Cat colony hits the road

Last three holdouts have a home in Jacksonville

HOLLYWOOD — The cat colony entrenched along Hollywood beach for more than 25 years is now gone, save for three kitties that have managed to elude capture.

Tracey Paige, who heads the Cat Pals rescue group that has fed the colony since 1994, hopes to have them trapped and sent to their new home in Jacksonville by the end of the week.

Two years ago, county parks officials told the rescue group the 85-strong cat colony had to go, saying they didn’t belong in Hollywood’s North Beach Park. They gave a January 2017 deadline, but extended it to the end of April.

The rescue group is close to meeting the county’s zero-cat goal, Paige said.

At one point, more than 300 cats roamed along Surf Road. Some wound up there after being dumped by irresponsible owners. Others were born there.

Paige says cats dumped at the beach can no longer be fed by the rescue group.

Anyone caught abandoning a pet can be charged with a crime. If convicted of a misdemeanor, they can face up to one year in jail and a fine up to $5,000.

In the past several months, Paige and her helpers found homes for every cat. Paige herself took in six. Two years ago, she and another volunteer drove 14 cats to their new home, a ranch in Jacksonville. The same woman is taking in nine more, including the last three holdouts: Mercedes, Tux and Sister