Sign: Don't Send 79-Year-Old Woman To Jail For Feeding Cats!

Published: Jul 31, 2019   /   Author: Penny Eims

A 79-year-old woman in Garfield Heights, Ohio, has been sentenced to jail time for feeding stray cats. In 2017, Nancy Segula stepped up to help cats who were left behind by a neighbor who moved away, and now her act of kindness is being punished. Please join us in asking Judge Jennifer Weiler to overturn Garfield Heights Municipal Court Magistrate Jeffrey Short's sentence of 10 days behind bars in the Cuyahoga County Jail.

Who's signing

Judge Jennifer Weiler was off during the week that Magistrate Short imposed a 10-day jail sentence for Nancy Segula. His sentence has generated a deluge of controversy - enough so that Judge Weiler wants a new day in court to hear all sides of the story, and to determine if Nancy truly must be sent to jail for feeding the stray cats that come to her home. 

Segula should not be held in jail like a common criminal - she has been feeding the cats out of kindness, and now she may have to pay for her compassion in a particularly cruel manner. Please join us in asking Judge Weiler to overturn the jail sentence. We are also requesting the Garfield Heights Animal Control to step up to assist Segula with finding new homes for the stray cats who are in her neighborhood. Sending Segula to jail does NOTHING to remedy the stray cat problem and it is a waste of tax dollars.

More about this situation at the Pet Rescue Report.

Update 8/6/19: A judge has suspended Segula's 10-day jail sentence, but has ordered her to speak to a psychologist about her depression. The Garfield Heights Animal Warden and animal rights advocates have helped remove the stray cats from Segula's property. Though the jail sentence is suspended, Segula must refrain from feeding stray cats moving forward, and remove shelter-providing items from her yard. Thank you to everyone who signed the petition!