European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 18, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday May 18, 1989 the stars and stripes Page 9 ass Dave Viohl Maureen Lewis founder of the Bur stray cat fund in Bur is. Edmunds England cuddles one of the 100 stray cats she s Kink care of in her walled in Back Yard. Ask about gis cats and the fur flies Bidav Odiehl . Bureau Bury St. Edmunds England if Maureen Lewis is on the Mark Many of the 100 stray cats in her care meow with an american accent. Lewis the founder of the Bury stray cat fund charges that americans at nearby rats Lakin Heath and Mildenhall routinely abandon their feline friends when heading Back to the United states. Over the years she s expressed her displeasure in Finger wagging sessions with  by phone to base commanders and in letters to the Pentagon and former president Reagan. So far the 61-year-old Lewis says the american response to this cat catastrophe has been Well. Catatonic. At Lewis tidy Pink and beige victorian House on the Edge of Bury St. Edmunds the acrid smell of cat urine and the scent of disinfectant Battle to a draw. The walled in Back Yard is lined with Sheds and open cages for her charges although most roam the enclosure freely kept from the neighbourhood by a ceiling of Nylon net. Over the past four years the House has served As Home for 2,266 cats with 626 coming from Ameri can owners her records show. Many were brought in by local residents who said american neighbors left the animals behind. In other cases Lewis said Tell tale signs like american Pel f9od wrappers were left in the boxes or bags the animals arrived in. A lot of americans Don t try to find Homes for the cats Lewis said. They Don t have any excuse. They think if they give them to a registered Charity it s  if americans have been irresponsible in finding Homes for their felines they also have shown Little support for the stray cat fund. Of six donation boxes set up at the Lakenheath base a few years ago Lewis said Only four were returned. Three had been broken into one yielded 20 cents. So fervent is Lewis Campaign against american pet owners neglect that it sometimes leads to harsh words As maj. Gene Rutan of Mildenhall s 306thstrategic Wing can attest. Rutan who is leaving next month for the United states did not want to return with the stray cat hand his wife had adopted in England. On the advice of a veterinarian his wife called Lewis who launched into a 20-minute diatribe about Ameri cans leaving animals behind. She was insulting to my wife Rulan said. Rutan ended the Call by saying he would find somebody less sanctimonious and phoned another shelter that gladly took the cat. "1 was trying to do the right thing. I was t going to dump it out on the Road somewhere. I took the cat in in the first place Rutan said. You Sec we get  Lewis said in dismiss ing such incidents. Workers at the Wood Ciren animal shelters one a lot of americans Don t try to find Homes for the cats. They Don t have any excuse. They think if they give them to a registered Charity it s  Maureen Lewis of the country s largest charities for homeless Ani Mals disagree with Lewis View of american pet owners. They Sec a lot of  at their god Manchester operation near rats Alconbury and Molesworth. Some bring in animals others Lake them away said Janelle Murphy the shelter s pro motions manager. We keep a very open mind in actually giving animals to american servicemen Murphy said. We think that if an animal can have three or four years of life with an american we think it is better than no life at  and Murphy would rather see americans leaving their unwanted Pels at any of Wood Green s three shelters than on the Street. We encourage  she said. We think it is commendable that they bring them to  . Air Force officials also disagree with most of Lewis accusations noting for example that the family support Center at Raf Lakenheath has a pet Swap Board where people offering animals can advertise. The Center also provides pet information and can help  leaving England who want to Lake their pets with them. At Lakenheath self proclaimed animal Lover Lori usher volunteers four Days a week to make sure americans Are looking after their pets. Usher acknowledged that some americans leave their animals behind but she has not seen any Evi Dence of it on the scale Lewis claims. Rather usher said the Center s Swap Board finds new Homes for an average of four or five dogs and two to three cats each month. I have a list of 12 people waiting for Kittens she said. Lewis however said she does t like the Pel Swap program. We Don t approve of that she said. It is in l Good for an animal to be passed  Malcolm Allison an inspector for the Royal society for the prevention of cruelly to animals believes Lewis May be right in pointing the abandoned feline linger at american . Allison said a Large percentage of the 300 to 400 cats he has picked up in the last four years came from Beck Row and Holywell Row residential areas near Raf Mildenhall where Many americans live. Brian Dalton another sri Ca inspector said americans often wait until their last few Days in the country to try to get rid of a pet. The society will gladly take in an animal he said but even Wuh ils waiting list of people wanting Pels a few Days just Aren t enough. Too often such animals arc destroyed he said. For her part Lewis said she would like to Sec americans held accountable for pets they bring to England. No american should be Able to own an animal that has t been spayed or neutered she said and anyone who allows pets to Breed should be in serious  Howard Harshaw head of the family support Cen Ter at Lakenheath said Lewis has been invited to the base to Sec what americans arc doing to prevent pet owners from abandoning their animals. Lewis said she has refused the invitations to the base because she s too Busy and she does t approve of programs like the pet advisers. It is too Little too late Lewis said of the Ameri can efforts adding that the bases should have their own animal shelter for abandoned Pels. Dalton and Allison of the Spca Don t think such a step is necessary but they would like to Sec americans better educated and belter informed about the problem. Mrs. Lewis has some Good ideas Dalton said. Her heart is in the right