URGENT Prevention of RANCO Village Cat "Disposal" (Riyadh)

RANCO VILLAGE compound (Riyadh) is planning a 3-day trapping and “disposal” of stray cats from 28th-30th December, which they claim is "humane". This is likely to remain an ongoing policy.

The newsletter (below) confirms this plan to all residents.

Cat disposal has happened before at RANCO, with cats left in traps in the Saudi summer heat, without food or water, before being removed from the compound. We have no idea what happened to these animals.

As a result, caring residents set up the compound cat TNR (trap-neuter-release) programme, on the understanding that this would prevent further disposals. 

Neutering sessions are run regularly, funded and managed by residents. Neutering stray cats is a humane way to manage population control and the health of the RANCO cats, with each neutered cat clearly identifiable by an ear tattoo or ear tip cut (performed during anaesthesia).

However, despite this successful programme, RANCO management are continuing with a disposal policy.

The stray cats are loved and cared for by residents of all nationalities. Many have been adopted by us, or are communal pets that we care for collectively. They enrich compound life in many ways: bringing people together, providing companionship for many of us and making this lovely compound feel like home.

We have been ordered to collar pets and keep them inside during the 3-day collection period, as staff will confiscate any uncollared cats, without exempting neutered stray cats.

This risks trapping and disposing of people's pets, as well as neutered strays, as pet cats lose their collars regularly.

We understand that a few residents have complained to the management about stray cats, and we respect the fact that not everyone loves cats. The TNR programme was set up to provide any unhappy residents with a proactive, humane solution to their concerns, so that everyone's views were heard and supported.

However, cat disposal is not a solution - it is animal abuse - and we will not support or tolerate this.

We ask RANCO management to end their disposal policy.

And we ask them to recognise our successful TNR programme as an ongoing solution.

With thanks,

The RANCO TNR Group

RANCO TNR Group    Contact the author of the petition