HOA Nut House

West Boca residents fight to save feral cats from being euthanized

By Rachael Joyner | South Florida Sun-Sentinel

West Boca -- West Boca residents at the Newport Bay Club have cared for the feral cats in their community for years. They've watched them, fed them and given them names.

But those cats soon could be trapped and euthanized if the Newport Bay homeowners association has its way.

"A lot of people in this neighborhood are really angry about it," said Michael Nier, one of the residents who are committed to saving the cats. "Most people don't even know they decided to kill the cats."

The board voted Friday to have the cats trapped and removed, citing noise complaints from some residents.

Still, Nier and others say, the board reneged on an earlier decision to allow a group of residents to catch the cats and save them.

Nier and a group of neighbors were given $2,000 by the board to resolve the cat problem by trapping the animals and having them spayed and neutered, he said. They had two months to do it, but it took only about a week to catch 21 of the 25 cats, Nier's wife, Shelley Nier, said.

The association isn't budging.

"We've done all we can at this point," said Carol Cohen, association president, declining any further comment.

Because the residents missed a deadline to report back to the board, and missed two meetings, the board decided "to hire a trapper and have the cats removed permanently from the community," according to a letter Michael Nier received from the board Saturday.

There have always been cats at Newport Bay, a community of about 230 homes, but it started to become a problem after the 2005 hurricanes, said Nier, who's lived in the community for 14 years.

"The cats aren't any trouble," he said. "They mostly lie around. It's not like there are hundreds of cats everywhere."

Other communities in Palm Beach County have had problems with feral cats. While the cats often have to be removed and euthanized, some areas — such as the Boca Raton Resort & Club — have tried to control their feral cat population by trapping, spaying or neutering then returning them to the community.

"A property owner has the right to say they don't want cats there," said Dianne Sauve, county Animal Care & Control director. "Unfortunately, [euthanizing the cats] is the answer to a cat problem in most cases. Feral cats aren't adoptable."

Nier admitted they missed two meetings and failed to file any formal reports, but it's not worth killing cats over, he said.

"They made this decision before they even gave us a chance," said Kira Bossis, who lives a few streets down from the Niers. "We're just doing the right thing."

Cohen, the association president, would not say when the cats would be removed.

The group said it will continue fighting for the cats. "We could set a precedent for all the other communities," Shelley Nier said. "We don't have to kill these cats."

Other neighbors, such as Tricia Rason, agree.

"It's breaking my heart."

Source