Alley Cat Allies has started a petition asking the National Zoo to remove accused cat poisoner Nico Dauphine from her position at the Smithsonian’s Migratory Bird Center. Her work includes tracking feral cats.
Feral, stray, community or free roaming cat advocates Alley Cat Allies has taken a strong position on the US Government affiliated institution allowing Dr. Dauphine to continue in her sensitive position after the charges that she has taken from railing against feral cats to actually doing something about them.
While the National Zoo says it will fire Dr. Dauphine if she is convicted of putting rat poison and anti freeze in bowls of food left out for cats at her Washington DC area apartment complex, Alley Cat Allies and others think that given the severity of the crime and the nature of the accused woman’s work she should be removed immediately from the institution.
Here is the link to the petition for anyone who wants to look at it or chooses to sign: Tell Smithsonian to Suspend Researcher Charged with Cruelty
To view the entire text of the letter from Alley Cat Allies President Becky Robinson to Dennis Kelly, of the National Zoo, click here.
Dr. Dauphine delivered an online lecture in 2009 entitled “Apocalypse Meow: Free-ranging Cats and the Destruction of American Wildlife,” which outlined how, according to her and others opposed to feral cats, cats kill billions of animals in the United States each year.
According to Dr. Dauphine’s bio at the Migratory Bird Center website:
My research focuses on evaluating anthropogenic impacts (including habitat loss, hunting, and invasive species) on wildlife, particularly birds, and developing effective conservation strategies. My current project examines predator-prey dynamics in an urban matrix in collaboration with citizen scientists at Neighborhood Nestwatch.
If Ms. Dauphine is indeed guilty of the poisoning then it seems she has entered the predator-prey dynamics as a participant.
OMG, they need to petition for that?
Just signed it…
It’s amazing & sad all the petitions we need for things these days. It’s all common sense stuff that we all know better than to do. God bless & protect all animals on the planet. <3
Just signed and sent to 6 friends.
Signed….
signed for 3 family members~!
Message sent ! And, I sent it to my cat-loving family/friends, as well!
Although I come from Scotland I signed the petition. My beautiful boy was poisoned two weeks ago and died in my arms on his 2nd Birthday so I have first hand experience of the absolute pain and suffering this vile creature has caused to an untold number of precious cats. I hope she is removed asap from her post and find it horrifying that her details were not checked prior to her gaining employment. RIP all the poor little defenceless souls that have died at her hands and also the hands of anyone else who has poisoned or mistreated any animal….:/
Signed and sent to family and friends… This so called researcher needs to be removed and punished… one of my childhood kitties was poisoned and it was horrible!!! She survived but she had a long and painful experience