Animal Advocacy

Writing letters to the editor

Writing letters and email to local media outlets is an excellent way to get the word out about important animal related issues.

Natasha, a member of Carlita's colony near Sherman Park, seeks refuge under a car from the bitter cold of winter.

Trap-Neuter-Return letters and email are needed to help inform the public about the feral cat population problem as well as the benefits of TNR initiatives. Below is a sample letter that you can send to your favorite radio station, newspaper or television station. Please be sure to personalize your letter to give it special meaning to the recipient.

Letter to the Editor Sample:

As a [ viewer, reader, listener ] of [ name of organization ] and an advocate for animals, I hope you will help bring attention to proposed new avenues to control cat overpopulation in the City of Milwaukee. There are thousands of free-roaming cats in the City of Milwaukee. Feral cats are the source of hundreds of citizen complaints each month. The behaviors of unaltered cats, such as spraying, yowling and fighting can have an impact on the quality of life in Milwaukee. Additionally, the overpopulation of feral cats costs Milwaukee citizens money; animal control expenses continue to increase at a higher rate than inflation and the cost of euthanizing these cats is high.

A method has been proposed to deal with this crisis. Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) has been proven to reduce the feral cat population. It has additional benefits as well. It saves citizens money and can improve public health as well as safety, quality of life and concerns about bird predation. Dozens of successful communities have implemented this effective strategy with the active support of both the government and private citizens.

[Please include a personal story or personal thoughts]

I urge you to go to the Wisconsin Humane Society's website, www.wihumane.org, for more information about Trap-Neuter-Return. I appreciate your attention to this issue and look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]
[Your City]