Des Calderon, of Uptown Cats Rescue, used my artful cat rescue photos, without my knowledge or permission, and put “Uptown Cats” on them. He appropriated my property and my rescue work and is taking credit for both I am a professional artist and volunteer cat rescuer. I represent www.165rescue.wordpress.com. Des did not properly credit my rescue work, calling work that I did, work that “we” did. He made videos with my photos and he published my emails, all without my knowledge or consent. I reached out to him regarding the rescue of the black and white cat, called Pepper, on the 167st construction site (those are my photos he used repeatedly for audience impact and for the benefit of his organization) and for the uptenth time, he ranted about how will he pay his morgage and support his wife And save a cat too? He said that Pepper would be expensive and ‘have I reached out to other organizations’. He made this sweet angel of a cat, that badly needed help, out to be nothing but a financial burden. He endlessly complains about his personal finances and makes rescuing cats seem like a cross which is really unprofessional, repulsive, and counter-productive. It conveys that he is not up for the job. Per my experience with him, he is a rude, controlling, under-handed, and arrogant man. He operates covertly with information and/or photos you give him. I told him to properly credit my photos and rescue work or take it down- he refuses to do either. He also wrote a deliberate lie about me on his FB page to make himself look good. “The woman gave us misinformation that she was the primary feeder” is False. He assumed things I never said, so he is the one with the misinformation. He’s decided to ignore me. Something really really disturbing is that he has cut me off from following up on the well-being of, Pepper, the b/w rescue cat from 167th street with the frost bitten nose that I asked for help with. He will not tell me the status of her health or anything further about rescue plans for the cats at that location. He has turned other people I coordinated with against me. I coordinated this rescue. I told him that cat rescue involves Team Work. I guess he liked that too because he ripped it from me and used it to describe his “saintly” work to his public, while blocking me at the same time from his FB rescue page. In reality, he doesn’t respect or understand team work. This man is petty, sly, vindictive, and mean; I will not work with him again.
Category: trapping
The world of cat rescue is full of shady people and organizations.
One wouldn’t think it, but I know, first hand, that the world of cat rescue is full of shady people, illegal activities, and lies. There is soo much to write about this subject that I will have to address it in multiple posts. In brief, some of the things that go on are:
- Fake rescue stories posted on their sites.
- Operating covertly.
- Taking credit for your work as a feeder and rescuer and making up lies about you to make themselves look good.
- Publishing your words, emails, and photographs, without your consent or knowledge, for their benefit.
- Cat trafficking: Stalking and Trespassing onto private property in order to abduct a certain cat for a paying client.
- Stalking cat feeders in order to gain logistical information about how to abduct the cat/s they provide care for.
- Judging and condemning cat feeders as an excuse to confiscate the cat/s and sell it for their own profit because they are: well-fed; healthy; own a beautiful coat of fur, and are socialized from interactions with their feeders.
- Self proclaimed Trap-Neuter-Return rescues that, in fact, DO NOT do trap-neuter-return for the benefit of street cats.
- Fake fees. Rescue organizations have TNR trappers that can get cats spayed/neutered and vacinated for Free. Yet, they ask adopters for a $125-150 “adoption fee” to cover, “the cost of spay/neuter and vacinations!”. Always ask to see the proof of “medical fees.”
- Hefty fees that they call “donations” just to trap a cat and have it spayed/neutered; something they should be doing voluntarily as a public service and a non-profit rescue organization.
- Troubled and emotionally unstable, “rescuers” that can be offensive and dangerous to interact with.
- Rescues that are NOT interested in cats that are truly in need, because they take too much time, cost too much money, and are less profitable for them.
- Rescues that want a specific breed of cat to sell for adoption. For example: Main Coons, Rag dolls, cats with long hair, cats with spots or certain colors. They have a superficial preference for who they actually decide to save.
- Stealing cats from registered colonies with certified caretakers.
- Targeting female cats because the kittens can each sell for over a hundred dollars. $
- Not reaching out to help male cats because they are less profitable.
It’s disturbing, don’t you think? To be continued.
For Immediate Release: Violent Cat Trapper Arrested in Washington Heights
VIOLENT CAT TRAPPER, CONNECTED TO NUMEROUS CAT ABDUCTIONS, ARRESTED FOR ASSAULTING CAT COLONY CARETAKER
Washington Heights, NY: Doris Giordano, a violent cat trapper known to work for The Animal Project, which sells cats at Petco, was arrested over the Thanksgiving holiday for assaulting a feral cat colony caretaker during the abduction of a registered colony cat in late August. The assault took place on August 27, 2017, in the parking lot on 165th street between Broadway and St. Nicholas avenue around 6:30pm. The colony caretaker, Maritza Rivera, spotted Giordano as she was trapping, Petit, her (Calico) registered colony cat. Ms. Rivera informed the perpetrator that the cat was a member of a registered colony and, therefore, could not be removed without express permission. Giordano proceeded to abduct the cat. When the cat was trapped, Ms. Rivera placed her hand on the trap to stop the abduction and notify the police. It was at that moment that Giordano attacked Ms. Rivera and violently punched her hands repeatedly. Giordano wrestled the cage (with the cat inside) from Ms. Rivera. Once in possession of the cat, she mounted and fastened the trap onto her dolly and walked away saying she had, “a deadline to meet”. The assault left nail marks and significant swelling on Ms. Rivera’s hands. An ambulance was called on the scene, but the victim ultimately had to go to the emergency room where her injuries were diagnosed as musculoskeletal in nature. After checking with sources and ascertaining the extent of Ms. Rivera’s injuries, the police arrested Giordano over the Thanksgiving holidays. Doris Giordano and Carol Moon, director of The Animal Project, are linked to the unauthorized seizure of multiple cats on 165th street, including the high profile theft of Sophie the Black Cat off of private property back in March. Sophie’s theft had neighbors in outrage and a petition (https://www.ipetitions.com/petition/free-sophie-the-black-cat) was created for her safe return, in addition to a Facebook page named Free Sophie the Black Cat. During the confrontation with Giordano, Ms. Rivera asked, “Where is Sophie?” to which Doris replied, “I’m not telling you either.” Doris Giordano’s arrest is a victory for community cats and for their caretakers.
About Sophie’s Rescue Mission: Sophie’s Rescue Mission, https://165rescue.wordpress.com/, is a volunteer effort that reaches out to feral cats in need. It’s primary goal is to improve the welfare of cats living on the streets by providing them with food, shelter, and Trap-Neuter-Return services.
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A prayer for animals.
PRAYER TO ST. FRANCIS
FOR Animals, OUR PETS
Good St. Francis, you loved all of God’s creatures.
To you they were your brothers and sisters.
Help us to follow your example
of treating every living thing with kindness.
St. Francis, Patron Saint of animals,
watch over my pet
and keep my companion safe and healthy.
Amen.
This prayer may be found on the link below:
http://www.st-francis-medal.com/st-francis-blessing-of-the-animals.htm
If what the neighbor said is true…
I looked up on Youtube whether Haitians eat cat, and low and behold: they do.
Warning, the following video contains footage that is disturbing.
My hands still hurt significantly.
It is now about a month since trapper Doris Giordano assaulted me [as I tried to stop her from taking one of my registered colony cats] and both of my hands, wrists, and forearms, still hurt very much. It’s the kind of pain that hurts from the bone outwards. Amazingly, there is still no arrest. It is deplorable that law enforcement cannot do their job and protect people from violent criminals after an assault. It is inexcusable for police to downgrade crimes against animals and people trying to protect them.
There is so much that has happened since the assault, but it would only hurt my hands more to type it all. As it is, I am trying to remain proactive by telling my story while trying not to make my pain worse.
TRYING TO REACH OUT…
Earlier today, I head out and walked past what was the feeding station, up until last night. To my amazement, I found the pregnant cat sleeping next to where the bowls used to be. She is the last remaining cat. Fortunately, I had a can of cat food with me and I offered it to her on the double. She ate and I sat, nearby, elated that she had not been stolen. After careful consideration, I concluded that the best thing to do would be to trap her and put her in the hands of a caring person that I can trust. I resolved to come back out later in the evening, with a trap, so I can remove her from the streets.
With this goal in mind, I head out the door with my trap this evening. First, I set up on 165st, but there was no result. Then I followed her and crossed the street to 164. I set the trap up there. She came close to it but, ultimately, walked away. I kept hoping for her to return, but she did not. Before she dissapeared, I offered her a can of cat food. She ate a good portion, then walked away into the alley. If her hunger is satisfied, it would make her less vulnerable to strangers that want to trap her by exploiting her hunger.
Then a resident from the east end of the brown stone told me off in a very loud and aggressive way. He said he didn’t want to see a cat trap in front of the building he lives in. I told him that I didn’t know prior and that I would not do it again, but he continued his verbal tirade directed at me. Finally, he said he didn’t give **** what happens to the cats, so he doesn’t want to see any trapping activity, period. Then he told me to get off his street and a lot of other things I can’t mention. He did this in front of a neighbor that I was having a chat with while I was on my way back home. I was just trying to help the cat from ending up in the wrong hands. What I’ve encountered doing cat rescue, thus far, is a lot of indifference; mocking; charged feelings; criminal activity; violence; and verbal abuse. I don’t know what the future of this cat will be, but I know that I have tried to look out for her in midst of a hostile and criminal environment. If there is a God, I sure hope he keeps her (and her soon to be born kittens) away from predators, if I cannot.
Later in the evening, when I went back out, I took a walk down the street again to check for cats. I haven’t seen the grey tuxedo tabby since last week. Cat theives use caretakers as feeders, fosters, and socializers before they intervene and abduct cats for their own profit.
IT BEGINS AGAIN.
The same thing that happens before any of our colony cats are abducted has taken place. Their feeding station has been tampered with. The water bowl was emptied and someone placed milk in it. The cat’s food was untouched which means they have not eaten today. No cats appeared for feeding. Our female brown tabby and male gray tabby are currently missing. They are being stalked by trappers.
The cat thieves, on our block, need to face legal consequences. I have been trying to get the police to take action and, hopefully, they will do so. We want this hateful activity to stop Now! I walked over to the cat feeding station and dismantled it in order to make it harder for criminals to find the cats.
SOPHIE'S RESCUE MISSION 