- A Maryland-based nonprofit filed a lawsuit Thursday against the National Park Service.
- The lawsuit follows the National Park Service’s plan to remove approximately 200 feral cats from a historic area in Puerto Rico.
- These cats live around the historic seaside fortifications of Old San Juan.
A nonprofit group announced Thursday that it has sued the U.S. National Park Service over its plan to remove Puerto Rico’s famous feral cats from historic areas in the U.S. territory.
The lawsuit, filed by Maryland-based Alley Cat Allies, alleges that the federal agency has contracted with an animal rescue group to remove an estimated 200 cats living in the area surrounding the historic seaside fortress in Old San Juan. This happened four months after the announcement that it would be removed.
The organization will have to decide whether to adopt the captive cats, place them in foster homes, keep them in shelters, or face other options. It was not immediately clear whether any organizations were hired.
National Park Service removes hundreds of feral cats from historic tourist site
At the time, the National Park Service said it would hire an exterminator if the contracted organization was unable to remove the cats within six months.
A stray cat sits on a wall in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, on November 2, 2022. The nonprofit group Alley Cat Allies announced on March 28, 2024, that it is suing the U.S. National Park Service over its plan to remove feral cats from the area surrounding the historic seaside fortress. (AP Photo/Alejandro Granadillo, File)
The agency did not respond to requests for comment.
Tourists and local residents have long viewed cats as both a pleasure and a nuisance, and in 2022 the National Park Service took note of the smell of urine and feces in the area, warning that the population had grown too large. Announced.
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Activists have criticized the plan, saying six months is not enough time to remove so many cats and fear they will be killed.
In its lawsuit, Alley Cat Allies asked federal agencies for additional environmental statements and for a judge to find its actions violated the National Environmental Protection Act and other laws.
