‘Throw them in the river’: Alberta mayor apologizes for feral cat remarks

The mayor of Fort Saskatchewan, Alta., has apologized after she was criticized for musing about the “old days” of managing feral cats by throwing them in the river or gassing them with a vehicle’s exhaust pipe.

Gale Katchur said in a Thursday statement her comments fell short of her city’s values of compassion, respect and care, and that she plans to make sure the city’s approach to managing animal populations is humane and responsible.

“I sincerely apologize for the remarks and any hurt they may have caused,” she said.

“As the City of Fort Saskatchewan’s mayor, I represent our community’s commitment to humane and thoughtful approaches to all issues, including animal management. I deeply regret that my comments fell short of this standard.”

Councillors discussed the city’s feral cats at a Tuesday committee meeting.

Protective Services officer Ben Sharpe said there were only 11 calls about them over the last six years. Within the last three years, he said only three cats per year have been reported as feral.

After hearing solutions that included euthanizing, neutering or kennelling the felines, Katchur said it would be “interesting” if people managed populations themselves.

“In the old days when you lived on the farm,” Katchur said, “if there (were) cats, you threw ‘em in a bag and threw ‘em in the river or they just put ’em on the exhaust pipe.”

She was met with audible gasps from fellow councillors.

“It’s OK, I grew up on a farm,” she said. “I hope that doesn’t get captured anywhere as (me) being the mean mayor.”

Coun. Brian Kelly came to Katchur’s defence by telling councillors her comments reflected “a fact of life.”

Camille Labchuk, executive director of national animal law organization Animal Justice, said Katchur’s words are “shockingly cruel” and “deeply concerning coming from an elected official.”

“Drowning or gassing cats violates animal cruelty laws and is an unconscionable way to treat a sentient companion animal,” she said in a Thursday statement.

“This type of rhetoric puts countless vulnerable cats at risk and undermines the progress we’ve made in treating animals with dignity and respect.”

In a joint statement, the Alberta Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the Edmonton Humane Society denounced the “outdated and unacceptable” methods the mayor floated.

These actions would be considered animal cruelty, the statement said, and charges could be laid under the Criminal Code or the Animal Protection Act if someone were to kill an animal in this manner.

“Decades of progress in animal welfare have provided effective, non-lethal solutions, such as TrapNeuter-Return (TNR), which help manage feral cat populations responsibly and humanely,” said Liza Sunley, Edmonton Humane Society CEO, in the statement.

“Euthanasia, when necessary, should always be conducted humanely by veterinary professionals.”

Both groups suggested the city of Fort Saskatchewan get in touch if staff need help exploring “humane methods” of feral cat management.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.

Aaron Sousa, The Canadian Press