Encountering abandoned creatures in distressing conditions is an unfortunately common occurrence and reality faced by those who care for animals.
Although, in many states across the country, it is illegal to abandon an animal, regrettably, it still occurs.
The animal shelter in Lewisburg, Tennessee, was astounded when someone discarded a cardboard box right at their doorstep and simply left.
The box contained eight emaciated eyes silently begging for kindness and help, much to everyone’s surprise.
A Fluffy Surprise
The representative of Lucky’s Cat House, a non-profit animal shelter in Tennessee, told The Dodo that it was their president, Jaclyn Payne, who, that morning, noticed a car pull up outside their building and quickly drive away.
She was working in the shelter’s adoption lobby when this weird thing happened.
Curious and very confused, Payne went out to investigate. To her surprise, she discovered a cardboard box with a handwritten note scrawled on the lid right in front of their doorstep.
As she opened the box cautiously, she was even more horrified.
Inside the box were eight adorable kittens (around 5 weeks old) staring back at her, pleading for help.
“Today, we faced a situation at Lucky’s. A box containing 8 fragile and starving kittens was cruelly dumped at our front door. While we have a thoughtful intake process, a waiting list, and take in cats based on what we can responsibly handle, emergencies like this remind us of the challenges we face,” the shelter wrote in their Facebook post.
Everyone at the shelter was horrified that someone could just abandon these innocent animals in broad daylight.
The kittens were obviously confused and scared.
“They were confused because they were not sure what was happening, relieved because they were finally free, and scared because they were in a new and unfamiliar environment,” the shelter’s representative told The Dodo.
According to the shelter, animal dumping in the state of Tennessee is a crime, so they’ve taken the necessary steps to prevent it by installing security cameras and putting up warning signs.
Thanks to the security camera footage and the swift response from the Lewisburg Police Department, the individual responsible for the dumping has been found and charged accordingly.
Fostering Saves Lives
Unfortunately, the shelter, which was already at full capacity, struggled to provide the space and care these little furry babies needed, so they appealed for help to their community.
“We urgently need foster homes for these 8 innocent kittens who have nowhere else to turn. Our capacity is stretched, and we’re struggling to find the space and care they deserve. If you have a spare room or any space to offer these kittens a temporary home, please, let us know,” the shelter wrote in their post.
Fostering is very important because it gives the opportunity to all those homeless, rescue animals to grow healthy and happy in a safe and warm environment.
“Fostering also frees up space at shelters and rescues, so more animals can be helped. In short, fostering saves lives,” the representative said.
The shelter’s urgent plea resulted in all eight abandoned kittens going to a safe, loving foster home.
The kittens will stay at their foster homes until they are fully vetted, fixed, and old enough to be adopted.
Seeing how cute those babies are, I’m sure they’ll find a loving forever home in no time.
If you would like to foster or adopt other cats like these kittens, please visit the Lucky’s Cat House website.