POUGHKEEPSIE – When City of Poughkeepsie Councilman Ernest Henry was seeking office last year, he heard from several residents on and around North Perry Street regarding a “feline invasion” at the partially abandoned city park on the street. Since taking office, Henry has been working on several issues including the park cats that are forcing neighbors to growl.
The North Perry Street Park is a city park that has been all but abandoned and residents of the neighborhood complain of rampant drug use in the back of the park and a large feline population. The cats they say, are being cared for by a small group of people who have taken over a portion of the park and created a cat sanctuary.
The cat caretakers have installed a large tarp in the park that provides shelter for the feral animals and also serves as a dining hall. The people who illegally installed the tent come to the park daily to feed the cats. They have also established watering stations for unwanted animals. One neighbor told Mid Hudson News that the cats have turned the park into a giant litter box and the people who are feeding them refuse to stop, despite numerous complaints.
Councilman Henry says he spoke with the man who installed the tarp and is the primary caretaker for the cats. Henry says the man refuses to dismantle the tent, leaving Henry to address the issue in other ways.
Working with the City DPW, workers have come in and cut down the tall grass and have started removing debris, but the cats remain.
“I have contacted the Dutchess County SPCA to come get the cats, but they have not acted,” Henry said, adding “I’ve left messages for the city’s animal control officer and have not received any response.”
“The people in this neighborhood want a park they can use. They don’t need to be subjected to rampant drug use and dozens of cats roaming around as if this was a city zoo,” Henry said. “I am going to find a way to remove the cats and get this park restored for the residents who want to enjoy it.” Henry has vowed to seek ways to have the animal shelter removed and the cats relocated. The drug use, he says, will be brought to the attention of the city police.
The park was built during the urban renewal period, according to former Councilman Chris Petsas and it includes what he calls “A unique piece of abstract art in the form of a waterfall.” Not long after being constructed, Petsas says, a “grizzly murder occurred in the park and it was abandoned and forgotten by the city.”
By the time Petsas took office, the waterfalls and canal had been filled with dirt. Following his election, Petsas arranged for the pools to be excavated and was working to have it restored but the city never followed through. “It was a good start, but it never got finished,” he said.
