To the editor:

I am writing to extend my gratitude to Westport's animal control officer, Donna Lambert.

Last month, I required her assistance with a very difficult situation. A feral cat, that had been visiting our yard for the past two years, was very ill. She was the most feral of the "feral five." Patches, a petite calico, lived in the nearby woods but showed up like clockwork for food. She was now appearing in our garage and lying atop of a pile of blankets. I was horrified to see the reason why. Her face, from the nose to her bottom lip, was rotting away. 

I knew I had to trap her and bring her to the vet. It would be difficult for any human to ignore her suffering. 

I called the animal control officer who arrived with equipment to trap her.  I tried to entice her into that trap to no avail. The ACO returned to our home and, after using her skills which included knowledge of cat behavior, analysis of the trapping site, adapting to the changing situation, persistence and compassion, we were able to get Patches into a cage for transport.

Once we were able to see her more closely, the gravity of the situation was further realized. I immediately notified the vet I was en-route with a critically ill cat. After she was evaluated it was determined her prognosis was poor. She was euthanized to end her obvious suffering.

This is not the first time I have had the need for services of the animal control officer. When Patches arrived to our yard, she had already been spayed (left ear tipped) as part of a previous trap-neuter-release (TNR) program. She soon brought four feral friends. I was very concerned about being overrun with cats.

The ACO had funding for a TNR program and instructed me how to humanely utilize traps, care for them in my garage after their spay/neuter appointment and how to build an outdoor shelter for them. 

My experiences with Donna Lambert have led me to appreciate her expertise and long-time dedication to the animals and people of this town.

Deborah A. Novo

Westport