June 16, 2005

Late at night thousands of ferel cats can be spotted roaming the streets of Texas and those cats can carry several diseases. An organization in Killeen however is doing something about it.

Eddy,TX,USA

In downtown Killeen George Fox has been taking care of stray cats for eight years. There are more than 20 cat colonies spread around the city.

"We do feed and give them fresh water," he says and if he didn't feed them they would fend for themselves within city trash cans.

"Keep them out of yards, people's property, and out of businesses," he says.

Fox is taking his work further now with the help of a new non profit org called Assisi Animal Refuge.

"Our goal here is to trap, spay or neuter these feral cats," says Mary Beth Harrell, the organization's founder.

The group also wants to vaccinate them, however at a cost of $40 each and a goal of 1,000 cats a year that's already $40,000.

Harrell says the non profit plans to have all the cats fixed before they are released back into their colonies.

"This is the most humane way to do it,” Harrell says, “Unless you are going to go around and poison and kill thousands of cats."

The cat population has gotten out of hand over the years because people continue to abandon their pets instead of taking them to a shelter or rescue.

“Cats carry disease, if they don't get their shots they could have rabies or feline lukemia and feline AIDS," she says.

For more information about the Assisi Animal Shelter call (254) 680-4655.