Last week, Pasado’s Safe Haven received a chilling telephone call: two teenagers had thrown a cat from a car…
That act alone was horrible, but what we learned as the story unraveled was unfathomable. The teenagers had responded to a Craigslist advertisement placed by a woman who was unable to continue caring for her three cats and needed assistance taking them to a shelter.
Abbey is recovering at the Pasado's sanctuary but is looking for her forever home.
Crying as she bid farewell to her cats, she offered the teenagers $15 to take each cat and $15 to offset the cost of gasoline. The teenagers took the cats and the money. Once they were out of sight, they tossed one of the cats from the car. When the cat was too afraid to go into the underbrush, one of the teenagers kicked her until she limped away.
Many pet owners believe that abandoning a pet in the woods is an adequate and appropriate way to “rehome” them. Contrary to popular belief, however, domesticated animals do not regain their ancestral behavior patterns and cannot fend for themselves. Domesticated pets are unprepared to face predators and inclement weather, and abandoning them is essentially a death sentence. In addition to being inhumane, animal abandonment is also abusive and it is punishable by law.
Fortunately, the thirteen-year-old sister of one of the teenagers was in the car. Realizing how wrong her brother’s actions were, she told her mother what had happened. Her mother called the police, bravely reporting her own stepson. The cats were quickly located and the injured cat was rushed to an emergency clinic by a Pasado’s staff member to get her the critical care she needed. Though she was traumatized, the little cat named Abbey is recovering at Pasado’s and her outlook is good. She is hoping to find her forever family. Please click here if you are interested in meeting Abbey.
The girls who spoke up and reported the abuse - Breawna, left, Amanda, right.
The other two cats are also available for adoption. While there was insufficient evidence to prosecute the boy for animal cruelty, Pasado’s is thrilled that his heroic sister and mother had the courage and integrity to speak up on their behalf. The boys who killed Pasado the donkey went on to commit other crimes and it is imperative to address disturbing behavior early on. While this sad story has a happy ending, there is always a risk with putting a pet on Craigslist. Some people purchase pets for vivisection or dog fighting. There are always alternatives – and Pasado’s strives to be a part of the solution.
As a community, we can stand together and let abusers know that animal cruelty is a crime. We cannot – and will not – tolerate it in our neighborhoods. When brave citizens have the courage to report animal cruelty, Pasado’s Safe Haven is there to answer the call. We are committed to the fight against animal cruelty, but we need your help now more than ever to continue our life-saving work. Please click here and make a donation today. Thanks to the support of readers like you, Pasado’s can continue to make a difference, one life at a time.