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Saturday, February 12, 2011

Residents rally today to save cats from condemned building

Will a condemned Philadelphia apartment building be destroyed with beloved pets inside?

That's what's set to happen Monday if someone doesn't intervene.

Residents of Windermere Apartments - which was severely damaged by fire more than a month ago - say they believe their cats are still stuck inside and neither the city nor the building owners will let them retrieve them.

They have planned a rally today at 2 p.m.4800 Walnut Street - in front of West Philly High School (across from Windermere) to ask that the demolition be delayed.

Three cats have been saved from the building this month, according to City Kitties, a nonprofit cat-rescue organization in West Philadelphia which spoke to the Daily News for a story published today.

"Tenants who have cats are devastated," said Louisa Alexander, who works for the group. "Obviously a lot of people here have lost things and we're trying to keep these animals from freezing and starving to death but the city people are unwilling to help."

The building's owners, David and Sam Ginsburg, were ordered by the city to repair the building or demolish it immediately. They chose the latter. But now the city has declared the building too dangerous for anyone to enter. The owner barred Pennsylvania SPCA agents from entering when the agents arrived there yesterday.

One woman went into the building and found her cockatiel frozen to death but no sign of her cat.

Where is the Pennsylvania State Animal Response Team, (SART) the statewide group dedicated to rescuing animals in disasters? (Now I hear from board chairman Karel Minor that the group provides support services and care for pets to allow first responders to do their jobs. Perhaps their mission could be expanded.)

Let's hope city officials find some way to ensure that every attempt has been made to find any trapped animals before demolishing the building.

But looking ahead, we hope that this tragedy is a wake-up call for everyone: pet owners to have evacuation plans (see the website for the SART for tips) and that the city, emergency officials and the PSPCA should have a coordinated pet response plan for such disasters whereby pets left behind in the chaos of a fire, or other catastrophic event, could be swiftly retrieved.

 
Posted by Amy Worden @ 10:38 AM  Permalink | 3 comments
Comments   
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 2:12 PM, 02/12/2011
    Um, how about the state calls in SART and then sends a bill to the brothers Ginsburg, who I'm sure are down in Miami beach sipping Manischewitz? This really isn't that hard people.
    — Steveo31
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 2:25 PM, 02/12/2011
    I know that the owners fear (further) liability letting people in the building, but certainly responders who are in a special liability class (who don't sue owners when they are injured as they respond to disaster/post-disaster events) can easily and safely be let in the building, posing no risk to all involved. Letters that state that if injured the responder won't hold the owner liable perhaps are an option that meets the concerns of the owners. But these tenants are devastated and starting over. Can they afford to sue their old owner for access to living creatures? Truly appalling lapse of legal and civil judgment.
    — CleanupPhilly
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 10:47 AM, 02/13/2011
    Once again, this is the kind of senario that results when the legal community sees animals as property. I agree that the cats ought to rescued and the owners billed for the procedure, in the same way that persons who cause massive, expensive rescue efforts when they fail to exercise common sense on frozen mountain tops are billed for their rescues. Perhaps *that* prospect would goad more people into doing the right thing in the first place.
    — Judith T. Oruska


3 comments
About Amy Worden
Amy Worden is a politics and government reporter for the Inquirer. In that capacity she has explored a range of animal issues from dog kennel law improvements and horse slaughter to the comeback of peregrine falcons and pigeon hunts. From hamsters to horses, animals have always been part of her life. To pass along a tip or contact Amy, click here.
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