A petition has been signed by thousands against shooting and killing stray cats in Friesland, the only province in the Netherlands to still be shooting cats.
The Animal & Justice activist group, Dier & Recht, is calling out to the province to stop this horrible act. “It’s unnecessary, cruel, and outdated,” the NOS reports.
Protection of birds
In 2021, Friesland killed over 250 cats and 447 the year before. The province’s main argument for shooting cats is to protect meadow birds. 🐦
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Board member of the Association of Frisian Birdwatches, Titus Sijmonsma, states, “They are robbers in the field, lust killers. Once they start, they don’t stop.”
Shooting stray cats is allowed under Dutch law with Friesland being the last of the 12 Dutch provinces continuing the practice.
A humane approach
The action group argues that there are other ways than shooting cats, such as using pet-friendly methods.
These include catching, neutering, and chipping, before relocating them to farms.
The action group acknowledges the decrease in meadow birds, but according to them, stray cats aren’t the issue.
Dier & Recht vet, Kelly Kessen, reported to AD, “Yes, cats catch birds, but they would rather catch rats and mice. So if you castrate a cat, you have largely solved the problem.”
Want to get involved? You can sign the petition here. 🐈
What do you think about this act? Tell us in the comments below!