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I know what it is like to be threaten for feeding ferals,
Chris

Los Angeles
Feral Cat Caretaker Faces Jail in Beverly Hills

June 23, 2009 : 1:12 PM

Cat Colony in Danger as City Prosecutes Humane Behavior

By Sandi Cain, Best Friends Network Volunteer

Update: June 30, 2009
Court date set for Wed, July 1 2009 at the Beverly Hills Court House.

Catherine Varjian, a 65 year old woman may face jail time for feeding
hungry, abandoned stray cats in the City of Beverly Hills.

Show your support for Ms. Varjian and TNR.

Date: Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Time: 8:30 AM
Location: Beverly Hills Court House
Division 2
9355 Burton Way, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Near Foothill, watch street parking signs

Original article below

Each evening, the little group of 20 or so cats comes quietly padding into
an alley in the lushly landscaped and star-studded city of Beverly Hills.
The cats are hungry, but not starving thanks to area resident Katherine
Varjian, 65.

It’s an odd juxtaposition—this group of homeless cats in a residential
neighborhood so close to the L’Ermitage and Four Seasons hotels frequented by
celebrities. But they’re the lucky ones. For the past 12 years, Varjian
has fed cats in her former neighborhood, reduced the population through TNR
and found as many as 40 cats and kittens new homes in any given year. She
does it at her own expense. The effort should be a shining example of a
successful feral cat community like others celebrated on these news pages.

Instead, Varjian could spend July 4—that most American of holidays—in a
jail cell for violating a _City of Beverly Hills_
(http://www.ci.beverly-hills.ca.us/) ordinance against feeding domestic animals
that are not under
her ownership or guardianship. Yet without her, they’d either starve or be
picked up and taken to a shelter, where they’d cost the city money in
maintenance and, possibly, euthanasia.

Neighborhood Driving Complaints Against Varjian
Some neighbors don’t care. About 30 people from the surrounding area
signed a petition in January asking the city to force her to stop feeding the
cats. On January 14, Varjian was charged with a criminal complaint. The
neighbors say the food Varjian leaves for the cats is responsible for bringing
cockroaches, raccoons and coyotes to Beverly Hills. Yet there are 16 parks in
the city and Beverly Hills proudly touts its 23-year history as a “Tree
City USA.” Current drought conditions send wildlife into many hillside
communities seeking sustenance regardless of whether there are domestic pets
outside.

The cat in this picture is just one of the many cats that Varjian has
found a loving home for.

Varjian faced similar complaints in 2005, but the charges were dismissed.
During the intervening four years, she continued to feed and maintain the
colony without interference. She also took a 6-week feral cat workshop
offered through _Los Angeles Animal Services_ (http://www.laanimalservices.com/)
that is funded by _PetSmart_ (http://www.petsmart.com/) .

She has supporters—including veterinarians and neighbors, including one
who said she should be given a medal by the city for the good she’s done.

“Katherine Varjian is an amazing woman and I really admire what she does. …
We need more people in this world like Katherine,” said another neighbor,
who adopted two of the cats. Another adopter wrote, “Thank you for your
dedication to saving these homeless and hungry kittens and finding good homes
for them.” None of these supporters wished to be identified for this
story.

Good Deeds Ignored
Their opponents ignore the fact that Varjian has reduced the colony’s
overall population; found homes for cats through _Kitten Rescue_
(http://www.kittenrescue.org/) where she volunteers; and has for years paid
for spaying
and neutering the cats. They say she’s an outsider, though she lived in the
neighborhood for 30 years and works nearby. They film her activities, try
to block her from the alleyways and claim their children are in danger—all
because of these 20 little cats.

It’s true that Varjian ignored a court order issued February 18 to stop
feeding the cats. She’d pleaded with the judge to allow feeding to continue
so the cats wouldn’t starve while the case was pending, but was denied. So
she agreed to stop in order to stay out of jail. But she couldn’t let them
starve. Now she’s the one at risk of a criminal record. Yet city documents
indicate the municipal code section under which she is charged was deleted a
week before charges were filed.

Her daughter Tina, an attorney who practices in the civil arena, is trying
to help, but has met with resistance at every turn. Now she’s filed a
motion to dismiss the charges as a violation of due process of law. According to
public legal documents, Varjian was charged on January 14 with four counts
of illegally feeding animals. She could face contempt of court charges for
continuing to feed the cats. The section of the Municipal Code under which
her mother was charged was deleted from the Code on January 6 when Beverly
Hills finalized a contract with the city of Los Angeles to provide animal
care services. Tina is hoping that will invalidate the charges.

Dona Baker, who started the feral cat workshop through LA Animal Services
and heads the _Feral Cat Caretakers_ (http://www.feralcatcaretakers.org/)
has offered to go to court on Varjian's behalf. "She's a reliable and
responsible person," Baker said. Baker sometimes fields calls from Beverly Hills
residents seeking feral cats to help reduce rodent populations.

Conviction Could Set Bad Precedent
But a dismissal won’t solve the bigger issue of the homeless cats. And if
she’s convicted it could send a chill down the spine of TNR efforts in
other communities—a step backward for community cats. It also would be a step
backward for Beverly Hills, which could end up with a publicity black eye
instead of being lauded for its humane efforts. Tina Varjian is hopeful that
mediation with the help of feral cat experts will be the outcome.

One alternative for Beverly Hills might be to look to how this issue is
addressed in the Bay Area city of Richmond, where three women have managed a
colony with the help and support of area residents. They’ve conducted
educational programs about feral colonies and even won over some members of the
local police department. Instead, Beverly Hills will pursue this senior
citizen.

The next hearing is scheduled for July 1, at which time Katherine Varjian
could be sentenced to jail. She and her daughter request your support. “The
authorities have the option of ignoring these violations because of the
good that it does, or in throwing the book at her,” said Ben Lehrer of Kitten
Rescue.” …They've taken the latter approach,” he said.

How You Can Help
• Contact the Beverly Hills Mayor, City Council and City Attorney’s
office to voice your concern about this case, to encourage Beverly Hills to
embrace TNR and community cats as a humane way to reduce stray populations and
save shelter costs, and to encourage city officials to save court costs by
mediating this case.

As always, polite, brief comments from those who live in the general
Southern California vicinity are the most effective.

• To submit online comments via email, you must register on the _city
website_ (https://clients.comcate.com/newrequest.php?id=31) .

You may reach city officials by phone at:
• Mayor Nancy Krasne, (310) 285-1000
• City Attorney Laurence S. Wiener and prosecutor Maria S. Chung, at (310)
285-1055
• Vice mayor Jimmy Delshod and council members Barry Brucker, William
Warren Brien, M.D. and John A. Mirisch, (310) 285-1013.

• You may also voice concern about the potential effect of the city’s
actions on visitor perception about the city by contacting the Beverly Hills
Conference & Visitors Bureau: _Kimberli Partlow_
(mailto:partlow@...) .

For more information about feral cat communities:_Feral Cat Program_
(http://network.bestfriends.org/feralcatprogram/news)
_Feral Cat Caretakers_
(http://www.bestfriends.org/archives/forums/092704feralcats.html)
_Catnippers_ (http://network.bestfriends.org/catnippers/news)
_Stray Cat Alliance_ (http://www.feralcatalliance.org/)
_Fail Safe 4 Felines_ (http://www.failsafe4felines.org/)
_Alley Cat Allies_ (http://www.alleycatallies.org/)
_Saving feral cats_
(http://network.bestfriends.org/california/news/34967.html)

Photo of rescued cats adopted from the Beverly Hills colony with
permission obtained from owners by Tina Varjian


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June 26, 2009 at 7:16 PM



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