Feral Paws Rescue

Cat Removed May 11 From Avenal State Prison Grounds

This is a photo of one of the three cats picked up at the prison on May 11, 2007 late afternoon. They had all been in the traps since May 10, 2007 early morning. We weren't contacted until late afternoon on May 11, 2007. As you can see in this photo it was very hot this day and the cats were out in the sun in the traps when we picked them up and they were panting so hard and over heated.

Prison Personnel Took This Tiny White Kitten Away From Its Momma!

Warden Kathy Mendoza-Powers Just doesn't stop with her harmful ways with the Feral Cats At Avenal State Prison. Now Taken New Born kittens from their mothers! How Horrible Warden Kathy Mendoza-Powers is! Kitten was checked out by Abby Pet Hospital Dr. Brewer at 2 weeks old. Given a clean bill of health. Placed into foster care. Now learning if the kitten lives off a bottle and is doing ok at the time it can be adpoted. We learn that the foster care parent will be taken the kitten!

May 4, 2007: Momma Cat Handled So Rough In Trap that it Caused Her To Have Her Babies Early!

Dr. Brewer spoke to me yesterday about Mama Cat and Kittens. The stress that she went thru that day made her have her kitten early. Not sure at this point when we will be able to get them from Abby Pet Hospital. Dr. Brewer felt that it may be awhile since the baby were born so early. But that her and the kittens are doing really good after all they had went thru that day she was put into a feral trap at Avenal State Prison. Rushed her to Abby Pet Hospital. Mama cat was under so much stress in the feral trap. She went into labor and had three gray and white kittens! Updated on May 14, 2007 Mama cat and kittens were doing very well. Mama Cat doesn't react as to being feral but seems to have been handled by either staff at Avenal State Prison or inmates in most cases both staff and inmates!

May 3, 2007 Two Kittens 3 Weeks Old Removed From Mother At Avenal State Prison

These are two kittens taken from their mama at the prison by plant ops trapping at 3 weeks old. Given to Volunteers of Feral Paws Rescue picking up Feral cats from Avenal State Prison on May 3, 2007

BOB BLIND CAT REMOVED FROM AVENAL STATE PRISON GROUNDS

We would like to up date you on the Avenal Prison Cats. On Sunday February 11, 2007. We got a phone call from a staff person that works in a area outside of the prison fence. They informed us that they had a cat that the Inmates had

made a pet of. Of course this is forbidden by Warden Mendoza-Powers!!!

But the inmates became concerned when they noticed the cat running into objects. They wanted it to be checked out by a vet to see if he was blind. This staff person had removed it from Prison grounds over the weekend in fear something would happen to this friendly cat. A volunteer of Feral Paws Rescue agreed to go to the location that this cat was at in the town of Avenal on Tuesday February 13, 2007 to pick up the cat and take it to the vet. In the mean time Abby Pet Hospital was contacted about this cat coming from the prison grounds. Abby Pet Hospital is taken care of the Avenal Prison Cats that come off prison grounds. When checked by the vet at Abby Pet Hospital. It was noticed that the adult cat was totally blind in both eyes. He tested neg. in all testing. He did have a cut on the side of his face that the vet wanted to keep him on medication for a week. Just to be safe. Other then that he was healthly. Also didn't have a tiped ear. In checking found the cat had already been neutered. We contacted the staff person that removed the cat from the prison. To inform them that the cat couldn't be returned to the prison due to being blind. In asking about how the cat was found on prison grounds. We learned that the cat just showed up one day. So in the history of the cats on prison grounds. This cat isn't the color of cats currently on prison grounds. So we belive that the cat had been dropped off knowing it was blind. We are very thankful for the inmates that became concerned and the staff person that made the contact to us about the cat. The great news is that we didn't even get to send out a e-mail to place this cat into a loving home. Just bye word of mouth. One of the volunteers contacted a person wanting a cat from the prison. That jumped right on taken the blind cat. The cat was picked up on February 14, 2007 from Abby Pet Hospital and placed right into his new home. They named him "BOB" Now Bob is a inside cat and as you can see in the photos fowarded to us. Bob is doing great in his new home. So many of you jump right on adopting a cat from the prison when we send out e-mails. We Thank you all so very much for all your efforts and support in our efforts to save the feral cats from Avenal State Prison.

Kitten Picked Up At Avenal State Prison

On Friday September 29, 2006, This kitten was picked up by a volunteer at Avenal State Prison. In fact the kitten was located on the side of a building in a feral trap and when the volunteer picked up two other cats at the time. They were told that their wasn't any other kittens or cats to pick up. But a Inmate told the volunteer that their was a kitten in a trap on the side of the building. The volunteer walked over to the building the Inmate told them about and found this kitten in a feral trap. The volunteer asked why was this

kitten being left behind? They told the volunteer that they for got about the kitten on the side of the building. The volunteer took the kitten and removed it from the prison. This kitten was in very bad shape and was rushed to Abby Vet Hospital and turned over to a vet waiting for the kitten. The kitten remained at Abby Hospital for over a month getting much needed medical treatment. This kitten was just released to a volunteer that placed the kitten into a loving home on November 3, 2006. We feel that if the inmate didn't speak up and tell the volunteer about the kitten it would of died in a few days. Please look at this kitten. Her/His front paws the leg had the skin tore back off of it. Now it is trying to mead. I have never seen any cat at Avenal State Prison look like this is all the six years the TNR program was in place

September 1, 2006

As far as we could tell, this cat had been at Avenal Animal Control for over 24 hours. Kathy Estrada, Animal Control Officer hadn't been notified that a cat was going to be dropped off at the facilities, and we hadn't been notified that there was one to pick up.

Please make note of the feeble attempt to provide water with a rodent water bottle, even though they have been told time and time again, that this is not sufficient for cats.

This was a feral if there ever was one. Notice that color, now we're seeing colors of cats that haven't been on the prison grounds until Warden Mendoza Powers's illegal and costly policies regarding the cats has come into practice. Up until now there were only black, black & white, gray, & gray & white. What great progress her program has made in controlling the feral cat population at the prison and costly to the tune of around $100, 000.00 of tax payers $$$$$$$$$$. Well, out of a budget of 9 million plus for Avenal prison, I guess that's just pocket change!!!!!!!!!! He was checked out by a vet and then

taken out to a ranch requesting feral cats and released.

Fondly,

Joyce & critters

August 15

Morning to all,

You notice I didn't say GOOD morning. I've been getting reports that the kittens, which are many, are in really bad shape on the prison grounds. Since there is no cat food available, water, etc. they are trying to survive on

scraps they can find. Some have died. Also hearing that some of the trapped cats are being removed from prison grounds and brought up in the hills and released. The coyotes and birds of prey in the area are having their meals delivered now! I just can't believe that the prison isn't in some violation of the humane laws!!!!!!!! This was also taken up with our local media news.Why is this happening? Because Warden Mendoza Powers can get away with it.

However, common sense tells us that kitten are there, since the TNR program was eliminated by Powers.

Also their is a very successful TNR program in the prison in Pleasent Valley, It was put into place after the Avenal program proved to be so successful. It is just outside the town of Coalinga, about 15 miles from Avenal.

Will keep you updated and thank you again for everything you are doing to stop this illegal cruelty.

How or why Warden Kathy Mendoza-Powers can get away with this you ask? Because she CAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!