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Box of kittens abandoned on roadside in snowstorm Fremont, OH (US)
Incident Date: Thursday, Dec 27, 2012 County: Sandusky
Disposition: Open
Suspect(s) Unknown - We need your help!
Just two days after Christmas, a Sandusky County resident found an unexpected and unfortunate gift left on the side of the road.
"The snow was coming down. It was pretty heavy. With the wind included, it was kind of treacherous out there," said Kelly Askins, with the Humane Society of Sandusky County. "We got a call from a concerned citizen that on her way to work, she had saw a box on the side of the road."
The box had been buried by the heavy snowstorm. A volunteer discovered there were four kittens inside.
"As the plows went by, they just got deeper and deeper and said if the plow went past them one more time, they would have been buried alive," she said. "The cats are about four months old."
Askins is the animal cruelty investigator for the humane society, and while the case disturbs her, she said it's becoming a trend.
The humane society has seen a spike in abuse in recent months, including three major animal hoarding cases this past year in Sandusky County.
The no-kill shelter houses about 150 dogs and cats, which is about 50 more than what they should, said Joanne McDowell, president of the humane society.
"We'd hope right now that we'd see a real change in the community, even with our low-cost programs, but there's still way too many cats," McDowell said. "The cat abuse is ongoing. They're thrown out of moving vehicles. They're thrown out in boxes. They're thrown out in litters. They're drowned. It's just really a shame."
The kittens were likely dumped on the side of the road before the storm hit, but they are doing well, Askins said. She hopes the new arrivals �" Eeny, Meenie, Miny and Mo �" will inspire people to adopt. Mo was adopted by a family on Wednesday.
Askins said, if anything, she would like to see the community take responsibility for pet ownership and realize that an animal isn't something to disregard.
"When you have your children, they're your children for life. You don't drop them off at an orphanage because the landlord where you're moving won't accept children," she said. "When you make a commitment to an animal, it's the same type of commitment. It's a lifetime commitment."
The Sandusky County Humane Society is asking anyone with additional information on the kittens to contact them at (419) 334-4517 or visit their location at 2520 Port Clinton Road in Fremont.
The humane society is offering discounts on cat adoptions, starting as low as $25.
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