and killed 5 feral kittens at the resident’s home. The resident thought he was taking the kittens to be euthanized and she was appalled that he shot them right there in her yard. Her children were in the house and heard the shots…they were traumatized to say the least. She shared the incident on Facebook and it became international news.

1. An Incident That Could Have Been Avoided With TNR
There was an incident in my county, city of North Ridgeville, recently where humane officer,
James Acorti, shot and killed 5 feral kittens at the resident’s home. The resident thought he was
taking the kittens to be euthanized and she was appalled that he shot them right there in her
yard. Her children were in the house and heard the shots…they were traumatized to say the
least. She shared the incident on Facebook and it became international news.
Mayor David Gillock and Police Chief Mike Freeman said that the humane officer did everything
correct and will not be reprimanded. The residents and local animal rescues along with many
others across the country disagree and want him fired and charged with animal cruelty.
Local, state and even national animal advocate organizations are involved. Alley Cat Allies
(national) even offered to help with a TNR program for free. Mayor Gillock says he doesn’t
believe TNR works.
Here is what Alley Cat Allies says about TNR:
“Scientific studies show that Trap­Neuter­Return, also known as TNR, is the humane and
effective approach for managing feral cats. Trap­Neuter­Return improves the lives of feral cats,
improves their relationships with the people who live near them, and decreases the size of
colonies over time. These studies have been conducted in multiple countries, and have been
published in a variety of peer­reviewed scientific journals.”
Read the entire article here: http://www.alleycat.org/page.aspx?pid=667

2. Trap Neuter Return Really Does Work
I know that Trap Neuter Return works because I have observed it in a few neighborhoods in my
city. The neighborhoods worked together with TNR and they now have only a few cats…instead
of hundreds! And you need a few cats to keep the mice and mole population in check.
So, back to Humane Officer Acorti who shot and killed the kittens…this is not over by any
means. The Ohio SPCA sent a letter to the Mayor, Police Chief and Law Director demanding the
city immediately stop shooting cats and discharging firearms on private property, except in
situations where it is absolutely necessary for the protection of life.
They state that the officer violated several criminal statues and they want him removed from
office and disciplined or they will file a lawsuit.
It will be interesting to see how all of this plays out. I am an animal lover and I especially care
about cats. Cats are misunderstood and seem to be disposable to many people. Many of the
cats I rescue are not feral but just scared strays that were once house cats. One thing I know for
sure is these kittens were not feral. At six weeks old kittens can be easily socialized and make
great family pets.
So what is your opinion? Shoot kittens or TNR? Please leave a comment and be sure to share
this article.
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