On a cold afternoon in Albany, New York, a Good Samaritan spotted something unusual.
Near a garbage can sat a zipped duffel bag, and through a small opening, two frightened eyes stared back.
A Heartbreaking Discovery
Inside the bag was a small brown-and-black tiger cat, abandoned and left with no way out. The Good Samaritan quickly contacted animal control, who rushed the cat to the Mohawk Hudson Humane Society (MHHS), New York’s oldest and largest animal welfare group.
Despite her ordeal, the cat, later named Newt, immediately showed her sweet nature.
“I remember saying, ‘How could anyone throw you in the trash? You’re so sweet and cuddly!’ She was purring and rubbing against us for pets, almost as if to say, ‘Thank you for saving me,’” recalled Kara Murry, intake coordinator at MHHS, in an interview with The Dodo.
Newt’s first steps toward recovery included a full medical checkup, food, and fresh water.
From the start, her gentle spirit captured hearts at the shelter.
“She came right up to me for pets and love the first time I met her, which was two days after she arrived. [She] was very sweet and wanted cuddles and loved playing with pipe cleaners,” said Heather Ellis, a veterinary assistant at MHHS.
Love At First Sight
Thanks to her affectionate personality, Newt didn’t spend long at the shelter. Before long, she caught the attention of a kind man looking for a companion. It was an instant connection. He knew she belonged with him.
With her new dad, Newt finally has the life she deserves, a life where she is safe, loved, and cherished.
“As they say, one person’s trash is another person’s treasure. And this sweet girl is a truly wonderful treasure for her new dad,” shared Marguerite Pearson, MHHS’s director of marketing and communications.
No longer abandoned or afraid, Newt will spend her days surrounded by comfort and affection. May her story remind us all that every animal deserves a chance at love.