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Sing Sing, the prison built on the banks of the Hudson River in 1825 has become a legend, made famous by writers and Hollywood producers who used the imposing granite structure as the scene of numerous movies. “The Big House,” The Valachi Papers,” and “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” all contained scenes shot there. This prison has held a morbid fascination for the world outside those iron bars for many years, and a recent front-page story in the newspaper described a current proposal to build a museum there.
As animal lovers will remember, there was another story regarding the prison in the news a while back. A brief review in case you missed it: A prisoner who was caring for a mother cat and kittens refused to throw them into a compactor when ordered to do so by a prison guard. The guard then tossed them all into the compactor himself. The mother cat escaped; the kittens were crushed to death; a trial ensued; the sadistic guard was found guilty of animal cruelty, now a felony in New York State. He is presently serving a prison term, and has been fined.
During this time, word got out that colonies of cats were living on the grounds of the prison, reproducing in staggering numbers. The prisoners fed them and had become fond of them. Barbara Stagno, president of In Defense of Animals, made calls to the administration at Sing Sing and arranged a meeting with prison officials. Armed with literature describing ways to humanely handle and maintain such colonies of cats, Barbara, Nikki, and Kim Frohlinger (a lawyer), made their case. The administrators made the decision on the spot that just such a project was desperately needed. Sing Sing Prison is now part of Just Strays story and the location of a major rescue effort being undertaken singlehandedly by our president, Nikki Manookian.
When Nikki first toured the prison, she estimated that more than 100 cats were roaming the grounds, congregating around the mess hall, and in buildings basements. Some ran in and out of a long four-foot high tunnel which ran under the mess hall. These were the areas where Nikki would have to work as she set automatic and hand operated humane traps.
Prison officials have offered full cooperation. The cats will be trapped, evaluated, spayed/neutered, and inoculated through Just Strays. Many prisoners feed the cats, and shelter and feeding stations are now being provided for the feral cats who we are returning to the prison. Just Strays will find homes for the friendly cats. Nikki has trapped 128 cats to date.
We like to think that the shocking story of the death of the kittens thrown into the compactor, senseless as it was, was not in vain. The publicity surrounding that story has had two positive results. First, that cruelty to animals can be successfully prosecuted and offenders punished. Second, it was the catalyst that brought about the mission now under way to improve the health and living conditions of the cats at the prison—a monumental task by a dedicated woman—a blessing for the cats.
Donations
to Just Strays to help with the expenses of this project will be very
much appreciated.
