nothin New Haven Independent | Trailer Park Cats Threatened Once Again

Trailer Park Cats Threatened Once Again

Mary Johnson Photo

Once again the community cats, also known as feral cats, at a local mobile home park are facing eviction.

Residents of the Shoreline Mobile Home Community located at 525 East Main St., recently received notice that an East Haven-based pest control company will take possession and dispose of all feral cats” living at the site starting Wednesday, Dec. 10. 

The letter was addressed to park residents and sent by a new property management company, HBA Management of North Haven. The letter informed residents that an East Haven-based pest control company will take possession and dispose of all feral cats” on the site starting yesterday. The letter was addressed to park residents, dated Dec. 1, and signed by Hank Barkon of the management company.

The new company is apparently continuing the eviction policy of the prior management company, Renaissance Collaborative. 

Mary Johnson Photo

Members of the Branford Compassion Club (BCC) had been feeding the colony there for about 15 years and were ordered to stop last year under Renaissance. A plea went out for locations to house the cats. Negotiations were underway to find an acceptable solution. Click here to read the story. 

BCC co-founder Eunice Lasala said she checked twice on Wednesday, but there was no sign of traps or of Joseph Sweeney of Animal Control and Pest Control on the premises. She added that efforts to reach Barkon were unsuccessful. He has been made aware of the situation with the cats.

Part of the problem is that the cats owned by the residents are let outside and mingle with the ferals. And cats are often left behind when residents move away. Attempts have been made to hold residents accountable for their cats when they move into the park.

Lasala says about 10 to 15 cats remain in the park, which is down substantially from the past. Lasala is among several members who actively care for feral colonies around town. BCC president Mary Mellows said members have not been welcome on the premises, so they have not fed or cared for the cats in about a year. Mellows said she also checked the park Wednesday evening and saw no signs of trapping.

Community cats have been abandoned by humans, and live in colonies where they are cared for by teams who see that they are trapped, neutered, and released. Subsequently they feed them and adopt out any friendly cats and kittens.

The contract of Renaissance Collaborative was terminated last fall after it failed to come up with a remediation plan for health and safety issues that was acceptable to the state’s Department of Consumer Protection (DCP). 

Sally E. Bahner Photo

At that time the mobile home park was under investigation by the DCP, which is in charge of enforcing regulations within trailer parks. Residents had complained about damage caused to their homes. In addition, various abandoned and derelict mobile homes were attracting vermin and efforts were underway to remove them.

A new company was then hired. Myriam Clarkson of Renaissance had been in charge of the park on the company’s behalf and had been part of the negotiations previously. Mellows said Clarkson had informed Barkon about the situation with the cats.

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