GALVESTON, TEXAS — Jim Stevenson says he is not the hate-filled serial cat killer he has been made out to be.
But if he was shooting the feral cats that roam the sand dunes of this picturesque Gulf Coast island, argues Stevenson -- the founder of the Galveston Ornithological Society -- he would be breaking no laws.
In his view, he would be performing a public service by saving the lives of beautiful birds at one of the nation's best bird-watching locales.
"These birds, virtually all of them, are protected by state and local laws. Do we ignore what is happening with these stray cats, or do we finally stand up and do something about it?" Stevenson said. "Sometimes you get pushed to a point where you can no longer ignore a situation."
Galveston law enforcement officials say Stevenson shot a cat to death this month near the San Luis Pass Bridge on the island's west end. They have charged Stevenson, who has traveled the world studying his beloved birds and written four books, with felony animal cruelty.
"This was a wild cat that was out there, and he felt it was endangering some birds, so he shot it. It's cruelty," said Galveston Police Capt. Edward Benavidez, who added that it was not the first report police had heard of cat killings in the area.
Stevenson, 53, halfheartedly professed his innocence during an interview -- while jokingly comparing his stance to that of O.J. Simpson in his now-derailed book, "If I Did It."
Stevenson's words, past and present, have cast suspicion on him and have stoked a passionate debate pitting cat fanciers against bird-watchers.
In a 1999 posting on an Internet bulletin board for bird lovers, Stevenson nonchalantly described killing many feral cats during his first year living on Galveston Island. He rationalized his acts as a way to restore the natural order.
"I'm sorry if this offends -- but I sighted in my .22 rifle, and killed about two dozen cats," Stevenson wrote in his message, titled "killer kitties; kittie killers."
"When we allow feral cats to roam free, we might as well be out there with BB guns plinking away at the songbirds ourselves," he added. "Regardless of what you think about killing an animal, you must ask yourself if one stray cat's life is worth more than dozens -- or hundreds -- of wild birds already bowing to the stresses of cars, TV towers, pesticides, loss of habitat."
