DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information provided by the source (Little Cat Feats - cats22@optonline.net). Neither I nor individuals working on behalf of Four Paws Trail, can assume responsibility for the accuracy of the information or for the consequences of its use.
Tina, Founder, Four Paws Trail

Little Cat Feats, a 501(c)(3) (charity) dog and cat shelter that was established several years ago by Doug and Despina Harris in Milford, Connecticut has been raided!

On August 20, 2002, representatives of the state and animal control officers from various towns arrived at this sizeable residence with local police armed with a search and seizure warrant obtained on the basis of a lone, unsubstantiated allegation that, in some unspecified way, animals had been abused or treated cruelly there.

The owners were not even allowed to call a lawyer.

They were given an abbreviated "receipt" for items taken from them, and promised a detailed receipt "in two days". As of September 13, Doug and his wife still did not have this receipt.

The warrant was directed specifically at Doug Harris and not, as would logically have been more appropriate, at Companion Animal Therapy Advocates, Inc., the Connecticut corporation of which Little Cat Feats is "the rescue and adoption mission". The warrant authorized the taking of "every animal, living or dead". Every single animal was taken from there - including the Harris's personal pets (a dozen-plus cats and three dogs), for a total of 79 cats and three dogs.

Supposedly in connection with this investigation into alleged animal abuse, the raiders took - among other inappropriate items -- all animal adoption records going back three-plus years. Also taken - without authority of the warrant - were various personal photographs and mementos of now-dead-and-buried personal pets. (As well as being an illegal seizure of the Harris's personal property, this represented a gross affront to them personally and - like so much of the rest of what's been happening here - a vicious violation of this society's standards of human decency.)

The day after this raid, Doug Harris was served papers for a civil suit against him by the city relative to a long-simmering zoning issue.

The suit mentioned above also makes the following (and other) claims:

1. That they "either relinquish ownership of the animals to the State of Connecticut, Department of Agriculture, or post a surety bond or cash bond with the State of Connecticut, Department of Agriculture, in the amount of $450 per animal for the Department's reasonable expenses in caring and providing for such animals…"

2. Once permanent custody has been granted to "the Department", its representatives shall, with the blessing of the court, "order the humane destruction of such animals as are so injured or diseased that they should be destroyed…"

3. That we be ordered "to pay the State (etc.) an amount equal to $15 for each animal which was seized, pursuant to the search warrant, for each day from the date that the animals were seized until the date that ownership of the animals was vested in the State."

As of September 13, it is believed no charges were pending, other than zoning-related ones.

An hour before the August 20 raid, a regular check was performed, and every animal was alive. So far absolutely no information has been given to Little Cat Feats as to why the Harris's personal animals - or any of the others -were hauled out of their home only to be caged - a condition some of the animals have never known and none deserve. Also, the present status and condition of the majority of the animals remains unknown.

But a civil action against Doug Harris filed by the State Department of Agriculture on August 28 noted that "of the cats taken, three have died and one had to be euthanized."

Harris is in contact with the ASPCA and their attorneys, and they are well aware that the first priority in Doug's mind is to secure the freedom of ALL the confiscated animals - "alive or dead". Still, Harris and others fear that not even all remaining animals will long survive the cruel, heartless and illogical incarceration they've now suffered for nearly three weeks - while NO criminal charges of any kind have ever been filed against Little Cat Feats or Doug Harris. No cruelty charge - no abuse charge - nothing!

This could happen to ANYONE - and this possibility must be prevented by taking action NOW!

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

A donation to the legal defense fund: A legal defense fund has been opened at The Milford Bank, 33 Broad Street, Milford, Connecticut 06460, in the name of Despina Harris, on behalf of Little Cat Feats. The account is being overseen by the bank's Pamela Grant.

It appears that their legal costs could easily exceed $15,000… or even a lot more than that. Please give whatever you can to support their cause.

This situation could happen to anyone. Can you imagine this happening to YOU? It makes us all stand back and really think!

Please send letters to (sample letter given below):

1. The CT Post (edit@ctpost.com)
2. CT Dept of Agriculture (ctdeptag@po.state.ct.us)
3. The New Haven Register (Letters@NHRegister.com)
4. The Hartford Courant (letters@courant.com)
5. Connecticut Governor John Rowland (Governor.Rowland@po.state.ct.us)
6. State Senator Win Smith (Win.Smith@po.state.ct.us) - representing Milford; Member, Program Review and Investigations Committee
7. State Representative Richard Roy (Richard.Roy@po.state.ct.us) -representing Milford
8. State Representative James Amann (Jim.Amann@po.state.ct.us) - representing Milford
9. State Representative Jacqueline M. Cocco (Jackie.Cocco@po.state.ct.us) Bridgeport representative who is aware of Harris's charitable rescue/adoption work - and a cat lover)
10. State Senator Judith Freedman (Judith.G.Freedman@po.state.ct.us) - Co-chair of the Program Review and Investigations Committee
11. State Representative Jack Malone (Jack.Malone@po.state.ct.us) - Co-chair of the Program Review and Investigations Committee
12. Sen. Arthur O'Neill (Arthur.ONeill@housegop.state.ct.us) - Chairman, CT Law Revision Commission; Co-chair, Regulation Review Committee
13. Connecticut Law Revision Commission (lrc@po.state.ct.us)
14. Sen. Joan Hartley (Hartley@senatedems.state.ct.us) Co-chair, Regulation Review Committee
15. Sen. Eileen Daily (Daily@senatedems.state.ct.us) Vice-chair, Regulation Review Committee
16. Sen. Donald Williams (Williams@senatedems.state.ct.us) Regulations Review Committee
17. Sen. John Fonfara (Fonfara@senatedems.state.ct.us) Ranking member, Program Review and Investigation Committee
18. Sen. Alvin Penn (Penn@senatedems.state.ct.us) Chair, Public Safety Committee
19. Sen. Andrew Roraback (Andrew.Roraback@po.state.ct.us) Member, Regulation Review Committee
20. Sen. John McKinney (John.McKinney@po.state.ct.us) Member, Program Review and Investigations Committee.
21. Julie Lewin, President, Animal Advocacy Connecticut (AACT) (jlewin@igc.org)

Or if you like you can copy and paste it into one email and bcc it to all of them The same letter can be sent to all the above AND to others.
Here is a sample letter that you may use "as is" or as a guide in creating your own:

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Sample Letter:

Dear (please refer any and all of the above list)

Please accept this letter as a petition requesting that

1. that all the animals be returned without delay to Little Cat Feats
2. that a situation in which animals are taken from their homes - without real cause - NEVER happens again in the state of Connecticut or any other state
3. that a public APOLOGY is given to the Harrises and to Little Cat Feats without delay.

It is my understanding that on August 20, 2002, representatives of the state and animal control officers from various towns arrived at Little Cat Feats, a 501(c)(3) (charity) dog and cat shelter that was established several years ago by Doug and Despina Harris in Milford, Connecticut. Local police armed with a search and seizure warrant obtained on the basis of a lone, unsubstantiated allegation that, in some unspecified way, animals had been abused or treated cruelly there. The warrant authorized the taking of "every animal, living or dead". Every single animal, a total of 79 cats and three dogs, were taken from Mr. and Mrs. Harris, including their personal pets (a dozen-plus cats and three dogs). The day after this raid, Doug Harris was served papers for a civil suit against him by the city relative to a long-simmering zoning issue.

No criminal charges of any kind have ever been filed against Little Cat Feats or Doug Harris. So far absolutely no information has been given to Little Cat Feats as to why the Harris's personal animals - or any of the others, were removed from their home only to be caged - a condition some of the animals have never known and none deserve. Once again, I am asking -

1. that ALL animals be returned IMMEDIATELY to Little Cat Feats, their rightful home and that full APOLOGY be given to the Harris's.
2. that ALL expenses that they have incurred because of this extreme situation be reimbursed to them.
3. last but not least, I request that steps be taken to ensure this NEVER happens to Little Cat Feats - or anyone else - again!

Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to learning of your compassionate decision.

Sincerely,
<Your Name and Signature>

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Send this entire story to others (save as text or cut and paste): It is requested that every one reading this petition forward it to every 'animal person' they know, and ask that they, too, send letters to every animal publication, main stream publication, alternative publication and every other animal person they know.

The situation and circumstances surrounding this dreadful incident will also be put before the national media, starting with New York-based newspapers, radio and TV stations, and the major radio and TV networks.

If you know of anyone at any of these media outlets who might be in a position to assist this cause, please email Little Cat Feats at cats22@optonline.net.

Please copy Little Cat Feats (cats22@optonline.net) on any email messages or hard copy letters that are mailed.

You can also help the animals by signing this petition, remember this COULD happen to you, so please help us spread the word and get the needed signatures! Thank-you for caring.

The tremendous outcry of public support that Little Cat Feats is receiving - and will continue to receive - will help only serve to support their legal case and will be much appreciated by their attorneys.

Everyone who reads this - and who writes on this matter to whomever - needs to understand this is NOT about Little Cat Feats or the animals so much as it's about -

1. Government trampling all over the rights of ordinary, hard-working people;
2. Callous disregard by government agencies and officials of the 'special status' of a 501(c)(3) charitable (Connecticut-based) corporation, created for the purpose of serving the public good and functioning to humanely and beneficently befriending needy companion animals;
3. The total lack of appreciation by local and regional (i.e. state) governments of the contributions animal rescuers make to society;
4. The reality that, if one who has a high profile - as Doug Harris has had, while saving more than 1000 animals in three and a half years - can be targeted in this way… ANYONE can be - a pretty frightening thought!

Here is a link to a word doc copy of this page if you prefer to save and print out that version

THE TRAGIC CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING THE ANIMALS OF "LITTLE CAT FEATS", MILFORD, CONNECTICUT (word doc)

Footnote: September 13 - from Doug Harris, Little Cat Feats "As a result of all this fiasco, Despina and I have effectively been denied the potential -- after three years of working towards it -- of adopting an 'older' CT child. We deliberately chose to try to adopt a child from our own state, and for the same reason -- that there is a desperate need -- that we set our chart toward an 'older' kid, meaning one beyond infancy, meaning one who undoubtedly has some REAL problems and who will be more than a wee bit of a challenge as we guide him or her toward a fruitful, responsible adult-hood. Once the story came out in the media that we were 'accused' of animal abuse, the Dept. of Children and Families told us the 8-year-old boy we were JUST about to start 'visits' with was to be 're-teamed' -- meaning someone else, or no one at all, would be considered at this time as an potential adoptive family. So not only have we and all our animals suffered through all that's happened, a child has lost - perhaps forever - a chance to finally become part of a family who will love him and give him all the care and attention he deserves."

PLEASE HELP!