Vicious Animal At Large, Resident Seeks City Help

A distraught East Sixth Street resident sought help Monday from the City Council after allegedly being told she would have to catch a marauding animal in the neighborhood before the city's animal control agency would pick it up.

The woman said she had take pity on feral cats on her block and began her own program to have them neutered and fed. The large colony had been reduced to about eight cats, she said, and neighbors were assisting in their care. But recently she came outside to find a scene of carnage, with cats and an opossum torn limb from limb by an animal she identified as a raccoon.

She said the animal control agency wanted to charge her $60 plus $4 a day to rent a cage and told her she would have to trap the possibly rabid animal before they would take it away.

Still nursing one wounded cat back to health, she said she sees the aggressive animal outside but has no way to catch it herself. She now fears for children in the neighborhood, she said.

Animal control was formerly handled by city employees in the Health Division, but has been contracted out to a Newark agency for several years. At present, the city has a contract with Elizabeth to provide the services of a health officer. Residents must call police regarding animal emergencies (see here).

The situation that the resident describes appears to be one of imminent danger to the neighborhood. Plaintalker will attempt to find out what response the city is making.

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