My husband and I are reaching out to animal lovers everywhere. We have been caring for a colony of free-roaming cats in our neighborhood for the past 6 years. In all, there are about 27 cats in our colony. They are a genuine family and they all love each other. They all have names, they come to me when I call them, and most of them demand that I pet them. I love these cats with all my heart and I do all that I can to make sure they are fed, healthy, and happy. We have had all of these cats spayed and neutered, and they've had their shots.

The reason I am reaching out to the community is because there is a man who owns 9 properties in this community. He hates the cats and has admitted to trapping them and dumping them in random neighborhoods throughout town. As of now, there are a total of 8 cats that are missing.

The first cat that went missing was Momma Cat. She is 15 years old and has lived in this neighborhood all her life. About 2 years ago, we had her spayed. The last litter of kittens she had, only one of them survived. His name is Groucho and they were inseparable. When she went missing, we thought that she had died because Groucho came home crying. This went on for about 2 weeks. Then, 3 more cats went missing literally overnight. The day after they disappeared, my husband saw a man walking outside. This man made a comment about all of the cats in the neighborhood and then went on to brag about what he has been doing. Since his admission, 3 more cats have come up missing.

We have reached out to law enforcement, Pima Animal Care, the Humane Society, and even PETA. We have learned that it is a class 6 felony to remove a free-roaming cat from its neighborhood and dump it in another location because it is practically a death sentence. Not only is it inhumane, it is illegal.

The cats in our community are not safe anymore. My husband and I are asking for help with closing in our backyard so that we can ensure their safety and prevent any more of them from being taken from their home and their families. We have found fencing that will completely enclose our yard. They will still have access to the back patio and underneath the house. We have tapped into our air ducts so that they have AC during the summer and heat during the winter. This is the only way we can ensure their safety.

Please help us protect our four-legged family members.