Taking care of dogs is a large responsibility. Having more than one increases the work. Anyone with a dog at home knows this to be true. When keeping a dog becomes overwhelming, the best thing to do is find your pup a safe place to live. One Florida woman had too many animals. Instead of caring for them, she simply let them go. Abandoned them. Well, more like “dumped” them. Awful!
A Reckless Choice
In early June, a woman brought ten cats and a senior dog to a shelter in Ruskin, Florida. The woman brought the animals to the C.A.R.E. Animal Shelter (Critter Adoption & Rescue Effort, Inc.) shelter. Unfortunately, they did not have space for all of her charges. They turned the woman away.
And then, the woman committed a crime. She did not try to find another home for the animals. Despite a literal warning sign on the C.A.R.E. Inc., fence explaining that dumping animals is against the law, the woman dropped all eleven cats and dog on the side of the road.
A Search Begins
Unfortunately, no one knew the woman’s name. She drove off without care for the animals’ future. Luckily, video cameras captured her actions and her vehicle. Now, central Florida news stations are spreading the word, hoping to find this woman.
If caught by authorities, this woman will become part of the county’s animal abuser registry. She could face a fine and even jail time.
Immediately after discovering what happened, volunteers found one cat. Then, other volunteers were on the lookout for the remaining cats and dog. It took several days, but all of them were eventually found and brought to the shelter. Once there, the animals were treated by medical personnel. Authorities have not found the woman, yet.
Sadly, this is not the first story of animal dumping in this area.
Sherry Silk, CEO of The Humane Society of Tampa Bay, told Good Morning Tampa Bay, “If you have a pet, you can not dump them. Somebody should come forward and say something.”
She said in late May, someone tossed a four-week-old kitten out of a moving car. There is a $6,000 reward for information leading to who abandoned this cat. Silk said, “I guess the woman that was on the sidewalk, she screamed. They got the kitten before it could get hit again.”
These stories of animal neglect are truly heartbreaking. Dumping animals is a crime. We hope they catch these wrongdoers. If anyone can help identify this woman, please contact C.A.R.E. Animal Shelter.
Watch the video below to learn more about these survivors.
Featured image c/o C.A.R.E. Animal Shelter (Critter Adoption & Rescue Effort, Inc. Facebook
Toledo, United States.
