Latest news with #Dieppa
Miami Herald
20-05-2025
- General
- Miami Herald
Miami-Dade sets thousands of stray cats free. Should feeding them be legal?
When a stray cat in a Kendall shopping center happens upon a pile of kibble near a Lowe's parking lot, they often have Virginia Dieppa to thank. At least for now. The 70-year-old retiree delivers for Uber Eats on the side to cover the cost of food for dozens of cats living on the edge of the Lowe's off of Southwest 137th Avenue. She uses a notepad to keep track of the ones she's named: Patches, Pearle, Sox, Midnight, Kee-Nee. The trunk of her car is crammed with water jugs, cat food and donated Pollo Tropical bowls for feeding dishes. While the cats consistently eat up her effort, not everybody is a fan. Dieppa and other volunteer feeders say they've been warned by police that they don't have permission to leave food in the private parking lot. Dieppa said a nearby daycare complained of cat waste. Last week, the Miami-Dade commissioner representing that area of Kendall, Raquel Regalado, filed legislation to ban the feeding of stray animals outside of businesses or in public parks but ultimately revoked it after receiving backlash. 'I was in shock,' Dieppa said of the pushback against feline feeding outside the Lowe's. 'Those cats have been fed for 18 years.' Dieppa's angst captures some of the complications surrounding a growing population of stray cats that is indirectly sanctioned by Miami-Dade's county government. Last year, the county's Animal Services Department released back onto the streets nearly 18,000 stray cats — each of them sterilized after being caught in a county-supplied trap or turned in by a member of the public. While Miami-Dade used to euthanize stray cats, the policy changed in 2012 amid pressure to dramatically boost the survival rate at the shelter. Miami-Dade then launched its 'TNR' program — Trap, Neuter and Return. The number of cats serviced by the program, which vaccinates cats in addition to sterilizing them, has doubled over the last decade. In 2016, about 8,700 cats were released, according to county figures. Last year, Miami-Dade released about 17,800 sterilized cats back onto the streets. Who feeds the cats once the county sets them free? In a statement, Animal Services said street cats are able to fend for themselves. 'Community cats are highly adaptable and naturally equipped to survive outdoors,' the statement said. 'With their strong territorial instincts, they learn to navigate their surroundings, locate food and water sources, and seek out safe shelter.' But the county's unofficial network of cat feeders say their efforts are key to providing a humane existence for the thousands of strays trying to survive without homes. 'One of the cats I'm feeding is missing an eye. One is missing a leg,' said Samuel Muvdi, 25, who tends to a group of cats living in a different Kendall shopping center. 'When I whistle, they all come running.' The question of what to do with homeless cats is controversial. PETA, the animal-rights group, said releasing sterilized feral cats back into the wild can be humane, provided they're fed and monitored for health issues and not at risk of getting hit by cars. Otherwise, the organization's website says, 'allowing feral cats to continue their daily struggle for survival in a hostile environment is not usually a humane option.' Bird deaths are a concern, too. The American Bird Conservancy's agenda includes 'keeping cats indoors,' and it blames 1 billion bird deaths a year on prowling felines. Last week, the friction spiked in Miami-Dade when Regalado introduced legislation to create a $100 fine for people feeding feral cats, dogs and peacocks on public or commercial property. The legislation cited 'unsightly conditions' from the feeding efforts, which the proposed ordinance said can 'attract vermin, clog storm drains, and contribute to pollution in the County's stormwater systems' — a reference to the role that pet waste plays after heavy rains. Regalado said the legislation was designed to 'de-criminalize' feeding operations by giving authorities the option of issuing a fine instead of charging people like Dieppa with trespassing for feeding in places where they're not authorized. But the backlash was sharp enough that Regalado killed the legislation just days after it became public. 'If people want to keep the status quo, the status quo it is,' she said. The proposed ordinance was withdrawn from the agenda of Tuesday's County Commission meeting. In the meantime, the retreat from the potential ban on feeding doesn't fix the friction over the cats Dieppa and other volunteers are feeding around the Kendall Lowe's. A corporate spokesperson for the hardware-store chain was not available for comment this week. A wall near the wooded area where the cats forage now has a yellow sign that says 'DO NOT FEED CATS.' Dieppa said the volunteer feeders have gotten conflicting information, so they're continuing to distribute food during hours when the parking lot isn't busy. They're concerned about the cats not having access to water as the temperature heats up if the volunteers can no longer set out their dishes. 'In the summer, we actually go twice a day to put out water,' said Alicia Carnevale, who also feeds those cats and at one point paid $400 to have several of them sterilized and treated by a vet. 'If we weren't doing this, they would probably die.'
Yahoo
13-04-2025
- Yahoo
Female jogger reveals she open carries while working out— and urges other women to run with a gun: ‘Protect yourself ladies'
She's shooting down haters. A female jogger is firing back after being criticized for carrying a gun while working out in public. Mikaela Dieppa made her open carry admission in a TikTok clip posted earlier this week, which has clocked up more than 4.2 million views. The mother-of-one, who lives in South Carolina, initially showed off her gun holster as she detailed what she wears while jogging. '[This is my] run outfit of the day. I'm open carrying,' Dieppa declared, flaunting her fashionable fit ahead of her workout. 'My holster is from Amazon, my sports bra and shorts are from Lululemon… and my favorite running shoes, I'm wearing my Hokas.' She defended her decision to be openly armed while exercising, saying: 'For all the people who say I should be concealed carrying when I am on my run, you're probably not a female who has men slow down and stop to watch them running.' Dieppa claimed that leering men quickly leave her alone when they realize she's carrying a gun. 'Protect yourself ladies,' the locked and loaded brunette captioned the clip. Dieppa told The Post on Saturday: 'It's not that I'm scared or paranoid, it's a fact that women get assaulted in broad daylight all the time, even when taking precautions.' As for the gun, the runner says: 'I'd rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it.' The mom revealed that other women have asked whether they should take similar safety measures, and Dieppa advises: 'It's unlikely you'll need it [the gun], but chances aren't zero.' Dieppa's exercise accessory divided viewers, with some cheering her decision to flaunt the firearm. 'Everybody should open carry ….I think everybody should have a gun on them in public,' one defender declared. 'Crime would go away.' 'Open carry every time,' another proponent proclaimed. 'Don't start nothing, there won't be nothing.' However, others said Dieppa's desire to arm herself while exercising was a sad indictment of the American way of life. 'Open carrying in suburbia is insane,' a stunned viewer chimed in. 'This is wild, if you need a pew pew to go for a run there is something really wrong with your country,' another TikTok commentator claimed.
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Yahoo
Metro Atlanta police department shifting schedules of officers to improve public safety
Chamblee Police Department is making changes to the types of shifts officers work. Police Chief Michael Dieppa said it will better serve the officers which should improve public safety. He said the department did an organizational health assessment with Kennesaw State University. He said the results showed his officers might be sleep deprived, so back in October the city and police department started having conversations about how to address that. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] The chief proposed moving his officers from the 12 on, 12 off shifts to four,10-hour days. 'A 12-hour day puts a significant strain on the body and performance of our officers, as if the profession itself doesn't already cause a strain,' Dieppa said. With the new schedule, Dieppa said his officers have more time off to do self-care or spend with family all while their pay remains the same. 'You don't want an officer that's depressed, or tired, or overworked, or not able to use clear decision making,' Dieppa said. TRENDING STORIES: GA woman charged with murder in the death of her husband Undocumented immigrant arrested after disturbance call at GA home 3 people in stolen Range Rover killed after high-speed chase on I-75 The chief also said they looked at their calls for service over the past year. They will have more staff during their busy times and a reduced staff from 1 to 6 a.m. 'We are putting the least amount of resources that we have during those hours because there aren't as many calls for service,' Dieppa said. Some Chamblee residents believe it will be a positive change for the city. 'Retention and attracting quality folks to work for our city, word will spread that the city is one that takes care of its employees, so that's going to help us keep the employees we've got, and when a position opens, I think it's going to attract the right kind of people to come work with us here in Chamblee,' said Chamblee resident, Fred Avett. Chief Dieppa said the new schedules take effect on March 30. He said the department will evaluate how it works along with their calls for service over the next six months and make adjustments from there. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
