Some Puzzled, Angered, By Seaside Heights Decision To Drop Cat Rescue Group

by Patricia A. Miller

The Seaside Heights Animal Welfare Organization has been tending to the feral cat colonies that live under the boardwalk since before Superstorm Sandy struck.

Group volunteers trap them, get them fixed, feed them and work with other animal rescue organizations to find homes for the ones that can be adopted.

But all that has stopped now.

Seaside Heights officials, including Mayor Anthony Vaz and Borough Council members voted unanimously at the June 2 council meeting to disband the SSHAWO from helping the cats.

Vaz said some residents and business owners and even tourists have complained about the cats living under homes, Borough Hall, the boardwalk messing up gardens and interfering with business operations.

"We've got a problem," Vaz said. "Do we ignore the residents and business owners?"

The move outraged members of the animal rescue group and puzzled others.

Members of the group said they were not informed that officials were going to disband the group and given no notice that action would be taken at the Borough Council meeting.

"Simply stated,we will no longer be running the TNR/Colony Management program, according to the nonprofit rescue group's Facebook page. "No valid reason was given and quite frankly there IS NO reason for this.. This is a fully functioning TNR/Colony Management Program and a model for every group and community thinking of TNR/Colony Management as a humane ,cost effective solution to free roaming,community cats.

Seaside Heights paid nothing for the rescue group's services.

Roughly 300 cats were trapped, neutered and released. The group set up a colony management system of feeding stations and shelters. It costs roughly $400 to feed the cats, the page states.

"...there has not been any valid reason, actually no reason whatsoever, that they will not recognize our program or our group," the Facebook post states. "That is the million dollar question. All our money comes from grants and individual donations from compassionate, caring supports. Not one penny comes from the taxpayers of Seaside Heights."

Vaz said a five-member committee has been formed to discuss how to deal with the cats' futures. His son, Borough Administrator Christopher Vaz is a member of the committee. Finding a solution is a priority, since a federally-funded dune replenishment project will start in 2017, he said.

"We have to start thinking about where we are going to put these cats," the mayor said.

There's been talk of relocating the boardwalk cats to the bayside section of the borough. But opponents say that could be lethal for cats, since there is no shelter by the bay and many would try to cross busy borough streets to get back to the boardwalk.

All of the cats will continue to be fed and none will be euthanized, Vaz said.

"We are not killing cats and they will be fed," he said.

Borough officials approved the SSHAWO to develop a colony management program back in 2012.

"We thought it was a good thing," Vaz said. "The mission of the program is a good thing, if it's run properly."

Vaz said the break was needed because of "attitude" problems that developed with the rescue group.

A petition titled Save The Amazing Boardwalk Cats of Seaside Heights NJ! has been set up on Change.org. It will be delivered to Vaz and his son, Borough Administrator Christopher Vaz, asking that SSHAWO be reinstated to take care of the cats.

As of Saturday morning, 5,782 people had signed the petition. The goal is 7,500 signatures.

Should borough officials have banned the rescue group? Tell us in the comments below.

Photo credits: Seaside Heights Animal Welfare Organization.