Abandoned at the State Line: The Welcome Center Cats

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Welcome to Animal Posse, the podcast dedicated to the

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people and rescues making a

difference in the lives of animals.

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Today's guest, Veronica was back

on our show in May of: 2025

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she talked about animal cruelty

, and she is back with us today.

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Hi, Veronica.

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Veronica: Hey, how are you?

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Dixie: I'm good.

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Welcome back to the show.

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Veronica: Thank you for having me.

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I appreciate it very much.

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Dixie: There is an important issue that

you wanted to bring attention to today.

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So give us a little bit of

a summary on that issue.

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Veronica: The issue is abandoned pets at

rest areas and it seems to be an epidemic.

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That is continuing.

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And specifically, there's the

welcome center in Escambia County.

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When you're traveling east

from, let's say Louisiana.

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It's the first welcome center when

you cross the Florida state line.

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And there's close to 50

cats and kittens there.

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That are trying to survive.

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About a year and a half ago I stopped

at the welcome center and I saw there

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was about 11 cats, and it disturbed

me you could see that the cats

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were terrified but were not feral.

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They gave me every indication

that they had been owned at one

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point or, belong to someone.

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I hate to say the word owns.

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I'm trying to get away from that, pet

owner, I like to say pet guardian.

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Just because, the, implication

that, pets are property is

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something that I don't agree with.

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Forgive me for saying owned.

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But yeah.

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I was disturbed.

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They were vocal, they were following me

for food and wouldn't let me touch them.

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A lot of people don't realize

that feral cats generally, will

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not vocalize because meowing and.

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Such is to communicate with humans and

feral cats don't have a reason to do that.

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And they very often won't even

come out in the presence, of

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a human that they don't know.

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So I was disturbed by that and I started

writing letters trying to, just see,

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they were not ear tipped and that

disturbed me and they were very skinny.

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So I fed them and I started

traveling back, a couple times

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a month at family in Florida.

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I couldn't get any response.

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I did finally speak to the manager

of the welcome center, and he

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was very rude and uninformed.

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He said, these are, fifth generation feral

wild cats, and they've been there forever.

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I said, sir, they're not wild

cats and they need to be cared

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for and they need to TNR.

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There's no need for that is what he said.

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Dixie: Yeah.

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Even if they're fifth generation

cats, like why aren't they TNR?

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Veronica: Yeah, why aren't you allow

'em to get to the fifth generation

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?

I was real nice.

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He Was real rude and I said, and also

they're starving and that's not a

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good look, for the welcome center.

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He said if you wanna keep talking about

it, you're gonna have to take it up

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with the Department of Transportation.

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So I went out and bought that day.

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A bunch of automatic feeders

and a few huge bags of cat food.

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And I left it in front of the front

door of the welcome center just

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to nudge him in that direction.

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And so it was right at a year later

I was traveling through and counted

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I think it was 43 cats.

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Wow.

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And then in the meantime, I had joined

a lot of groups in the Florida area

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and the Pensacola area and TNR groups,

asking is anybody, you know on this, I'll

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donate, I'll come there and help TNR them.

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And they said, they've never allowed,

they won't allow us on the property.

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And so I just, couldn't understand and

I posted again in the groups and said,

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now there's like almost 50 cats and

kittens, in a year that's what happened.

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And everybody was defeated.

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I think people have tried in the past

to talk to the facility about tnr and

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have just been shot down repeatedly.

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And so they're defeated and

don't wanna try anymore.

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I couldn't shut up about it, of course.

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So I started writing emails.

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I wrote emails to the governor's wife.

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I found their contacts for their

assistance, wrote emails to them.

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The Department of Transportation,

got many emails and calls,

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and finally I got a response.

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I don't know, what letter or email made it

work, but the Department of Transportation

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and the engineer got back to me about it.

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And at that point he said, thank you.

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It was basically, thank you for caring.

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We are gonna handle it.

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We're going to, and it shocked me.

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And I guess, at that point I

realized, oh my God, am I responsible

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for the demise of all these cats?

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By bringing it up?

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By pointing it out, because he had

said, we're going to trap them.

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Our landscaping crew is going

to trap them and relocate.

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We are not going to re-release

them onto the property.

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And I said, so you're going to trap them,

not fix them or vaccinate them and dump

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them somewhere else to die and essentially

make them someone else's problem?

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Is that the way they look at it?

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Dixie: That's stupid in itself when

you have people that will go do it for

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free just to take care of the cats.

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So why are you gonna pay your

landscape people to do that?

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Veronica: A hundred percent.

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And I, sent back a very lengthy email,

touting the benefits of TNR, that the

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cats are not a public health risk.

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And then it got a little deeper, Dixie

it, it started to become a thing.

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I started posting on groups and

encouraging people to email this engineer

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who with all due respect, he has no idea.

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This is way out of his wheelhouse, he's

irritated to be tasked with this job,

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of fixing the quote unquote cat issue.

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So I had some people that did reach out

to him and then, I kept getting looped

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into all this discussion and emails.

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I was trying to explain that it's in

not only inhumane to quote unquote

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relocate these cats to another

area where they'll surely die.

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And he said we're also

gonna put them at shelters.

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And I said they're gonna

definitely be euthanized.

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Shelters are over capacity and.

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That is a bad use of Florida's resources.

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Why would you stretch the shelters

even further when you can TNR?

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And there are people willing to,

colony caretakers who are willing

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to take on the responsibility

of caring for them, feeding.

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It was just Dixie as a brick wall,

and I reached out to every national.

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Nonprofit like Alley Cat Allies is the

one that honestly I thought would jump on

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the, on this 'cause it aligns with their

mission directly because the way this is

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handled at the Florida Welcome Center is

how it's gonna set the precedent for how

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Atlanta and animals are handled all over

the state at, on government property.

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And so that's why it's very important

to me that it's done correctly.

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And I tried to explain to

him that you can't use your

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landscaping crew to trap cats.

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Are they trained, in trapping

cats, do they know what to

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do with a lactating mother?

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Do they know to cover the traps up?

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All of these things.

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And he had originally said we are

moving forward with our plan, but

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thank you very much for your input.

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And it turned into a week later.

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We're putting a halt on our

plan because we cannot find

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shelters to accommodate them.

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And if you'd like to come on, on

site and trap, we will allow it,

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but you cannot re-release them here.

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And I'm like, there's

nowhere for these cats to go.

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It's really like , I've been

chasing my tail with this guy

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for, probably five months now.

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And what do you think about this?

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What is your take on, or is there

something that I'm overlooking that would

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be an option to try and solve this issue?

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Dixie: That's a tough one.

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At least you got the permission

to go trap on the property.

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So that is step one.

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Where are you gonna find a colony

that's gonna be able to accommodate

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them, or, especially that many,

you're gonna have to break 'em up

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into several colonies and at several

acclamations that you would have to do.

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I guess you have to look at it

as a little bit of a win though,

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because you did get that permission.

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Yeah.

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It's moving forward, but where

you go from here is the question,

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Veronica: And I've, yeah.

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And I've gotten, the t and r groups, like

I said, they were a little bit defeated.

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'cause they've tried this with apparently

this is as far as it's ever gotten.

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This has been an issue.

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As I understand it for several

years at this, particular welcome

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center and what I've also come to

understand is that it backs up to

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a naval base or a military base.

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And when a lot of the military gets

deployed, they dump their cats there.

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When they get reassigned or get deployed.

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So I also encouraged the

engineer I gave him options.

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I said You could put up signage,

like why is there no signs that

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says no dumping of animals allowed?

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That's basic.

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And talk to the people at the military

base and make it known that they

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cannot leave, abandon their pets there.

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And they haven't taken any of those

measures that was just there last week.

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It is a win.

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You're right to have, people are

willing to go there and trap, but

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they're of course all, they're

stretched beyond capacity.

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They're like where are we gonna take them?

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No one big Sky offered to, they

might be able to take a couple,

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but it's a really devastating

thing because, they're out there.

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I just went again recently

and there's so many kittens.

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And a lady I know that goes

there and feeds occasionally,

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she said, I'm watching kittens.

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There was four kittens run over today.

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And it's also just such a bad look,

for a Florida welcome center to.

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Allow this to happen.

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So I am now trying to get all

the big nonprofits involved..

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I can't even get a response.

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And I've emailed, I've

called every number.

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I've even mailed, I've found out

the contacts, like the direct

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contacts for the founder and nothing.

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But Lady Free Thinker, that is the

only one and there's a couple others,

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but Lady Free Thinker is the only one

that actually has supported the effort.

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Dixie: Have you contacted

the Department of Tourism?

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Veronica: Thank you.

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No, Dixie?

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I haven't.

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See, that's why it's so good to have

you know what I mean, to brainstorm.

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I have not, and what would you suggest?

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How should I approach it?

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I tend to approach things a little

bit aggressively, I guess you would

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say, because I'm so passionate.

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What do you think would be the best way

to reach out to them and say, what do you

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Dixie: think?

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Frankly, just like you

said, it's a bad look.

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Especially for people

who are animal lovers.

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I'm gonna say fortunately

and unfortunately I have

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not seen the cats there.

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We go to Florida a lot.

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We usually stop there.

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I haven't seen 'em because when I see

cats at welcome centers, like I freak out.

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And I'm like you I would have

to go back and get some food.

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I'd probably have to go stop at that

first exit and go back around and be

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like, oh, I gotta go feed these cats.

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And I'd be looking for the ear

tips and I'd be worried about 'em.

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So I wouldn't be able to enjoy myself on

my trip because I'd be worried about going

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on my trip and coming back and stopping

and checking at the welcome center again.

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Veronica: Yeah, exactly.

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Dixie: I think that if you were just

frank with them about that I mean

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there's a lot of animal lovers in

the world, and when you go drive up

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to a welcome center and you have to

see a kitten that's been run over by

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a vehicle, that is a very bad look.

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It looks very bad for the state.

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Veronica: Yeah, and I agree and

Florida's made some big strides

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lately with, animal welfare.

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And so I would think, and I'm hoping

that maybe, like I said, this guy, this

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whole cat thing is out of his wheelhouse.

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And I think that's a great, amazing idea.

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The Department of Tourism.

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It's interesting because Alabama

Welcome center coming, I believe it's

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actually coming back, it's coming down

west when you're crossing Alabama.

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It's a lovely site.

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There's a few beautiful big, healthy

cats that are lounging around and I.

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Asked what the deal was.

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And she said, oh, we have

an someone that works here.

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He gets them, he traps 'em and

fixes them and then, cares for them.

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And I said, it looks so nice.

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It was, these peaceful cats, they were

beautiful just lounging in the sun.

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And so I tried to bring that up.

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I said, it'd be a great initiative,

for, just tourism in general to

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actually take care of these animals.

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'cause children are seeing this,

they come to the state and and the

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cats follow people because it's,

very obvious that, a lot of 'em

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are just terrified, not unfriendly.

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They are not allowing people to feed them.

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I keep encouraging people in Pensacola.

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I keep making posts, if you're

traveling to Pensacola or you're in

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Pensacola area, if you could, you

bring them a little bit of food.

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And they said, oh we were told not

to feed when we went on the property

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i don't follow rules like that

when an animal is in distress,

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but I know a lot of people do.

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So I started telling everyone just

to mention the engineer's name

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and say that he said it was all

right if anybody says anything,

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I ran into a lady just last

week when I was coming through.

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She was there feeding.

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And she said my husband and I

drive this way twice a month and

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I couldn't believe that I'm seeing

these, and they're just adorable.

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And there's so many

little kittens right now.

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And she said, so when we drive

through, I make sure to bring lots

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of cat food and feed them all.

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And it was really a nice moment because

I'm like, to see someone else that cared.

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And I told her the situation and she said,

I'll send an email to the Department of

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Transportation, pressure, them with TNR.

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I just don't know.

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It's just such a catch 22.

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He won't allow, them to be rereleased and

there's just, I said, in the meantime,

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allow them to be rereleased on the

property, just so they stop multiplying.

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Because can you imagine where

this is gonna go in another year?

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Dixie: No.

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I can't because you started with,

a few basically about 11 and

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you're up to 50 already, and that's

what some of them passing away.

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So what is the number gonna

look like in, in the spring?

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Just in the spring,

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Veronica: can you imagine kitten?

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They're gonna be literally overrun.

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The cats will have nowhere to hide.

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They'll be all out in the open.

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. I just don't think they're

seeing the big picture.

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Dixie: And then the other thing,

since you mentioned that it is

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backed up against that base.

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Have you checked maybe with the

base to see if they would be

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okay with the cats being released

back there if they're all tnr?

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Veronica: I have not done that,

so , that's a great idea just

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to talk to somebody over there.

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I looked it up and they became an Audubon.

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I don't know what this means

exactly 'cause it was cloudy

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when I did research on it.

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An Audubon property.

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I don't know where they

stand on community Cats.

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I did find some information that said

like a while back they were against

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Community Cats, the Audubon Society

because of, birds and the bird population.

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Then I read something else

that said that they believed

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in TNR and it Escambia County.

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Period.

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They have a TNR initiative countywide.

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And I asked him, the chief and

engineer, I kept pressuring him.

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Why are you not bringing

animal control on board?

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Like, why have you not

contacted any local rescues?

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So what I did was I sent him a list

of people, trying to be helpful.

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Like you can contact these groups.

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It seems to me where it gets

uncomfortable is that if you are

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trying to do the right and humane thing

by these animals, why wouldn't you

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have contacted animal control first?

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Do you see what I mean?

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Because animal control is gonna

tell them to TNRI know it.

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They, 'cause they have that

initiative that I think it's.

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Ally Cat Allies actually

started down there.

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Dixie: Did you try contacting the shelter?

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Veronica: Yes.

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Yes.

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And that's another odd thing.

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I've called, I've emailed, I have

written regular letters, and I finally,

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about six months in, I got one phone

call from an animal control officer.

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She said, what is this that you're saying?

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And I said, I just can

explain the situation.

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I said, they are planning a mass trapping

and dumping of these cats, and that's

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against Florida's animal cruelty laws.

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That's illegal.

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And she said if they were doing that, I

would know about it and hung up on me.

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: 00:17:24

And that obviously was just

like her ego couldn't take

314

: 00:17:28

the idea that she hadn't been.

315

: 00:17:30

Invited to the party or whatever.

316

: 00:17:33

So that was odd.

317

: 00:17:34

And then she's never answered the phone

again when I've called her, because I

318

: 00:17:37

called her, the number back directly.

319

: 00:17:40

So then when I started thinking

about it, and then it started to

320

: 00:17:44

get a little like more uncomfortable

because I'm like he'll allow people,

321

: 00:17:48

he must know it's against the

law, to trap and just go dump

322

: 00:17:52

cats in an undisclosed location.

323

: 00:17:54

So he will allow us to do, come on there.

324

: 00:17:58

And is that because he knows I

just started feeling uncomfortable.

325

: 00:18:03

Is that because he knows they

could be held liable for doing it

326

: 00:18:07

and they're trying to, is that the

only, maybe the reason he decided

327

: 00:18:10

to allow volunteers to go and trap.

328

: 00:18:13

'cause if they did so they in fact would

be violating, animal cruelty laws in the

329

: 00:18:19

state and could be held liable for that.

330

: 00:18:22

So that's where it got a little weird for

me, I just started feeling like there was

331

: 00:18:26

some kind of undercurrent of something

more going on that I was, being told.

332

: 00:18:34

Dixie: Yeah, it's a

really tricky situation.,

333

: 00:18:36

Veronica: I feel if he's allowing

volunteers to go do it, then they don't

334

: 00:18:39

have to take on any of the liability

or the repercussions of what could

335

: 00:18:43

come of them trapping and dumping

somewhere, if they have, other people

336

: 00:18:49

do it, that's not on them anymore.

337

: 00:18:51

So that was when I started,

reaching out to people that were

338

: 00:18:54

volunteered to trap and I said,

let's just hold up for a second.

339

: 00:18:58

We don't know what their motivations

are and for all we know then they,

340

: 00:19:02

call the police on the trappers.

341

: 00:19:04

Like it could be a really ugly situation.

342

: 00:19:08

And so that's when I

started calling the news.

343

: 00:19:11

I started calling the news

stations and writing emails to, the

344

: 00:19:14

investigative reporters in the area.

345

: 00:19:17

Letting them know that, , they

were gonna violate the state laws,

346

: 00:19:21

the Department of Transportation.

347

: 00:19:24

And there was a couple people that

got back to me, a couple news stations

348

: 00:19:27

that were interested in the story.

349

: 00:19:29

Two of them told me to keep them

posted about what had happened and said

350

: 00:19:34

thank you so much for responding, but

I need you to do a story on it now.

351

: 00:19:38

Not after that happens.

352

: 00:19:41

There's, a lot of lives that

are gonna be lost through this.

353

: 00:19:45

I told them, then finally I was just like,

I'll update you as time goes on, because

354

: 00:19:48

I think the last thing that the Department

of Transportation wants is a bunch of,

355

: 00:19:52

animal welfare advocates protesting

on their property, because that's

356

: 00:19:56

what it's about to come to, I think.

357

: 00:20:01

Dixie: That's insane and I

can't believe none of the press

358

: 00:20:04

will get involved with it.

359

: 00:20:07

Veronica: It's very strange.

360

: 00:20:07

I guess it's because, the press like,

wanted to get involved, after the fact.

361

: 00:20:11

Oh, let us know and

we'll do a story on it.

362

: 00:20:13

I said I'm trying to save lives.

363

: 00:20:15

It's not a story for

after the, these cats are.

364

: 00:20:19

Euthanized or dumped and starved to death.

365

: 00:20:21

It's a story for right now

to prevent it from happening.

366

: 00:20:24

And I don't know if it's, maybe

because it's a government property.

367

: 00:20:27

I think a lot of people are

gunshot and get involved.

368

: 00:20:32

So that's all I can imagine.

369

: 00:20:34

Dixie: Is there a public area

that's like adjacent to it

370

: 00:20:38

somewhere that you could trap on?

371

: 00:20:42

Veronica: It's such that welcome center,

I think, as is just such a weird location.

372

: 00:20:47

The only thing close to it is that, like

I said, the the Naval base, which is a

373

: 00:20:52

great idea for me to reach out to them.

374

: 00:20:55

And I just need to figure out,

the Audubon Society protocol,

375

: 00:20:59

if they're super against.

376

: 00:21:01

Community chats, then

that's gonna be a No.

377

: 00:21:04

I'm hoping that won't be the case, but

if anybody out there would be willing

378

: 00:21:10

to just email this chief engineer and,

push the TNR because that's really,

379

: 00:21:17

it's literally the only way, and every

day that goes by, there's, more litters

380

: 00:21:21

are being born and it's just it's

like pushing water back in the ocean.

381

: 00:21:24

This guy's just not getting it.

382

: 00:21:27

No matter what, it is decided eventually

for , right now it, the problem

383

: 00:21:33

is just, multiplying, every day.

384

: 00:21:37

And I think that, and it's also a horrible

thought, to think these cats are starving.

385

: 00:21:43

'cause so many people, like

the manager of the facility

386

: 00:21:45

said, oh, they eat, they kill.

387

: 00:21:47

I said, sir, that's a myth that you know.

388

: 00:21:51

Domesticated cats can

just survive on their own.

389

: 00:21:54

Especially ones that were abandoned.

390

: 00:21:57

They rely on humans

to, to feed themselves.

391

: 00:22:01

And he said, oh, the cats

rats and this and that.

392

: 00:22:03

I said, it's, from what I understand at

least, it's very rare for a domesticated

393

: 00:22:08

cat that once lived with a family

to go out and be able to eat rest.

394

: 00:22:12

Dixie: That brings up another

interesting Point maybe they do wanna

395

: 00:22:15

TNR em and keep 'em around afterwards,

396

: 00:22:17

Veronica: My friends that I go to

Florida lot, they were saying, my

397

: 00:22:20

kids would love that to see cats.

398

: 00:22:22

But a lot of my friends have

been like, what are they doing?

399

: 00:22:24

They look like starving.

400

: 00:22:25

And we don't ever, we have popcorn in

the car and they go into the cats, we

401

: 00:22:28

feed that to the cats and they eat that.

402

: 00:22:30

The whole thing is just

a very sad situation.

403

: 00:22:34

And like I said, when I just went last

week, there was the most adorable.

404

: 00:22:39

They're all adorable.

405

: 00:22:40

But these kittens that had, there were

probably, I don't know, six weeks.

406

: 00:22:45

And I put the food down and the mom,

and it's the same mom that just probably

407

: 00:22:52

a few weeks or a month before that I

had seen her pregnant and videoed her.

408

: 00:22:58

And sure enough, she had her babies and

they are just, the cutest little things.

409

: 00:23:03

And Dixie, I gotta tell you, I put

the food down and the mom came over.

410

: 00:23:07

Sniffed the whole plate of food,

checked it out, backed up, came back,

411

: 00:23:12

ate a little piece of it, and it wasn't

until she swallowed that little piece

412

: 00:23:17

that she looked at the kittens and

they both came up and started to eat.

413

: 00:23:20

And I thought that was really just

so special that she went and tested

414

: 00:23:24

the food essentially before allowing

them to come and eat any of it.

415

: 00:23:30

Yeah, it's so sweet.

416

: 00:23:32

I hadn't seen that before,

so , that was new to me and I

417

: 00:23:36

thought that was really nice.

418

: 00:23:37

And these are kittens that honestly,

I feel, could be, just scared.

419

: 00:23:43

They could definitely become pets.

420

: 00:23:46

It's just, I don't know, if animal control

would get involved, that would be, I

421

: 00:23:51

feel a huge help because I don't think

that the Department of Transportation

422

: 00:23:55

would go against the recommendations of.

423

: 00:23:58

Animal control and the major

animal shelter in the area.

424

: 00:24:03

And I know they're not gonna say,

trap 'em and dump them somewhere.

425

: 00:24:07

If that's ridiculous, they're gonna

say to t and r and I think that's what

426

: 00:24:11

they don't want to hear, so that's

why they don't reach out to them.

427

: 00:24:15

So I'm just asking for anybody's help to

just maybe send an email encouraging TNR.

428

: 00:24:23

Because at this point it's just,

it's a lot of suffering going on

429

: 00:24:27

there, and it's not necessary.

430

: 00:24:29

It could be stopped so easily.

431

: 00:24:32

Dixie: It's very sad.

432

: 00:24:34

And like you said I know the other

cats that you're talking about.

433

: 00:24:38

'Cause I know going on I 10 East,

I think it's the one that's in the

434

: 00:24:43

rest area in Mississippi or if it's

the first welcome center in Alabama.

435

: 00:24:48

They have cats and these cats eat a lot.

436

: 00:24:52

They're big fat cats, aren't they?

437

: 00:24:54

Yes.

438

: 00:24:55

Yes.

439

: 00:24:55

Because we always see 'em and I still

feel bad for 'em and it's I know they're

440

: 00:24:58

eating 'cause they're really fat,

441

: 00:25:00

Veronica: Yeah, they are.

442

: 00:25:01

They're so fat.

443

: 00:25:02

And that's what I loved.

444

: 00:25:03

And when I asked the girl, she said that

it was an, an employee, like I said.

445

: 00:25:06

A few bags of food over there.

446

: 00:25:07

I said, that's so wonderful.

447

: 00:25:08

I'm dealing with a situation

right across the state line.

448

: 00:25:13

And I tried to tout that to the engineer.

449

: 00:25:17

And I embellished a bit.

450

: 00:25:18

I said, in Alabama they've been praised by

tourism departments nationwide for their,

451

: 00:25:25

empathetic and wonderful CAT program.

452

: 00:25:28

He didn't want to hear

it, he wasn't interested.

453

: 00:25:30

But yeah, the cats are

fat, they're beautiful.

454

: 00:25:33

I love going there because, it's

heartwarming to see, but , it's

455

: 00:25:37

interesting that I think maybe

they put the wrong man in charge.

456

: 00:25:40

It does not wanna budge, so

I'm just gonna keep trying.

457

: 00:25:44

I'm not gonna give up.

458

: 00:25:45

It's been now a year and a half

I've been working at this and I.

459

: 00:25:50

It's, it's daily that I do

something to try to, fix it.

460

: 00:25:54

I'm still sending emails to

animal control and still making

461

: 00:25:57

phone calls and leaving messages.

462

: 00:26:00

I just feel if I could get them on board.

463

: 00:26:02

Do you think it's a jurisdictional issue?

464

: 00:26:05

Because it's a government property, do

you think that makes a difference of why?

465

: 00:26:10

I haven't been getting any responses.

466

: 00:26:13

Like is it that such a separate entity?

467

: 00:26:15

You see what I'm saying?

468

: 00:26:16

Because it's government owned.

469

: 00:26:18

Dixie: I don't know.

470

: 00:26:18

I'm at a loss, honestly.

471

: 00:26:21

I

472

: 00:26:21

Veronica: know.

473

: 00:26:21

Is it right?

474

: 00:26:23

Dixie: Like I said, I would say call

the department of Tourism because

475

: 00:26:27

I couldn't travel to Florida, see

that and enjoy my trip in Florida

476

: 00:26:31

without worrying about coming back

and seeing if , the cats are okay.

477

: 00:26:35

And I know I'm probably not the only

one, there's probably other people

478

: 00:26:38

like me too, that you're gonna go

and especially at the welcome center,

479

: 00:26:43

that's what's welcoming you to Florida

and that's what you have to see.

480

: 00:26:47

And for animal lovers,

it's very upsetting.

481

: 00:26:51

Veronica: Exactly.

482

: 00:26:52

I think too, and I'm the same way.

483

: 00:26:54

Like I worry and the lady that I

ran into that travels through there,

484

: 00:26:58

that feeds, she said, I make my

husband, go to Pensacola, she's it's

485

: 00:27:01

difficult to get there coming east.

486

: 00:27:05

Like , it puts an extra, I think

like maybe almost like 45 minutes

487

: 00:27:08

on your trip because it's something

about you have to double back.

488

: 00:27:11

There's not an easy way to get

there when you're going east.

489

: 00:27:14

And she's I make my husband do

it because I just feel terrible,

490

: 00:27:18

and she's now it's getting cold.

491

: 00:27:20

And so people have volunteered to put

some shelters out there which that's

492

: 00:27:25

not gonna go, he's gonna say no to that.

493

: 00:27:27

I did send an email asking, but

he hasn't gotten back to me yet.

494

: 00:27:31

And, I've kept everything very cordial,

very nice, but with every single

495

: 00:27:35

correspondence that goes back and forth

from me it has a whole thing about, how

496

: 00:27:40

your TNR is the only way and why and how.

497

: 00:27:44

And I just keep pushing.

498

: 00:27:46

So I just don't know.

499

: 00:27:49

I know that it's illegal to trap these

cats and dump them in an undisclosed

500

: 00:27:53

location that is illegal, whether

you're the government owned property

501

: 00:27:57

or not, that would be violating your

state's own animal cruelty laws.

502

: 00:28:01

And I made that very clear to him, and

it finally came to me saying the state

503

: 00:28:05

of Florida is not gonna look good.

504

: 00:28:07

With , the Department of Transportation

committing abuse against animals

505

: 00:28:12

and it was a veiled threat.

506

: 00:28:14

But I think he understood that and

he is we're halting, for right now

507

: 00:28:18

until we can find farm homes for them.

508

: 00:28:20

And I was just like, , what

world do you live in?

509

: 00:28:23

I was like, what farm homes?

510

: 00:28:25

There's not farm homes

for 50 cats right now.

511

: 00:28:29

Just it's just a, it's, the lack

of education on the subject and the

512

: 00:28:34

inability to open their minds enough

to learn about it is just what's,

513

: 00:28:40

causing the problem in the first place.

514

: 00:28:42

Dixie: Would he even be open to

a compromise I know this would be

515

: 00:28:45

difficult, but even if you only had

to find a place for half of them

516

: 00:28:51

to go and leave half of them there.

517

: 00:28:55

Veronica: Thank you so much.

518

: 00:28:56

You've come up with some really

great ideas and I'm gonna try that.

519

: 00:28:58

I'll reach out to him tomorrow and

say, what about, a compromise like you

520

: 00:29:02

said because , I think they probably,

there's some groups in Pensacola that

521

: 00:29:07

could acclimate them to their colonies,

a few and like the kittens, those could.

522

: 00:29:15

Probably, those could be adopted,

so those wouldn't be as hard to

523

: 00:29:18

place because they're kittens.

524

: 00:29:20

So I think that's a actually a really good

idea and just, then , maybe not so many

525

: 00:29:26

and they'll stop reproducing because it's

just bizarre to me that they just don't

526

: 00:29:31

care that they're reproducing as we speak.

527

: 00:29:33

And there's gonna be,

another 50 in six months.

528

: 00:29:37

And then what?

529

: 00:29:38

Yeah.

530

: 00:29:39

And then I just encourage anybody

that's traveling that way.

531

: 00:29:42

I I posted on a lot of trucker

websites, trucker groups on Facebook

532

: 00:29:46

which I think is the neatest thing.

533

: 00:29:48

I don't know if everybody knows they

have like truckers, that are just

534

: 00:29:51

strictly driving all the time, that look

for people's lost and found lost pets.

535

: 00:29:56

If you post there, if you've lost a

pet somewhere on one of their routes.

536

: 00:30:00

They look out for them and

they'll post when they find an

537

: 00:30:02

animal and what the location is.

538

: 00:30:06

And I think that's a really, a neat

resource that I didn't know about.

539

: 00:30:10

So you know, if, post there, I just

try to keep reminding people if they're

540

: 00:30:14

traveling that direction, if they could

bring some food and, just get involved

541

: 00:30:19

even a little bit would really help.

542

: 00:30:21

So these babies don't suffer.

543

: 00:30:25

Dixie: Yeah.

544

: 00:30:25

And then if any of our listeners have any

suggestions, please let Veronica know.

545

: 00:30:32

And please, oh please send emails.

546

: 00:30:37

Veronica: It's the Department

of Transportation in Florida.

547

: 00:30:39

And if anybody I'll comment on

the link of this podcast with the

548

: 00:30:44

direct, information of who to email.

549

: 00:30:47

Because, it takes a village for sure.

550

: 00:30:49

Dixie: Yeah.

551

: 00:30:50

And what I'll do is I can include your

contact info and then you can go ahead

552

: 00:30:54

and, provide all of that to them as well

553

: 00:30:56

Veronica: oh, okay.

554

: 00:30:57

Great.

555

: 00:30:57

And I really appreciate you,

Dixie, for this podcast.

556

: 00:31:00

It's great.

557

: 00:31:01

I love, it brings so much awareness.

558

: 00:31:03

There's so many different areas of

animal welfare that need to be addressed.

559

: 00:31:08

And thank you for letting me speak

on this 'cause it's really close to

560

: 00:31:11

my heart i'm gonna figure it out.

561

: 00:31:13

I'm gonna figure it out.

562

: 00:31:14

I can't just do nothing.

563

: 00:31:16

I've gotta keep fighting

for the cats there.

564

: 00:31:19

Dixie: Yeah, absolutely.

565

: 00:31:20

I think you'll get it figured out too.

566

: 00:31:22

You're relentless yeah.

567

: 00:31:23

I'm not gonna give up

568

: 00:31:24

Veronica: because also it's it's true.

569

: 00:31:25

What if the, they decide this is

how we're gonna handle any abandoned

570

: 00:31:28

animals on government property.

571

: 00:31:31

That's important.

572

: 00:31:32

If it sets a precedent for how

the whole state of Florida and

573

: 00:31:35

then other states copy them.

574

: 00:31:37

So like it's real important that

they figure out a protocol that

575

: 00:31:41

a way to do this, that's the

right way, that's a humane way,

576

: 00:31:45

Dixie: yeah, absolutely.

577

: 00:31:46

Absolutely.

578

: 00:31:46

Thank you for taking care of those

cats and bringing them food and then

579

: 00:31:50

trying to resolve this situation too.

580

: 00:31:53

Veronica: Thank you so much, Dixie.

581

: 00:31:55

It's been a pleasure.

582

: 00:31:56

Dixie: Alright.

583

: 00:31:57

It was great talking with you.

584

: 00:31:59

Thank you.

585

: 00:32:00

Have a great night.

586

: 00:32:01

That's it for today's episode.

587

: 00:32:03

I wanna thank everybody for

listening and supporting us.

588

: 00:32:07

If you wanna take that an extra

step, consider becoming a member.

589

: 00:32:11

We just added this to our

website, animalposse.com,

590

: 00:32:15

scroll down, look for the support tab.

591

: 00:32:18

Our membership program is going to

help us directly support animals

592

: 00:32:24

in need, whether that be through

vaccinations, food or spay neuter efforts.