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Woman in trouble again for feeding stray cats
Posted: 09.12.2012 at 4:32 PM
Taylor Williams

Taylor came to WPDE in 2011 from Greensboro, N.C., after working at WFMY News 2 and reporting for the Elon Sports Network.

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CONWAY -- The 71-year-old woman who barely escaped jail time for feeding stray cats was issued another citation for violating a Conway city nuisance ordinance. 

Gerri Lea Dempsey was cited by police on September 4, after police saw her get out of her car and drop what looked like a pile of cat food behind the Coastal Mall Shopping Center in Conway.

Police approached Dempsey and asked her why she was feeding the animals, and she said she was simply trying to trap them.

Officers told Dempsey dumping food on the ground "is not trapping cats, it's feeding them," and Dempsey responded saying she has to feed them to trap them.

Officers observed several raccoons and two foxes come up to the pile of food that was intended for cats, according to the police report.

Catina Hipp, with Conway police, says Dempsey has at least 38 stations around the city to feed the feral cats and Dempsey tries to fill all of them daily.

Dempsey has been to court four times for feeding feral animals.

When Dempsey was in court on August 29, court officials compromised with Dempsey, according to her attorney Amy Lawrence.

The compromise stated Dempsey can't feed cats at businesses or restaurants but she can trap them on private property if she gets the businesses permission.

Her tickets range from a $273 fine for feeding feral populations to a $455 trespassing fine.

In a previous interview with NewsChannel 15, Dempsey said she spends $800 a month on pet food to feed the wild cats in her community.

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