Published: July 03, 2008 11:41 am            

Eight cats found abandoned inside carriers at NA-FC Animal Shelter

Employees with the New Albany-Floyd County Animal Shelter had surprise visitors Monday night. But these were not welcomed guests.

Security cameras show two women dropping off two pet carriers after hours inside the fenced area adjacent to the shelter, which is located at 215 W. Market St. Inside the carriers were eight adult cats. Shelter workers found the carriers

behind a bush at about 2 p.m. Tuesday.

“People just don’t think. It’s not a safe place to dump animals,” said Theresa Stilger, animal care coordinator at the shelter. “They were big cats. Unfortunately, we didn’t know they were there, so they were out there for 12 to 15 hours.”

Stilger said people leaving or dumping animals at the shelter after hours poses two problems. Not only are the animals at risk, but without the owners legally signing their animals over to the shelter, the adoption process is slowed, so more animals wind up having to be euthanized.

“We don’t know if they have been vaccinated, or if they have injured someone, or anything about them,” she said.

Stilger said animals have been left all around the building. A kitten was one time found inside the shelter’s mail box and a puppy was found chained to the shelter fence with the chain wrapped around its neck.

She said some people will leave animals in a box, near the shelter’s entrance, with a note inside the box. She said that doesn’t help the situation either.

“We don’t always find them because we are trying to take care of the 200 animals we have in the building,” she said. “These cats were a mess. They were put in an unfair situation. They are just now starting to settle down.”

She said the courtyard is purposely chained open at night to deter people from dumping animals at the shelter. If it was locked, she said people would just throw the animals inside the fence.

Stilger said the proper and legal way to leave an animal at the shelter is to bring it inside and sign the necessary paper work. The shelter hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The shelter will be closed the next six Saturdays, Stilger said, since this is typically a slow time of year.

“If people have a problem with an animal, bring it to us,” she said. “Just don’t dump it.”

        

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