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To: City of Bella Vista

Modernize Bella Vista's Animal Ordinances to reflect TNR

Please review the revised animal ordinance and if you agree, please sign the petition that you would approve that the ordinance changes are made ASAP by the City Council of Bella Vista to better reflect current TRAP NEUTER AND RETURN programs being implemented to stop the overpopulation of cats in Bella Vista. Whether you love cats or hate cats everyone can agree that there is an overpopulation problem. If you appreciate that some of us have learned how to trap and implementing TNR. You can do your part and help by supporting this ordinance change.

Why is this important?

Community cats (aka stray or free-roaming cats) risk losing their lives simply because they've made a home in the outdoors. In many cases, they are brought to local shelters, where they are unlikely to get adopted because many of them aren't socialized to people.

That's where community cat programs come in. These programs use trap-neuter-return (TNR) to save cats. The process is simple: Community cats are trapped, evaluated by veterinarians, vaccinated, spayed or neutered, ear-tipped, and returned to their outdoor homes, unable to have kittens.

The people of Bella Vista should not be punished for working to create a healthier community with less free roaming cats. Please stop making volunteers criminals by issuing citations for roaming cats and remove mandatory cat leash laws.

Bella Vista, AR, USA

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Updates

2022-05-21 14:39:23 -0500

Thanks again for everyone’s support. Just a quick update: One of my neighbors whom has made complaints was very thoughtful and came by and apologized for not communicating directly regarding the subject and told me he could see an improvement over a two year period since he initially had made the complaints. He mentioned that his father is president of the POA. In his research on the topic he was told neither the POA or the City of Bella Vista have the resources for working on the cat overpopulation issue. I told him that I had reached out to Best Friends which was an amazing resource as they have much research on proven ways to reduce overpopulation thru TNR. It was a good conversation. He told me he was suprised it had gone to trial and also he had been suprised that he had been supena to be at the trial

2022-04-30 23:33:49 -0500

The Judge moved the trial out of respect for the passing of my attorney Ralph C Wiilliams to July 21. A new law firm from the Arkansas Bar Association has offered to take over Ralph’s case and represent me.

2022-04-09 09:17:41 -0500

I did convince them to release both cats out of their traps however in the conversation they did disclose they had already trapped and relocated some.

2022-04-09 09:09:02 -0500

I also wanted to alert everyone in Bella Vista Arkansas of activity I just discovered April 8 of my neighbors who claim to be communicating with the POA and have their permission for trapping members of a colony for relocating them to other undisclosed remote areas. When I recognized the high pitched meow of one of the cats as one of the colony members that had already been fixed and medically treated. I investigated further as I thought perhaps Arizona had accidentally got caught in the neighbors shed. When I went over to ask if they might have accidentally gotten a cat in their shed (giving them the benefit of doubt), I saw their three LIVE traps with two caught cats and I recognized Arizona and told them that the cat in their trap did not need to be taken to be spayed as he was already rabbies vacinated, medically treated for lung worms and neutered. He told me they did not care if the cats trapped were fixed or not their plan was remove them from THEIR community.

2022-04-09 08:35:11 -0500

I wanted to thank everyone for your support. The court date of April 21 is approaching but I have had two developments. I received some very sad news yesterday that my attorney Ralph C Williams has passed. His son reached out to me to let me know that he will no longer be representing the case.

2021-12-04 04:56:46 -0600

Regarding “cat roaming” citations of some community cats in Bella Vista.

My attorney has now negotiated the court Trial date of April 21st 2022. We attended the district court “discovery session” in Bella Vista on December 2, 2021. Very insightful although my thick notebook of medical records of cats was never even opened. I now know the key decision makers including the City of Bella Vista attorney.

We bought more time to gather momentum on signatures.
The more signatures the more impact. We have reached 171.

2021-09-25 14:19:45 -0500

Update!
Thank you for every ones support. I really appreciate it!
The more signatures the more impact. We have reached 160.

Regarding “cat roaming” citations of some community cats in Bella Vista. My attorney has negotiated the court date to be rescheduled for December 2, 2021. The paper work within the court system is still written up as 8 dogs at large without rabies vaccinations. I had to inform the Judge in my first Zoom court meeting that I currently had no affiliation with any dogs.

More details to be announced. The attorney representing the case is from a pet friendly home with cats! He has been a resident of Bella Vista as well.

I have not heard anything from my city council contact whom told me he would research the topic on his own first!

2021-04-26 14:44:54 -0500

100 signatures reached

2021-04-22 09:32:30 -0500

A big Thank you to everyone for your support on this cause. We have reached 70 signatures!
I wanted to wish everyone Happy Earth Day to all including all of our community animal friends.

2021-04-06 07:44:37 -0500

50 signatures reached

2021-04-02 11:47:32 -0500

25 signatures reached

2021-04-01 21:05:53 -0500

10 signatures reached