Ohio Humane Officer Shoots Kittens In Front Of Children, Perpetuates Overpopulation Myth

An Ohio mother and her young children were frightened when they heard the gunshots just fifteen feet from their home. It wasn’t due to a domestic dispute of her next door neighbors, and she didn’t mistake the sound for something like fireworks or a blown transformer. What she heard were the actions of the humane officer who came to her home to take care of the feral kittens she found in her wood pile.

The North Ridgeville part-time humane officer, Barry Accorti, arrived at the home after the woman called her local police department, which includes two part-time officers for animal control. She pointed out where they were, and he went about disassembling the wood pile to gain better access to the mother cat and her kittens. Accorti told the woman that the shelters were full, and that the kittens would be going to heaven. The officer assumed that the woman knew what was going to happen next. While her children watched from an upstairs window, Accorti shot the five kittens with his handgun.

The mother and her children are not the only ones in shock. Animal rights advocates are as well. What’s made this even more shocking is the response by the local police department. In a statement to local news station WKYC, the police chief explained he considered the actions as appropriate.

The homeowner was advised that, due to her safety concerns (proximity of wood pile to house, number of children at the residence, diseases feral cats can develop, fleas, unsanitary conditions), assistance could be rendered but the cats would be euthanized. The complainant agreed to accept assistance and the officer started to dismantle the wood pile.”

“The cats were located within the wood pile and euthanized. The cats were removed from the wood pile and taken from the residence. The complainant’s husband advised that the mother feral cat had been roaming around for several years and he had tried to remove the feral kittens himself but they would hiss and growl at him.

He also advised that that he had seen numerous other feral cats roaming the neighborhood. Upon conducting a follow-up interview with the complainant she stated she was aware that the feral cats were going to be euthanized but did not expect it to occur on her property. The complainant explained she felt overwhelmed due to the fact that her children were inside the residence and heard the gunshots.”

The complainant urged better communication in the future. NRPD recognizes the concerns of those who believe feral cats should not be killed for simply trying to survive but also acknowledges other research that recognizes the risks associated with these animals and the need to manage feral cats. Research and other animal organizations accept shooting as an acceptable means of euthanasia.

In other words, the so-called humane officer is not going to be fired or reprimanded. The executive director of the Ohio Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is going to be asking for the officer to be fired, but it’s too late for those kittens. The truth is, most animals that are euthanized are killed at a shelter by a trained technician with toxic medications, and not a gun. Euthanasia of homeless and feral animals is something that many of us want to look away from and feel horrible about, but accept it because we’re told there’s an overpopulation of animals. The question is, how are some shelters able to maintain a no-kill policy with this overpopulation problem?

The truth is, there isn’t an overpopulation. According to Nathan Winograd of the No Kill Advocacy Center, there are over 23 million Americans who bring a new dog or cat into their family each year, and at the same time 4 million cats and dogs are killed in shelters. It simply doesn’t add up. Some claim that in this tight economic climate it’s cheaper to euthanize. That’s another myth.

Image courtesy: No Kill Advocacy Center
Image courtesy: No Kill Advocacy Center

The No Kill Advocacy Center has been working with shelters and communities throughout the nation. They’ve developed a formula on how shelters can save the lives of 90% of the animals that come through their doors. So far over 400 cities and towns have met the challenge of meeting that 90% no-kill goal. The protocol they’ve developed is multifaceted, and requires a bit of work up front, but when shelters follow it, the shelter finds that they are able to support the program. It’s because the community satisfaction with the shelter increases. People are simply more willing to support a shelter when they know that it is saving animals over killing them. According to Winograd, pet philanthropy is one of the fastest growing charities.

The question remains, is this incident a wake up call for North Ridgeville and the countless other communities that allow the killing of homeless and feral animals. While the police chief considers this case open and shut, more than likely public opinion in the town and in social media will force some change for the better.

 

Edited/Published by: SB