After years of cleaning up after feral cats, several Bellaire residents came before council during its Monday night meeting, seeking help.
Every night people come and feed the feral cats in the 5200 block of Spruce, leaving several plates of food for the property owners to clean up.
“These people travel to our neighborhood and dump plates on our property,” said Margo Costello, president of Riverway Business Services at 5213 Spruce.
Costello said the cats come out of the trees when the feeders bring food at night and the flower beds of her business have turned into a litter box.
Sue Strickland, of The Children’s Gallery at 5204 Spruce, said she’s been trapping cats for 15 years and feels “like animal control.”
Strickland said every day she has to clean feces out of the backyard of the property before the children can come out to play.
“It’s just horrible when you have little children that you’re trying to protect when you have feces everywhere,” she said.
Fred Costello, who has an office with his wife at 5213 Spruce, said the situation is affecting everyone and he views it as a health issue.
He said there is over 50 feral cats in the neighborhood.
“We have people pulling up in the alley behind us with the lights turned off,” he said. “It’s completely unnerving.”
Dr. Johnnie P. Frazier, a Jessamine Street resident, said there are several diseases people can get from cats and she doesn’t want to see anyone get sick.
Hemu Vala, of 5220 Cedar, said a kitten got stuck in the attic and they had to cut the sheet rock to get it out.
Costello said she would like to see council approve an ordinance that says they cannot feed cats on city easements and have to have the owner’s permission before they can come onto their property.
Council plans on putting this issue on a future agenda.
These people are LEGALLY (just ask B.P.D.) feeding stray cats with the ultimate goal of capturing and spaying/neutering them. Fred Costello spends an inordinate amount of time waiting for the compassionate people to come feed these cats in order that he may steal the food and feeding dishes. The photograph above is a staged photograph of the feeding dishes , after one of the Castellos threw them about to smear the good intentions of the people who are trying to take care of these cats, the ultimate goal,again, being the neutering/spaying of these cats. Fred Castillo has gone FAR out of his way to intimidate a 75 YEAR OLD WOMAN, and has illegally detained another caretaker of these cats . As for “dumping plates on their property”, this is a complete lie. The property DOES NOT belong to Fred Castello. And nobody DUMPS anything except the Costellos when they steal the food and the feeding dishes .
To claim that there is “feces everywhere” is nothing more than an exaggeration, as well as somebody’s flower beds becoming “litter boxes” . Costello contradicts herself in this article, when at first she claims that people “dump plates on her property” and then says “Costello said she would like to see council approve an ordinance that says they cannot feed cats on city easements”. Which is it, Ms. Costello ? YOUR property or the CITIES property ? You are clearly delusional . Nobody “dumps plates” on the Costellos’ property. Feeding dishes are neatly organized and filled with food for the cats on CITY property, NOT the Costello’s property.
So Fred Costello has counted 50 feral cats in the neighborhood ? Does Fred Costello have a job or does he spend all day, every day tracking feral cats ? If the Costellos biggest problem is kind hearted people feeding stray cats, then they should seriously consider a hobby to occupy their clearly hate-filled hearts.
Well as you can see by the picture–nothing is neatly organized and no one has ever been illegally detained. The picture is exactly the way the plates were–not staged. They are there like that every day. They never capture and neuter cats. There are kittens everywhere. The city easements are the property of the adjacent land owners–they own the fee simple property–but are easments to be used for vehicular and pedestrian traffic. Not cat feeding. What is wrong with people that impose there will to the detriment of property owners who pay the taxes in the area.
The attempt by a small group of hateful people armed with rediculous lies, exaggerations, and staged photographs is deploreable. The people who feed cats from their own pockets, and trap the feral cats to have them sterilized at their own expense do so for humanitarian reasons only and the City of Bellaire receives a valuable service at no expense to the taxpayer. Every major city in the United States that has done away with the type of ordinance these soreheads are currently promoting have done so because a large number of scientific studies have proven it is inhumane and counterproductive to have such a law.
It is important to remember that feral cats are already on our streets, and no one (even Fred) is suggesting that people who feed are releasing feral cats or expanding the number of animals that are on our streets already. Rather, the people who feed cats are actually reducing the problem at their own expense, providing care, and feeding helpless animals in a charitable and Christian manner. I am really not sure what kind of Doctor Ms. Frazier is, but it would have been very helpful to the City Council if she had specified what diseases humans can catch from feral cats. Likewise, it is extremely ironic that Fred Costelo is concerned about being unnerved by strangers when he himself has taken on the role of unlawfully detaining people in a dark alley at night. In passing, it is interesting to note that Mr. Costelo refused to roll down his window or respond in any way when the people he had blocked in the alley approached him and asked what he was doing or if they could help him. If Fred had a complaint about feral cats, why did he not state it to my husband then? Why did he wait and present a pack of lies to the City Council? The reason is obvious–Fred Costelo knew that my husband and I would see through the untruths and exaggerations upon which he bases his entire plan.
Regardless of my personal feelings about these miserable people, the main thing that counts is the issue (feeding and sterilizing feral cats) the Bellaire City Council has apparently decided to consider. My hope is the City Council will do some research and speak with some professional people in this field. It would be unfortunate to make a decision and penalize the animals and the City of Bellaire based on the outrageous misconduct of a small group of hard-hearted people.
Re: Margo the Cat Hater
You said “Well as you can see by the picture–nothing is neatly organized”. If you had reading comprehension skills, you would have noticed that I made note of that in my first comment. You think that the people that feed cats just blindly throw dishes haphazardly to feed cats ? Even the most simple-minded would understand that the dishes would have to be upright in order to be effective in feeding the cats.
You also said “no one has ever been illegally detained.” . I know the two people that WERE detained, so this is yet another lie on your part.
You also said “They never capture and neuter cats. ” Really ? Can you prove that ? The receipts from the veterinarian can prove you wrong.
You said “but are easements to be used for vehicular and pedestrian traffic. Not cat feeding.” . Could you please inform us of the law that states “no cat feeding on easements.”? Bet you can’t .
You asked “What is wrong with people that impose there(sic) will to the detriment of property owners who pay the taxes in the area.” . I will not dignify such a stupid question with an answer, but I would like to ask my own .
What is wrong with people who are so bored and hateful that they wage a personal war on kind-hearted people who care for some of the most helpless of God’s creatures?
Guess I answered my own question. Boredom and hatefulness.
I hope your efforts to stop the feeding of hungry animals fills the hole in your heart.
I pray that you never go hungry and have to rely on someone else to feed you, cause it sure won’t be me feeding you . Maybe you could eat some of that cat food you have stolen ?
I left a comment in response to margo, and the moderator, in their infinite wisdom, would not approve the posting. It appears that the moderator and the hateful people are in league, as the truth is being squelched here, so I will leave this issue alone, and let the cards fall as they may.
I will say that the people trying to prevent the feeding of starving animals are not operating in the best interest of society, and they spend a great deal of time and effort doing things in the hope that these stray cats starve to death, and the population of the feral cats goes unchecked. Bravo to the Costellos. You are truly working in the best interest of only yourselves, and the law will make the final decision .
I would like to thank the moderator for preventing the truth from being exposed .
It Appears Margo and the Costellos cannot rebuke the truths posted. They will lose in the end.
Both my sons dumpster dive to feed the homeless (humans) Feral cats are always nearby…They will eat without your help. I have spayed or neutered all my pets and a few strays in my neighborhood. I would not be able to live next to 50 cats….I am not a cat hater. If I have 50 cats bothering my business and ruining my hard work I would probably be obsessive and count the cats. I would be very annoyed with the folks putting out food.
Cat poop and pee is smelly with one cat…..Imagine 50+ cats and a day care next door! Feral cats are a source of fatal and non-fatal diseases transmittable to humans and domestic cats, including rabies, ringworm, toxoplasmosis, cat scratch fever, allergies, feline leukemia, feline distemper and secondary bacterial infections
After reading these posts, it sure sounds like Anon is the one with the hate-filled heart. Why would you think Fred Costello is stealing cat food? Don’t you realize that feeding these cats are causing them to concentrate where they are not wanted. How would you like it if someone regularly put rat food next to your house every day. Feeding any wild animal is not humane. Feeding stray cats is like feeding rats.
It is nice to know what the readers really care about
It is nice to know what the readers REALLY care about: cats, yes, children shot by police, not so much.
To Jolo: I don’t know where you get your medical information but cat diseases cannot be transmitted to humans. I have spayed/neutered, tested, etc. over 100 cats and never have I found one with rabies. I have treated many kittens with ringworm and never gotten ringworm. It is no big deal.
To Bruna: The reason we say Fred Costello is stealing cat food is because we have seen him do it on several occasions. He practically took it out of a 75 year old woman’s hands and threw it away. He stands on the street and dares her to come near the cats. He also has Robert the homeless man on the lookout for him, which is disgusting. He could care less about this man, never helped him but is now using him. I would not put anything past Fred Costello. He trapped my husband and I in a dark ally with no way out one night and would not even let us know who he was. We were petrified. It is illegal, unlawful detention. He even had his young son with him at 11:00PM! He called the police, as did we, for nothing. Cat feeding is not a crime in Bellaire or most places. And by the way, there is not a rodent problem around there because of the cats….even cats that are fed once a day will keep the rodents away.
If any of you would take the time to research feral colonies you would know that not feeding them is not the answer. We have been feeding these cats for three years. Some of them have been fixed but the majority of the ones there now have not. They are next on the list. We have fixed many, many feral cats in Bellaire and it is the only way to control them. There has been many studies and experiments that prove that spay/neuter/release is the only answer and that is what we intend to do. It is the only humane thing to do. Obviously, people like the Costello’s do not have a concience.
Let’s all take Fred’s word for it that there are 50 feral cats in the area without a shred of evidence. Why would I think he is stealing cat food ? What would YOU call it when he runs away, carrying freshly laid out dishes full of cat food ? Borrowing ?
And so, not feeding the cats will cause them to disappear, and they will not multiply if you don’t pay any attention to them .
I am done arguing with you morons.
Why don’t the people who are concerned about this do something constructive – like call Adopt a Cat, or Alley Cat Allies (whose sole purpose is to trap, neuter, and return), the Houston SPCA, or Animal Control?
I’ll bet they don’t want us feeding the homeless living under bridges either.
Hey D’Lane
You sound very lucky I would hop a plane to Vegas quick.
If you love the cats so much please take them home with you or after you “get them fixed” find a home for them! If your the guy who continually calls about people feeding the cats. Trap them and take them to the SPCA to reduce the cats in the area and stop whining like a 2 year old! Regardless stop calling the police for such ridiculous things when they have real police work to do!