California IN BRIEF : VISALIA : Memo on Killing Cats Is Rescinded

An official memo ordering that stray cats found scrounging around Tulare County dumps be dispatched with a “swift, one-stroke blow to the head” has been rescinded after complaints. Solid Waste Manager Roger Hunt said, “We decided that it’s probably not the best way, or at least not something we want our employees to have to do.” He said the Humane Society of Tulare County recommended the move to rid landfills of unwanted cats. But Humane Society supervisor Albert Morris said he does not think any of his staff would make such a recommendation. “That’s not what we’re about,” Morris said. Refuse workers have problems with unwanted animals people leave at dumps. Dogs are picked up by animal control officials, he said, but cats are not covered by the county ordinance and are left to roam.