There is nothing better than a failed PETA campaign. A Queensland local council will not back down on a controversial bounty that offers $10 for the scalps of feral cats, despite animal rights activist group PETAcampaigning locals to pressure the local council.
Lastmonth Banna Shire local council offered $10 for feral cat scalps, $5 for feral kitten scalps, $30 for dingoes or wild dogs and $10 for foxes, despite claims of animal cruelty.
PETAmounted a campaign against the policy, targeting the small town of Biloela, the council’s headquarters. They used misleading signs to support their campaign.
PETA erected a billboard 20km from the council chambers that warned local pet owners that their cats were at risk. The billboard, which will be left up for a month, reads: “Warning: cats at risk outdoors. They need your protection. Keep them safe inside.”
The out of touch animal activist group suggested desexing all the feral cats as a hair brained solutionto the feral cat problem. PETA regional spokesperson Laura Weyman-Jones said shooting or trapping feral animals caused “animals to suffer”.
Banana Shire Mayor Nev Ferrier said contemplating widespread de-sexing programs was “ridiculous“.
Ferrier said they had not had anybody bring in a cat scalp since they announced the bounty late last month, but it was only a matter of time before they did.
“I’ve had a couple of farmers call me up and say they want to give us money to increase the bounty,” Cr Ferrier said.
“Someone’s got to do something sooner or later about it, because our grandchildren won’t see a bird or anything flying around — it’ll only be cats half the size of a lion, running around killing everything.”
Farmer Sib Torrisi shoots any feral cats he sees on his property in the Banana Shire, west of Rockhampton. Sibwelcomed the shire’s bounty on feral cats but said $10 for a scalp was “not worth the petrol” to collect it.
When Mr Torrisi moved to their property almost two decades ago, the landscape was teeming with tiny native birds and sand goannas. He said that changed as feral cats moved in.
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