Residents Speak Out For Dead Woodbury Cat

The took another turn Wednesday, when dozens of people packed a Woodbury City Council meeting to show their support for Jimmy the cat and ask the city to examine how it handles animals whose owners have died.

Jimmy was owned by late Woodbury resident Mary Ray, who left the animal (and her estate) to Animal Ark, a “no-kill” shelter in Hastings. Police brought the cat to the , which euthanized the animal.

Some who attended the meeting wore buttons adorned with Jimmy’s photo and spoke with reporters after the open forum portion of the meeting.

Mike Fry, Animal Ark executive director, and Debbie Long, a Woodbury resident who organized the rally, both questioned whether the Humane Society followed state statutes when it euthanized the cat.

Ray Aboyan, COO of the Humane Society, also spoke during the open forum, saying workers followed procedure.

(Check out the video with this story to see some of their comments.)

Allie Munro came all the way from Eagan after hearing about Jimmy. “My heart was just broken.”

She is a dog owner who worries what would happen to her pet if something happened to her.

“Does that mean my dog is going to die?” Munro said.

Long, who spoke about Jimmy at a December 2011 council meeting, told Patch that the city should look at using a no-kill shelter.

Minnesota law requires animal shelters to hold stray animals for five days or until the owner comes forward, or 10 days if animals are victims of abuse, neglect or cruelty. Long said that she plans to speak with local legislators about changing state law to clear up the language in the laws.

Council members declined to comment on the matter, though Chief Lee Vague said police are looking into it. Police have been dealing with a number of other recent incidents, he said, and have not yet had time to properly research the Jimmy situation.

• Woodbury pet advocates decry cat's killing after owner's death (Star Tribune)
• Protest at Woodbury City Hall - over ailing cat's death - pits Humane Society and city vs. no-kill proponents (Pioneer Press)
• Was Woodbury cat’s death necessary? (Woodbury Bulletin)