A 79-Year-Old Woman Has Been Sentenced To Prison For Giving Stray Cats Food In Her Neighborhood

Aug 16, 2019 by apost team

A jail sentence given to an elderly woman in Ohio is raising questions that the punishment may not fit the crime.

79-year-old Nancy Segula has lived in Garfield Heights for the past 30 years. Nancy was recently heartbroken by the loss of her beloved husband Edward. To assuage her grief, Nancy began feeding several stray cats near her home. 

'I miss my own kitties. They passed away, my husband passed away. I'm lonely. So the cats and kitties outside help me,' Nancy told cleveland.com.

Nancy estimates that about seven or eight stray cats plus their kittens live near her property, telling local news stations that some were left by a neighbor who moved away. Feeling bad for the animals, she feeds them regularly.

While many would call Nancy kindhearted for her actions, others say that she is creating a public health problem. Local law in Garfield Heights prohibits the feeding of stray cats and dogs, listing it as a minor misdemeanor.

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Despite Nancy’s good intentions, feeding stray animals causes many problems, notably overpopulation and difficulty in trapping nuisance animals.

Bonnie Hackett, a local animal warden, has been one person who has been critical of Nancy’s actions. Warden Hackett says that neighbors complain frequently about the cats Nancy feeds and that she has trapped over 20 cats in the neighborhood.

Warden Hackett also said that Nancy has defied court orders to stop feeding the animals multiple times since 2015. Because of this, Nancy was recently sentenced to 10 days in jail for contempt of court.

Ever since the sentence was handed down, Nancy has been trying everything to avoid going to jail. The elderly woman is terrified of going to prison and her son, David Pawlowski, echoes the sentiment, pointing out recent problems at the facility his mother is supposed to report to on August 11th to WKBN27.

To help avoid jail time, Nancy reached out to Amy Beichler, the executive director of PAWS Ohio. Amy told reporters that PAWS and another rescue group are working quickly to trap the animals and get them ready for adoption.

Nancy hopes the strides she’s made to fix the situation will be enough for a judge to reconsider sending her to jail. Nancy’s hearing is scheduled for August 6th.

What do you think of Nancy’s case? Do the authorities have a point or is the court much too harsh by sentencing the elderly lady to jail?