April 13th, 2004
NBC aired a story on protecting pets
from Nuisance Wildlife trappers and featured our story.
Read the the story
Check out PETA's Action Alert
Read FOX's News Coverage of the story
On November 4, 2003 Critter Control of Toledo baited, trapped, and killed two cats in our quiet residential neighborhood in Toledo, Ohio. One of the cats they trapped and killed matched the description of our family cat named Franc, according to Critter Control employees. Franc was a friendly, groomed, domesticated, neutered male tiger cat. The cat was trapped just yards from our front door and killed in Critter Control’s gas chamber the same day he was picked up from the trap according to Critter Control. There was no time to save him. The body was conveniently sent to a landfill so we could not identify him nor bury him. We will never be the same without Franc. To view Franc's Memorial page click here.
Did you know that pest control
companies can bait, trap, and kill cats for profit in many states in the U.S.? If you’re like me, you didn’t. The reason is because pest control companies in many states,
unlike state-run animal shelters, are not regulated or held accountable by the
government to the same standards regarding the capture and killing of cats. In fact, it is possible that thousands of
domestic cats go missing each year in the United States because they have been trapped and killed
for profit by companies like Critter Control. But it all goes on without public knowledge or attention.
If you look at Critter
Control’s ads and literature, they nowhere reveal that they kill cats. See: http://crittercontrol.com/. But this national franchise kills cats for protif in
many states in the U.S. Additionally,
a copy of the Critter Control contract used in Toledo reveals that cats are
simply referred to as “non-target animals” and customers who hire the company
to get rid of wildlife may be paying Critter Control to bait, trap and kill
their neighbor’s cats! That is what
happened here in Toledo. The elementary
school across the street from our house hired Critter Control to get rid of
their raccoons. Critter Control did not
trap any raccoons, but they did manage to trap two neighborhood cats and charged
the school $60 to kill each cat, all without the knowledge of the school, according
to the school Dean.
The public must be made aware of the fact that in many states in the U.S. pest control companies like Critter Control are baiting and trapping in residential neighborhoods, putting to death the cats they catch, and charging for their services. Something must be done to stop these unethical business practices! Pets are at risk as potential profit in any and every area that such trapping takes place. Because Critter Control and most pest control companies do not inform residents in the areas in which they are trapping, the risk is even greater.
We have begged and pleaded with Critter Control to stop killing cats for profit. To date, the CEO and local franchise have refused our requests. Mixing profit with the trapping and killing of domestic animals is a very a dangerous combination. We are now petitioning the state of Ohio to disallow all pest control companies from trapping and killing cats for profit. Such work is better left to non-profit companies who will not benefit from such deaths. We are also petitioning Critter Control to institute a nation-wide policy disallowing all their franchises from such behavior.
What can you do?
1. Urge Critter Control to change their policies.
2. Get the word out and tell everyone you know. The
public needs to be informed.
3. If your cat or a friend’s cat goes missing and the
animal shelters do not have it, call your local pest control company. 4. Talk to your local pest control companies like
Critter Control and find out what their policy is regarding the capture and
treatment of cats. 5. If your local pest control company traps and kills
cats, hold them accountable and insist they find ways to ensure that owners
have a way to rescue their domestic cats before they are killed. 6. Do not hire companies like Critter Control who kill
cats for profit. Rather, see this page for humane alternatives in animal control. To learn more about our cat,
Franc, Click here.