Alley Cat Allies Achieves a Victory in Court, Exposing National Park Service’s Underhanded Tactics

Alley Cat Allies, the leader of the global movement to protect cats and kittens, has achieved a critical legal victory against the National Park Service (NPS) and its plan to eradicate cats from Puerto Rico’s San Juan National Historic Site. The United States District Court for the District of Columbia has denied the NPS’ attempt to transfer the Alley Cat Allies lawsuit to a court in Puerto Rico.

After this failed maneuver, the NPS is now hastening the implementation of its brutal plan before the court can determine its legality. It plans to round up cats on the historic site starting October 1, 2024.

“The NPS tried to delay by transferring the case and, now that the court has seen through its tactic, is acting in bad faith by moving forward in a rush,” said Yonaton Aronoff, a lawyer representing Alley Cat Allies. “Alley Cat Allies insists that the NPS cease any further steps in its deadly plan against Puerto Rico’s cats or we will seek appropriate relief.”

Alley Cat Allies argues that the NPS’s eradication plan violates the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and is arbitrary and capricious under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA).

The plan, which includes trapping, removing, and “euthanizing” cats, is cruel and ineffective. Removing the cats creates a vacuum, which cats living in San Juan will quickly move into the historic site to fill. The NPS is only setting itself up for an endless cycle of killing rather than supporting humane, effective approaches like Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR).

The court’s decision is an important step forward, and Alley Cat Allies remains committed to holding the NPS accountable and protecting Puerto Rico’s community cats.

The people of Puerto Rico have voiced their opposition to the NPS plan. They, and Alley Cat Allies, recognize the threatened cats as community members who are woven into Puerto Rican culture and history. We call on the NPS to immediately halt its cruel plan and engage in a transparent, accountable process that respects the law, the lives of the cats, and the community’s wishes. Alley Cat Allies will not stop fighting until it does.