Shelter euthanizes someone's pet cat the very day they take it in.

[Liberal_in_LA]

Euthanization of newly adopted cat irks pet owner
June 11, 2011

Just a couple of weeks ago there was a huge surplus of cats at the Humane Society of the Ohio Valley in Marietta. On their urgent list there was a cat named Tom (we re-named him Ponyo) who was just too pretty to be put down, so my boyfriend and I brought him home. He was a great cat; friendly and cuddly. He slept in our bed by my feet every night. Shortly after arriving at our home he came down with a respiratory infection and was treated successfully by a local veterinarian. All that was left was a slight runny nose (which he was still on antibiotics for) and he was back to his normal self, playing in the sink and cuddling with our family.

One day when I was leaving for work, Ponyo slipped out unnoticed. He wandered over to our elderly neighbor's house where he sat and cried, wanting in, as he was an indoor cat and was obviously terrified to be suddenly stuck outside. Our neighbor didn't know it was our cat and called the dog warden to come pick him up. When I got home from work that night, I realized he was missing and while we were outside looking for him, our neighbor heard us and told us what happened. Her son in law called the dog warden to see where our beloved pet was taken, and we were told he was taken to the Humane Society of Parkersburg.

By the time we found out where he was, the HSOP was already closed. I tried to call and leave a voicemail, but their mailbox was full. I emailed the humane society manager and also left them a message on Facebook.

Later that evening, I was telling my other neighbor what happened and she had a few connections to find out who the humane officer on duty was and ask them about the cat. Turns out, they euthanized Ponyo that very day... the very day he came into the Humane Society of Parkersburg. They said he was skinny and had a runny nose, so they just figured he was a stray.

Can someone please explain to me how on earth it is "humane" to put down an animal the very day it is taken to the humane society? I would have been in to get him the very next morning, but they didn't even give Ponyo 24 hours to be reclaimed.

http://www.mariettatimes.com/page/content.detail/id/536624/Euthanization-of-newly-adopted-cat-irks-pet-owner.html?nav=5007

[kestrel91316]

1. This is why microchipping is so important. Here in Los Angeles the city animal shelters

microchip every animal they adopt out. Of course, most owners fail to follow through with registration so that the chip database has owner contact info.....

But really. This didn't have to happen. A system exists to prevent it 100%.

[GodlessBiker]

2. omg. I would be devastated. They got some 'splainin to do.

[Liberal_in_LA]

3. me too

:-(

[pnwmom]

4. Cats are supposed to be licensed here. One of the advantages

of doing so is that that wouldn't happen, assuming there was a collar with a tag on it.

[Alameda]

5. Maybe a tag would be checked, but a microchip could be missed...

the technology is still new and not always checked. Don't ask me how I know...long story! Suffice it to know, I know.

[badgerpup]

6. "Cats" and "supposed to" don't always work out...

My guys ditched their 'safety collars' so many times that I just gave up...:shrug:...and a non-safety collar is not an option.

This is why they all have microchips, except the newest kitten (10 weeks old)...
he'll be getting his as soon as he's big enough so as not to accidentally get sucked into the HUGE honkin' needle they have to use...:hide::yoiks:

And yes, I DO make sure they're in the database! So far they haven't had to use them, but that's the whole point of being prepared for stuff.

[chrisa]

7. This wouldn't have happened if the cat had tags.

:(

[tabasco]

8. Fuckers.

Assholes.

[Prophet 451]

9. Oh my Lord, tell me what I can do

Four of our kitties have come from rescue centres (the other was a stray who adopted us). We only have one right now but she'll be joined by another as soon as we've gotten over Suki's passing (I'm disabled so we only have the resources for two kitties at a time). All our cats have been microchipped and collared and they don't even go out. We donate as much as we can and sponsor a kittie cabin (converted garden shed that can house up to a dozen cats in comfort) with the British Cat's Protection League (who never put down a cat unless they're terminally ill and kinder than letting them live in pain). We put out dry food and water for strays, my other half even donates stuff she's knitted to the CPL so they can sell it in their charity shop.

I don't know what else we can do. I wish we could do more.