City sues nonprofit animal rescue for helping abandoned cats
Tax deductible
On April 21, 2025, the City of Covington filed a lawsuit against our nonprofit 501(c)3 animal rescue, Tristate Noah Project. We are a volunteer based nonprofit whose mission is caring for 300+ abandoned animals on the streets daily through TNRM (trap/neuter/return/manage) and aftercare (food/shelter and vet care when needed).
We’ve taken over 900 cats off the streets at no cost or resources to the city and we help Covington residents weekly through our programs for veterans and families struggling financially.
This lawsuit is over code compliance for a property we purchased 2yrs ago. Our largest colony considered this dilapidated house occupied by squatters their “home.”
The house sat vacant for 10+ years with significant fire damage and a yard littered with trash and drug paraphernalia.
We purchased this property to not only save our largest colony, which the city was going to let starve and go without shelter after years of being dependent on us for their only guaranteed meal but to implement a solution for neighborhoods with a high number of homeless cats.
The city is suing a nonprofit who spent years providing food, TNR and pulled 28 cats from this street when no one else would.
** Please see link to our original gofundme below for additional information
THE LAWSUIT
A press release was sent to news stations by the city prior to us having any knowledge of the lawsuit.
In the release we were unfairly and inaccurately characterized by accusations unrelated to the lawsuit. False allegations were made and outdated photos used.
We were served on 4/30/25, one week after the press release and after multiple interviews with local media where photos of violations from 2023 that were already remedied were used and disparaging comments made. The city failed to state the condition of the home prior to our purchase and did not clarify that the cat population was an issue for years prior.
FACTS:
- The city alleges we’ve ignored violations and have done “minimal work” even though all prior citations ($10,000.00) had been paid and $12,000.00 had gone towards renovations thus far. Amongst those renovations was the removal of the fire damaged portion of the home responsible for a number of citations.
- In a code hearing on 10/9/2024 we were given until 1/9/2025 to pay the existing citations ($8,200.00) and complete the work agreed upon or be fined $6500. Both were completed and no additional fine issued.
- The lawsuit alleges we ignored violations from a citation issued 4/8. We did not receive any paperwork for said citation. On 4/29 we received the citation in the mail dated 4/8 but postmarked 4/23.
- The city claims we’ve “failed to comply with their ordinances.” This was not communicated to us. In contrary, we can show a history of unanswered and unreturned emails and calls made to the city pertaining to that property.
- Many complaints made by the city pertain to community cats which are fully protected under Kenton County Ordinance § 90.60. One such claim is cat shelters being “solid waste” even though they’re allowed per TNR ordinances.
- Several prior citations were grossly exaggerated. For example, “multiple dead cats in the yard being eaten by vultures.”In reality there was one carcass, which we refuted at a code hearing with a letter from a veterinarian stating it was a possum, yet the city continued to push this false narrative.
- In 2023 we received a letter stating the property was considered vacant/abandoned. Just weeks later we received a zoning citation for operating a privately owned animal shelter, despite that not being true and no water or electric to the home.
These are just a few of the many allegations our attorney will address.
‼️WE NEED YOUR HELP TO FIGHT THIS‼️
The city will “seize the property, bulldoze the home and send us the bill.”
Without this critical funding we will be forced to shut down the rescue leaving this colony, 250+ abandoned cats and the many families we help with no one.
Please donate if you can and share our story with others who find it unethical for a city to maliciously target and sue a nonprofit organization who has benefited from years of us helping animals no one else would.
On behalf of TriState Noah Project and the hundreds of homeless cats who never asked for this life…THANK YOU.
THE REAL ISSUE
The city is requesting an injunction to stop us from providing food and providing cat shelters on privately owned property while simultaneously stating “this is not about being anti-cat. This is making sure the cats are treated humanely.”
Once again their solution is starvation and allowing them to suffer through inclement weather.
THIS WAS NEVER ABOUT THE HOUSE
For years this property was maintained by the city who did nothing. Now that we’ve taken 28 cats from that street, paid $10,000.00 in fines and began improvements it’s suddenly a health and safety risk?
There are hundreds of vacant and dilapidated homes in the city in far worse condition and no work completed.
- This is about our petition to change community cat ordinances.
- This is about and social media posts that left some city employees “offended.”
- This is about selective enforcement of city ordinances.
- This is about residents who complain about the same cats they let outside unaltered.
- This is about our refusal to be silent about the plight of abandoned animals.
- This is about our refusal to bullied and our unwillingness to be coerced into neglecting homeless animals.
We need your help to fight for them
Organizer
Laura Beth
Organizer
Lakeside Park, KY
The TriState Noah Project
Beneficiary