Earlier this year, I found out that my city (Pacifica) issued littering citations to a lady who has been feeding and taking care of the feral cats in her neighborhood (Rockaway beach). She actually helped reduce the feral cat population from 150 to eight. The city was calling her compassionate acts "littering." Needless to say, I was very upset about the city wasting our precious tax dollar in this harsh economic times for going after a good sommaritan instead of catching "real" criminals.
At the court hearing held in September, the judge found her not guilty! "Feeding cats is not littering." Hooray!
Stripes and Reese are two of the cats at Rockaway. Today, I found out that Stripes is at least 13 years old and lived at the Rockaway beach all her life, but about 4 months ago, she found a forever home! This news made my day. :)
I am planning on doing one or two more paintings of Rockaway cats, then show a collection of my cat paintings perhaps at our local library, if everything goes well.
At the court hearing held in September, the judge found her not guilty! "Feeding cats is not littering." Hooray!
Stripes and Reese are two of the cats at Rockaway. Today, I found out that Stripes is at least 13 years old and lived at the Rockaway beach all her life, but about 4 months ago, she found a forever home! This news made my day. :)
I am planning on doing one or two more paintings of Rockaway cats, then show a collection of my cat paintings perhaps at our local library, if everything goes well.
StripesSize: 8 x 8 inches
Support: Hardboard
ReeseSize: 8 x 8 inches
Support: Birch wood panel
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16 comments:
I love both of them Akiko! Showing you work at the library is an interesting idea as long as someone keeps them safe.
Magnifique travail que celui que vous nous montrez avec ces deux minous... ils peuvent être fiers de vous. Bisous
What a wonderful story Akiko...and these paintings are absolutely stunning! Thank you for stopping by my blog..its so appreciated. I'm looking forward to seeing more of these beauties.
What beautiful artwork! Thank you for telling the story of these beautiful community cats. Hopefully your work will bring more light to these too-often neglected animals. Feral cats deserve just as much the right to live as another animal. The humane method for caring for them is through trap-neuter-return (TNR). The cats are sterilized and vaccinated and returned to their home to live out their lives. TNR naturally reduces cat populations and prevents cat homelessness, which reduces kill rates at local shelters. Please spay/neuter your companion cats and TNR community cats.
Beautiful works Akiko! Your library will be lucky to have them on display, and it's a great idea to honor the cats' cause.
Both are wonderful Akiko! Good for you in supporting the lady who cares for the feral cats! They are an unseen part of of communities fueled by people who refuse to spay or neuter their pets. Cats tend to be a "thow-away" in our culture-turn them loose and they can fend for themselves mentality. I know you have done your own saving of cats that have been abandoned and you will always hold a special place in my heart for that.
Both of these cats are so beautiful (and painted incredibly!). Thank you so much for sharing their story. It's so unfortunate that anyone would try to penalize this kind woman who was doing such a good deed not only for the cats but the community. So glad it had a happy ending!
Beautiful, you really capture the essence of these creatures. Thank you for sharing.
A happy ending for all!
Two amazing cat portraits, Akiko, especially the bottom one!
You are a modern master!
-Dean
You are one of the cats' best advocates Akiko. God bless you!!
great story. I have a sister in New Mexico who takes time from her lunch hour to drop off food and visit with the feral cats that live in the Farmington, New mexico town park.
Your recent paintings are just marvelous.
Thank-you for your story. Your work is quite lovely. Very nice!
glad to see there is some justice still left, sometimes too often the law finds it easier to appease certain factions, rather than go after real criminals, just easy targets, so sad,but I'm so glad she was found not giulty. Hooray. Lindax
Your artwork is just amazing as usual, wonderful. Lindaxx
Thank you for sharing this story, Akiko. You must be such a compassionate soul! Thank goodness that judge had common sense. I wonder why humans feel the need to control everything and everyone. Your portraits of these feral cats will do more to help them, too.
Came across your pictures, they are very beautiful. I live in Pacifica too and know of these cats. When I was younger my mom and I spotted the cats and tried helping out with 3 kittens we found in the rocks. We trapped all three to bring to a no-kill cat shelter and the shelter turned them away-claiming they were too wild. We had no choice but to release them. But I have never forgotten them. Coming across the picture of Reese, I cant help but wonder if she was the Tortie kitten from back then. Live on the rocks is hard and many of the cats drown in the ocean, if it werent for good people, many would never have a chance.
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