To the Editor:

I’m writing in reference to the recent actions taken against Happy Cat Rescue and Chuck and Marcia Scott.

I have known the Scotts for over 10 years. I have contributed to Happy Cat Rescue, and helped the organization secure grant funding from the Albany County Legislature and from the GE Elfun Society.

I have been at the Scott residence in Guilderland, out of which Happy Cat operated, on a number of occasions to make donations of cat food and other items. In other words, I think I have a pretty good handle on who these folks are and how they have conducted their rescue operation over the years.

The way that Happy Cat and the Scott family has been portrayed in media coverage lately does not square in any way with my personal observations, nor does it square with those of others who have recently and justifiably rallied to their cause.

Animal rescue is a fairly tight community, and it seems to me that, if things had gone awry with the Happy Cat operation, it would have become widely known within that community very quickly. It is difficult for me to fathom what sort of accusations could have prompted a raid on the Scotts’ home, with the attendant notoriety and character assassination that grew out of it.

In my view, the only thing that Marcia and Chuck have ever been “guilty” of when it comes to cat rescue work is having hearts too big for their own good at times, an attitude that attracted a corps of loyal volunteers who pitched in to help run the operation to an appropriate standard.

All those involved in portraying the Scotts and the Happy Cat organization as abusive and neglectful should be ashamed of themselves. As a donor to a number of different animal rescue organizations, I intend to make some adjustments to where my own donation dollars go, as I wish to have no future involvement with any individual or group that participates in the tearing down of what good people have worked long and hard to accomplish.

Donald J. Csaposs

Guilderland

Editor’s note: On Dec. 24, 2019, The Enterprise published an article, “Happy Cat Rescue shut down,” about Marcia and Charles Scott who, after an October raid at their Guilderland home when their cats were confiscated, signed an agreement they would keep no more cats save five personal pets with disabilities.

The Enterprise also published an editorial, “Cats, paragons of independence, still depend on us for protection,” on the need for cats to be licensed and for their care to be better regulated.