I Hate Dogs and I Am Not a Horrible Human Being

J.D. Vance's Ugly Rants About Cat-Eating Haitians Just Got Even Worse

In recent days, the Trump campaign, J.D. Vance, and other prominent MAGA figures have pushed a repulsive falsehood: that Haitian immigrants are eating people's pets. Though this was decisively debunked, Vance issued a long, twisted rant on social media calling on supporters to keep pushing versions of the lie. This saga exposes something disturbing about MAGA dehumanization campaigns. We talked to Matthew Sheffield, a writer and podcaster at Flux and former member of the conservative movement who is now an illuminating critic of the right. He explains how this vile trope illustrates how MAGA propaganda really functions. Listen to this episode here.

Mitchell Animal Rescue Tackles Massive Hoarding Case With Record-breaking Cat Rescue

Sep. 8—MITCHELL — An animal shelter in Mitchell says its team has taken in a record number of cats in its latest hoarding case.

Mitchell Animal Rescue TNR is asking for help after taking in 60 cats from a single hoarding case.

The situation began to unfold in late August when the rescue received a call about a hoarding case just outside the city. The urgent plea for help came only a week after the organization had announced it would be limiting its services to within Mitchell city limits due to funding constraints.

"Unfortunately, this was an issue we feel we need to make an effort to address, so we took it on," said Robyn Jones, the rescue's owner.

Jones explained that this particular hoarding case was inherited, resulting from the original property owner's illness and subsequent departure. The current caretaker of the property is cooperating fully with MAR to resolve the situation.

MAR's approach to the rescue has been methodical and prioritized.

"We started by taking in a handful of the sickest ones," Jones said.

Those cats were immediately taken to a veterinarian for treatment before being transferred to Jones' home for further care. The next priority was the youngest cats, which have the best chance of being adopted as indoor pets and can help the rescue recoup some costs through adoption fees. The remaining cats will be addressed based on their health and adoptability.

The scale of this operation is unprecedented for MAR.

"This will take us a while, but we will pick at it one animal at a time until it's all taken care of," Jones said.

Jones noted that while cases of this scale are rare, similar situations occur frequently. It often begins with someone leaving food out for a stray cat, and before long, that single cat multiplies into a whole colony.

"Cats are like vacuums for resources. If you start feeding them, they will come, and you inadvertently create a breeding ground," she explained.

As of last week, the rescue had raised enough funds to cover approximately half the costs associated with the hoard.

MAR is committed to ensuring all 60 cats receive proper veterinary care, including spaying and neutering, to prevent further breeding. Part of MAR's mission includes a trap-neuter-return (TNR) program to control the feral cat population in the area. The rescue says it costs about $120 to fully vet each cat. According to Jones, all donations received in the coming weeks will go directly toward covering these veterinary expenses.

The rescue's dedication extends beyond this single case.

"Beyond the hoard, we are still committed to the feral city pound cats and the City of Mitchell," said volunteer Rocky Von Eye.

This commitment reflects MAR's longstanding mission since its founding in 2008 by Megan Luther and Laurie Martin.

MAR operates on a small scale, relying entirely on donations and volunteers like Jones and Von Eye. The rescue has consistently focused on saving adoptable animals from the local pound in Mitchell, which is managed by a local veterinary clinic. City regulations permit the euthanasia of unclaimed strays after just five days, underscoring the urgency of their mission.

The rescue's efforts have not gone unnoticed. On Friday, MAR volunteers, along with another local animal rescue group, Purr 'N Ruff, were recognized at the Corn Palace by Michelle Sheesley of Modern Woodmen. The groups received Hometown Hero awards, which acknowledge individuals who volunteer their time and talents to the local community.

"This year's theme is 'wild about animals,' " Sheesley said. "These two groups have done a lot for the city in terms of helping with lost and stray animals."

As recipients of the award, both animal rescues received certificates of appreciation, $100 for their respective charities, and supplies for the animals in their care.

"We are happy to receive this award," said Gail Hahne, founder and president of Purr 'N Ruff. "We couldn't have done it without the community, our villagers."

Purr 'N Ruff Rescue shares a similar mission with MAR. Founded in 2012 by Hahne, the group focuses on rescuing animals found outside Mitchell city limits. Hahne operates the rescue from her home and relies heavily on a network of foster families to care for animals until they find permanent homes. She developed the concept for Purr 'N Ruff during her 18-month stint as a volunteer with Mitchell Animal Rescue, recognizing the need for additional resources to help animals beyond the city's boundaries.

Hahne expressed solidarity with MAR's mission. She noted that while the two organizations have slightly different focuses, they often collaborate and support each other's efforts.

"We share the load when possible and warn one another about adoptees that shouldn't have animals adopted to them," she said.

The current hoarding case has presented unique challenges for MAR. Many of the rescued cats are young and may be able to be socialized, potentially making them more suitable for indoor adoption. Complications have also arisen, with all the kittens developing ringworm, temporarily halting adoptions.

MAR remains committed to seeing the rescue through to completion.

"We will get this done. Every animal will be vetted and placed. We promise. We got this," Jones said.

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Can Burke Solve Stray Cat Issue? Spay, Neuter Is Working, Burke County Animal Services Says

An abundance of stray cats in Burke County has residents complaining to local officials.

Deanna Boone-Domres, a Morganton resident who said she chose the area because of its status as a bird sanctuary, told the Morganton City Council on Aug. 5 that she and her husband have been shocked by the number of stray cats on their property.

Boone-Domres said in their first year in the city, she and her husband have seen four different cats wandering through their backyard and along the street. This year, she said the couple saw three new cats wandering around without collars and that one of them was stalking some fledgling birds. She said they've found several dead birds in their yard with puncture marks.

She said when she called animal control, the animal control officer told them they couldn't set a trap for the cats because the county shelter was out of space.

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In a 2013 release, the American Bird Conservancy cited a peer-reviewed study that found about 2.4 billion birds are killed by cats each year, 69% of which are killed by unowned cats.

"Morganton's code of ordinance stipulates the corporate limits of the city are designated as a bird sanctuary, but failure to control these non-native predators undermines that ordinance," Boone-Domres said.

TNR program poised as solution

Burke County Animal Services Director Kaitlin Settlemyre said the department is working on spaying and neutering outdoor cats in the county and then returning them to their colony to live out the rest of their lives. Animal Services considers even two outdoor cats a colony.

"That is our overall goal is to reduce the outdoor cat population, and we do that through spay and neutering and returning these cats back to where they were," Settlemyre said. "Because even if we're not able to TNR (trap, neuter and release) the entire population, studies suggest that even if we were able to sterilize 50% of the cat population, we can stabilize it."

City residents can't participate in that program — yet.

Emily Elder, a Morganton resident and animal activist, spoke at the May 3 Morganton City Council meeting with concerns about the city's animal ordinance. The ordinance makes it unlawful to harbor, feed or care for in any way any outside animal, including cats, because of the city's status as a bird sanctuary.

She said city residents are being told they can't participate in the county's TNR program because of the ordinance. "You're shooting yourself in the foot," Elder said. "By telling people they cannot care for or fix or feed these cats, you're producing more cats, and hungry cats at that, that are going to kill more birds."

Morganton Public Safety Chief Jason Whisnant said the city currently is working on revisions to its animal ordinance that would, in part, allow city residents to participate in the county's TNR program. He said he expects the update to be ready for the city council's review in October.

He said animal control officers continue to respond to calls for nuisance cats. From Jan. 1 to July 31, Whisnant said the city's animal control officers picked up 78 stray cats.

Inexpensive deterrents, education can help

Burke County Animal Services has some grant funding in place and hopes to extend its services to offer some humane cat deterrents on a rental program, Settlemyre said.

Settlemyre said there are ultrasonic cat deterrents that flash a light and create a sound that makes a cat run away. They can be purchased online for around $35, she said. Animal Services has used the deterrents on several properties, and they work well to keep cats away, she said.

She said the organization understands that outdoor cats can be a nuisance, but by spaying/neutering them, that's going to deter some of those nuisance behaviors.

People taking care of cat colonies in the county tend to feed the cats too much, Settlemyre said. She said cats are really good at populating to their food source. In other words, if they're feeding five outdoor cats but they're feeding enough for 10 to 15 cats, and they don't necessarily realize it, you're gonna start having kittens a lot quicker than some other places, she said.

"So it's kind of educating some of these colony caregivers on the appropriate amount of food to feed these cats as well. That'll help a lot, too," Settlemyre said.

No animal can officially be adopted from Burke County Animal Services without a spay/neuter, which is included in the cost of adoption.

Animal services has the goal of reaching a 90% live release rate, which would make it a no-kill shelter, Settlemyre told county commissioners.

Cat survival rate up since TNR program started

Before animal services took over the shelter five years ago, Burke County's live release rate for cats was 14% and dogs was 46%, according to information from the department. The live release rate in 2024 so far is 88% for cats and 87% for dogs.

Settlemyre said their goal is to have a robust spay and neuter program. She said animal services is currently limited to around eight spay/neuter appointments per week. She said she hopes that once a new animal shelter is built, the county can do its own spaying and neutering. The shelter is expected to have a medical unit where spays and neuters can be performed.

Settlemyre said ideally, animal services would like to be able to sterilize around 70% of the street population of cats, which will help reduce the overall cat population.

She said the results of a strong spay/neuter program won't be seen immediately. She said university studies show after around four years after a strong spay/neuter program they were no longer seeing kittens being born in those areas where the program was initiated.

But Settlemyre said Burke County Animal Services is already seeing the results of its spay/neuter program. "With our numbers, as far as what we're taking into the shelter, we tend to look at that as a direct representation of what's happening in our community," Settlemyre said. "We have already seen a reduction in cats coming into the shelter."

She said the shelter's intake for cats has dropped by 22% since animal services started its TNR program in September 2023. From September 2023 until the third week in August, animal services has spayed or neutered 328 cats, Settlemyre said.

Settlemyre said the initial goal was to reduce the shelter's cat intake by 15%. "So us being able to see 22%, I was more than impressed," she said. "And most people are very receptive to this TNR program. They don't want to see anything bad happen to these cats, either."

Settlemyre said outdoor cats living in colonies is an issue throughout the county. Before animal services starts trying to trap cats living in a colony, animal control officers will check that the overall health of the cat population is good.

"Because if we have a sickly colony, we're obviously not going to place that back out in the community," she said. "We want to make sure that the animals that are going back out, are not suffering in any sort of way."

More spay, neuter options

In addition to Burke County Animal Services, a nonprofit in the county is working to make a dent in unwanted litters of cats and dogs.

REASON (Reduce Euthanasia and Spay or Neuter) formed in September 2011 through the efforts of a committee of volunteers to address the overpopulation of dogs and cats by spaying and neutering, according to the organization.

Dee Schaller Greene, president of REASON, said they found that some people didn't know much about spaying and neutering and could not afford the procedure for pets.

Schaller Greene said cats reproduce more often than dogs. She said dogs only go into heat two to three times a year. Cats can go into heat as often as every two to three weeks, she said.

In the 2023-24 fiscal year, REASON, through its grants and donations, paid for a total of 508 spay and neuter surgeries. Of those, 306 were for cats and 202 were for dogs, Schaller Greene said.

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Sharon McBrayer

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