Please sign this petition and demand that Rochester Animal Services re-open it’s doors to homeless cats in need. Demand that the HAAS Model immediately be removed from operation. The welfare of cats in the City of Rochester, NY is a VERY grave situation. Rochester Animal Services and the Verona Street shelter last year, very quietly implemented a new plan to close their shelter to abandoned and homeless cats living on the harsh City streets. They have now called ALL cats on the streets “community cats” and have used that term to their advantage to abandon them and refuse to help them. They implemented the HAAS (Human Animal Alliance Services) model without input from tax payers and animal advocates in the area and forced this new model upon the people that live there. This model includes massive changes to animal welfare and is the epitome of the story of The Emperors New Clothes. This model is NOT good for Rochester cats and it’s residents. This ruthless change has already shown devastating and long lasting effects to cats and local animal rescue organizations.  

As of last year, any cat that has been abandoned on the city streets is now conveniently called a “community cat” by the City of Rochester Animal Services (RAS). The Verona Street Animal Shelter will no longer be allowed to intake any "community cats" to their shelter to be adopted or to receive veterinary care. This appalling new change has been verified multiple times by multiple sources and people are being turned away in need of placing homeless cats. Desperate people who see friendly, starving cats are turned away and told to find the owner themselves (despite the cat not having one) and to post to the internet to find its owner or a new home. Or they are told to call an already over burdened rescue to help them. No help is available for these cats anymore. The shelters are empty. They will not help or take in cats unless it is a proven owner surrender. Sadly, another very large shelter in the Rochester, NY area has also begun to implement this very sad model.

There are currently thousands of cats on the streets of Rochester, NY. Massive amounts of kittens will be born and they will be left to die or independent rescue groups will have to try to help. But these rescue groups receive no help or tax dollars like the City of Rochester does, who has turned their back to the plight that is now happening due to their intentional new change.

Here is one statement from a city resident... The current situation on my street. There are 3 males that have been coming around to eat- now a young black female. There was a gray tiny female they were chasing around I saw a few weeks ago. I called Verona St last week and a young lady answered and told me not to trap the community cats- would not give me an appointment for intake. Told me to take pictures and post on the internet to see if anyone claims them. Also said that the rule is if homeowners feed the cats and put out the huts for shelters we are claiming responsibility for them and it's on us- other wise stop putting out food and shelter.

Demand action! Sign this petition and share with anyone who cares about cats! Call the City of Rochester and DEMAND that they make changes to once again take in homeless, friendly cats and kittens. The outcome of the City of Rochester’s recent action will result in a massive increase of suffering from kittens being born and then turning feral with no one to care for them. The suffering of friendly, abandoned cats forced to live on the city streets does NOT need to happen!