Texas Tech Blocks Any Collaboration, Much Less Oversight on Feral Cat Removal

For two months Texas Tech made sure local animal service organizations knew who's in charge.  Tech dangled collaboration in an early press release, then failed to follow through.  The Humane Society of West Texas and Texas Tech's Feral Cat organization have been shut out for some time.  Tech administrators repeatedly took offense to concerns shared and offers to work with facilities management on cat removal

TTU's Department of Communications and Marketing lied on multiple occasions.  Chris Cook wrote that Tech "consulted with PETA and are following their recommended procedures for humanely removing cats from under buildings."  When Tech's animal cruelty was reported to PETA their representative stated they'd had no contact from TTU and were highly concerned that cats could be barricaded under buildings without food and water.    I'm sure the two shunned groups would be stunned by Cook's other characterization:

When we met with the organizations on campus, including the Humane Society of West Texas, in May, we asked for their assistance to explore places to relocate the cats. At this point, we've received very little assistance.  

Both the Humane Society and Tech's Feral Cat Organization made multiple pleas and offers the last two months, only to get snarky e-mails in return from facilities management.

Communication and Marketing said the University had been overrun with reports of cats trapped with no food or water.  Once again Tech did not invite area animal service representatives, many of whom know the cats, to assist or provide oversight.  Tech's latest insult involved putting up sheet metal behind the grate over areas that "have been cleared of all cats."

If the cats are truly gone, why would Tech need to put up sheet metal? Because Texas Tech is in an "all out war" against the Humane Society and its longtime Feral Cat Organization.

Nothing about this makes sense.  That's the way war is.  President Nellis deserved better from his top lieutenants, but since they can't behave in a truthful or collaborative manner, Nellis needs to intervene.

Update:  Might the Texas Tech Student Legal Defense Fund raise concerns over TTU's animal cruelty?   They intervened before when the Texas Tech Health Sciences Center intubated and killed cats from Odessa's Animal Shelter.  Here's to their penning another letter to the student newspaper.