Local FOX affiliate killing feral cats and kittens
Stefanie Lutz
Jun 26, 2008
I was going to write about how I got my wisdom teeth out this past friday and went through withdrawal from the hydrocodine they gave me. However, I just opened me email and had received a letter from a friend. I was shocked and appalled and decided that it was far more important than the motion sickness I have from the medicine. I’ll let you read for yourself the letter that was written by Robin Robertson Starr, Chief Executive Officer of the Richmond SPCA, and what course of action you want to take. But I would suggest to PLEASE write and call.
>We learned early yesterday that WRLH, the local Fox affiliate located at 1925 Westmoreland Street in Richmond, had contracted a local pest control company to trap and kill stray and feral cats and kittens residing on and around the station’s property. This course of action was deeply troubling to us and I communicated to them our willingness to help manage and control the cat colony using non-lethal humane methods such as trap-neuter-return or relocation.
Yesterday I spoke with a representative of Sinclair Broadcast Group, current owner of the Fox affiliate and recent acquirer of WTVR Channel 6. This representative was unswayed by our offers to assist. This morning I spoke with Steve Genett, General Manager of Fox Richmond. At first he seemed willing to discuss a compromise solution that would incorporate non-lethal methods, but later in our conversation he admitted that bulldozers were plowing through the cat habitat at Fox’s offices at that very moment. I immediately rushed to the location and was shocked and horrified to see the swift and total destruction of the area.
Sinclair Broadcast Group and Fox Richmond’s unconscionable actions are cause for great concern throughout our community. I cannot begin to understand what manner of corporate culture and leadership it would take to behave in this cruel way. I encourage you to contact the following individuals and companies to express your outrage:
Fox Richmond WRLH Channel 35
Phone: (804) 358-3535
General Manager: Steve Genett
Online Feedback Form: http://www.fox35.com/inside/contact.shtml
Mailing Address: 1925 Westmoreland Street, Richmond, VA 23230
Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc
Phone: (410) 568-1500
President and CEO: David D. Smith
Online Feedback Form: http://www.sbgi.net/contact/contact.shtml
Mailing Address: 10706 Beaver Dam Road, Hunt Valley, MD 21030
It is also important that other members of the media are made aware of just how upsetting this series of events is to our community. Please let them know by sending e-mails to the following addresses:
I know that Richmonders consider the plight of homeless animals and feral cats to be a very high priority and a cause that is close to their hearts. I had hoped that Fox and Sinclair Broadcast Group would reconsider and continue to operate as a kind and responsible media partner in our community, but that hope was dashed with their inhumane actions this morning.
Sincerely,
Robin Robertson Starr
Chief Executive Officer
Richmond SPCA
Have these people never heard of placing kittens or puppies in a box and giving them away to friendly people who would gladly give them a home? Behavior like this is simply disgusting.
Flood Damage
Dec. 4, 2008 at 04:06 PM
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