DANIA BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - More than a dozen cats are expected to be OK and available for adoption after good Samaritans found them abandoned inside a dog crate.
Video provided by the Humane Society of Broward County showed the felines squished together inside the small crate.
Officials there said good Samaritans made the disturbing discovery on a dirt road near Broadview Park, finding 17 cats, including some kittens as young as 8 weeks old and others as old as 4 years.
Staff at the Humane Society described the conditions the cats were found in as “heartbreaking” and “unsafe.”
Veterinarians got to work administering care to the cats and kittens who, they said, weighed only one pound. Some of those kittens were so unhealthy and underfed that, veterinary staff said, it was nearly impossible to evaluate them.
“It is heartbreaking, and it’s really sad. They were crammed in there. It’s just, you know, there are resources; if you can’t take care of your pets, please don’t abandon them like this, said Cherie Watcher, the Humane Society of Broward’s vice president of marketing. “If these cats had not been found and sat there all day today in the heat, it would’ve been horrific.”
A situation like this is not entirely uncommon.
“Seventeen cats is a lot,” Watcher said. “Couple weeks ago, somebody dropped a box of 15 guinea pigs off outside of our admissions department. So, I think if anything, it reiterates the importance of spaying and neutering your pets because it can quickly lead to a big problem.”
Staff said the vulnerable kittens will be placed under the care of experienced volunteer foster parents, who will care for them until they are well enough to be put up for adoption.
According to vets, some of the older cats have been nursed back to good health and are available for adoption.
If you are interested in adopting any of these cats or any other animals at the Humane Society of Broward County, click here.
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