Letters have been written to the Whyalla Council, The Mayor and Councillors. Initial letter here.
So far only only Michelle Armstrong, the Executive Coordinator has replied on behalf of the Whyalla Council CEO, Justin Commons. See letter here.
The letter can be summarised as:
1. The Council and RSPCA are unable to organise stray and feral cat management due to a shortage of cat vaccines.
2. It is the fault of of Whyalla City residents for feeding stray cats.
3. Whyalla Residents are not caring for the cats they feed and not registering them, not desexing them and no microchipping them
4. Stray cats are: “relatively healthy, and quite capable of surviving in the area they live in. ”
5. If cats can’t be vaccinated, the Council and RSPCA can’t undertake: “practical measures to be taken to minimise the risk of disease outbreak in the Council’s Centre and in the RSPCA Shelter.”
6. Trapped cats without a microchip should be returned where they are found “as the cat would know the area, will survive, and may find its way home.”
7. If you have a stray cat, please keep it and we will give you free food.
8. The RSPCA has had to deal with negative community comment and actions because of the above.
9. Despite the complaints from Whyalla residents, the Whyalla Council is satisfied that the “RSPCA continues to fulfil its contractual obligations”
10. The Whyalla Counci has “full confidence that they are acting humanely and in the best interests of cats in the Whyalla community.”
Reply to Whyalla Council letter here.