By The Star Staff
Alley Cat Allies has announced that it achieved a major victory to protect “community” cats living on the San Juan National Historic Site.
The group said its legal efforts have forced the United States National Park Service (NPS) to agree to halt movement to remove and euthanize cats living on the historic site starting Oct. 1.
“This victory is a crucial step, and Alley Cat Allies stopped the NPS’ reckless and cruel intention to begin removing and killing these cats on October 1. However, the cats’ lives remain at risk unless the plan is struck down permanently,” said Yonaton Aronoff, a lawyer representing Alley Cat Allies. “Alley Cat Allies will not back down until that happens, for the sake of the cats and the many Puerto Rico residents and advocates worldwide who have spoken out to defend them.”
Alley Cat Allies had sued in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to stop the NPS’ plan to remove the cats, arguing that it violates the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). In August, Alley Cat Allies filed for an injunction against the NPS to stop its imminent action starting Oct. 1. Ultimately, the NPS agreed to Alley Cat Allies’ terms, which include ceasing steps toward the removal of the cats until the court decides the legality of the NPS plan.
Following the NPS’ agreement to stand down, the legal process is moving into an expedited briefing schedule with a court decision expected early in 2025. Alley Cat Allies said it is prepared to fight relentlessly until the NPS abandons its inhumane and illegal plan entirely.
For generations, community cats have lived in peace along the rocky shores of San Juan’s scenic Paseo Del Morro, which is part of the San Juan National Historic Site. They are true community members who are adored by locals and tourists alike and are woven into the fabric of Puerto Rican culture, the group said in a statement this week.
Alley Cat Allies contends that removing and killing the cats disregards the inherent value of the cats’ lives; the wishes of the San Juan community; and the proven humane, effective approach to community cat populations: Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR).
For now, Alley Cat Allies noted, the community cats of the Paseo del Morro are safe, but their future hangs in the balance. The NPS has shown its willingness to pursue a brutal and inhumane plan, and without continued pressure, the cats remain in grave danger, the group said.
Alley Cat Allies (www.alleycat.org) is calling on advocates around the world to continue to speak out in support of Puerto Rico’s cats and against the NPS’ plan to eradicate them.
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