Oct19
Man Abandons Cat at PETA; Is Charged and Convicted
Posted at 05:10 PM | Permalink
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Comments (19)
PETA's headquarters in Hampton Roads, Virginia, is well known to local residents, many of whom volunteer to help animals in their spare time. Thousands in the area have taken advantage of our low-cost animal clinics and the Bea Arthur Dog Park, which is open to the community.
But every once in a while, someone visits PETA headquarters with ill intentions—like the guy who dumped this sweet, starving, nearly-naked bag of bones in our parking lot late one August night and then tried to drive away.
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Not realizing that people were watching, the driver shoved an ailing cat, who has since been named Nadia, out of his car, and ignored the terrified and confused animal as she tried to get back into the car, running after it as the man drove away. Fortunately, he was spotted by two PETA Foundation staffers who immediately approached him and saw right through his lame excuses for dumping Nadia on the street.
It took us more than 10 days, during which time the temperature soared to more than 100 degrees, to catch the poor, petrified cat. When we finally did, we rushed her to a veterinarian, who determined that Nadia was 3 pounds (!) underweight—she weighed just 5 pounds—and that she was missing hair on more than half her body, likely because of a severe allergic reaction to fleas. Nadia has been recuperating in foster care ever since and is waiting for her new forever home.
As for the heinous man who attempted to abandon her, he had his moment in court on Friday. He pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of abandonment and received a suspended sentence of a $1,000 fine and five days in jail. He was also sentenced to two years of probation, during which time he cannot own or keep any animals, and he had to pay restitution to PETA. Most importantly, he learned that abandoning an animal is never an option, no matter the circumstances.
Posted by Karin Bennett
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The part where the cat tried to chase after the car just makes me want to cry...Jesus what's wrong with people? I leave my apt to go to work and I feel horrible leaving my dog for the 4 hours until his dog walker arrives...
Posted by: Hanna | October 19, 2009 05:43 PM
agreed
it is NEVER an option
animals are not disposable
they are not objects
they are beautiful noble living compassionate beings
who deserve our respect, appreciation and care
thanks to those who saved this Kit and thanks to the legal system that is punishing this sad excuse for a man
Posted by: simara | October 19, 2009 07:20 PM
Some jail and community service for this cat abuser. I'm glad PETA saved the traumatized feline.
Posted by: Brien Comerford | October 19, 2009 09:07 PM
These type of stories make me livid. I cant for the life of me figure out people. I am the one chasing stray dogs and cats. I cant imagine pushing them out of a car and speeding away.It breaks my heart. Its for this reason that I can honestly say that I love animals more than people.
Posted by: susan | October 19, 2009 10:01 PM
HAPPY FOR NADIA, I WISH THE LAW EXTENDED TO ALL THE STATES. BUT HARDER, FOR NOW AT LEAST ITS SOMETHING.
Posted by: JHONSON BARRERA | October 19, 2009 10:44 PM
GO PETA! GO PETA! When will people learn? Animal lovers are everywhere....watching and waiting.....
Posted by: Pam Ernest | October 19, 2009 10:47 PM
What a beautiful cat!
The guy who did that is scum
Posted by: WolfGirl21 | October 19, 2009 11:28 PM
I am a volunteer at an animal shelter, & we've had cats & dogs dumped at the front door (including senior cats). (Happened at the vet. clinic I worked at once, also). It's sickening to think that people would do that. Esp. to a lovely, sweet-looking kitty like Nadia.
Posted by: WolfGirl21 | October 19, 2009 11:33 PM
Not that I'm trying to justify this man's actions in any way, but, I'm actually pretty thankful that he chose to drive all the way to PETA to drop the cat off. I think that all owners, good or bad, should feel comfortable enough to ask PETA or another organization for help. This man definitely deserved what he got (which wasn't even that bad) but I'm just worried that some bad owner will read this and just abandon their pet on the street in fear of being jailed. Nevertheless, good job PETA.
Posted by: Michele | October 20, 2009 12:51 AM
I've long ago stopped trying to figure out why or how a person could do what this cowardly drain on our oxygen supply did. Suffice it to say that sweet Nadia is safe and will find a loving, forever home.
As for this piece of excrement,stop asking why and instead organize the people of your community to demand stronger laws and punishment for humans that behave so badly.
Our society is lost. Our liberalism has dumbed us down to the point where we tolerate just about any kind of behavior. People need to get a swift kick in the ass and understand that no one has the right to be cruel and irresponsible.
His punishment should be that he spend a month, naked, with all kinds of insects crawling all over his putrid body in a remote desert. He has nothing good to offer society.
Posted by: Susan T | October 20, 2009 12:59 PM
If this man had walked into the PETA headquarters and handed Nadia over to a staff member, would that be considered abandonment?
Posted by: Rev. Meg Schramm | October 20, 2009 01:15 PM
Thanks for Michele's comment. To be clear: we have signs on all our doors, back and front saying "If we are closed, call this # for help with any animal, any time" and if someone can't cope or is about to do anything bad with an animal, all they have to do is step inside the building and hand them over. Yes, come on in. We won't yell at you if you want to "get rid of" that angel. We'll help! I work at PETA reception, so I know. Thanks!
Posted by: ReceptionQueen | October 20, 2009 02:21 PM
@ Rev. Meg Schramm: If this person, or anyone, needs to drop their animal off at our building—for any reason—we will gladly accept him or her with open arms. The issue here is that this man did not call us and did not drop Nadia off with a staff member. He just dumped her in a parking lot (and it could have been any parking lot; the PETA parking lot is no safer for an animal than any other) and left her to fend for herself.
Thank you for asking.
Posted by: Shawna Flavell | October 20, 2009 02:38 PM
He actually said he dumped her instead of surrendering her because she was in such awful shape he assumed he would get into trouble if he signed her over to an animal protection agency. Thankfully, he still got what was coming to him.
P.S. It was little Louie who tracked her to her hiding place so she could be trapped!
Posted by: Amanda | October 20, 2009 03:35 PM
5 days in jail is nothing. He should be in jail for life.
Posted by: Natasha | October 20, 2009 03:41 PM
My heart is in my throat.Just wanna cry at the thought of her running after him/the car.How desperate she must have felt at that moment.I have noticed that some people here are making it an issue that he made a half brained attempt to atleast drop her at PETA...or atleast at a facility that could assist the cat even if he went about it the wrong way.So I do see where they are coming from.We do want people to know they have somewhere to take animals when they no longer want them and if they fear punishment then they will be driven to just drop them on the street or worse..the river.However I think they are missing the bigger picture here.Look at that cat.That cat is severely neglected.Five pounds...my God!My smallest cat weighs eleven pounds and to me he looks skinny.This man should not have been arrested for abandonment he should have been arrested for animal cruelty.Point blank.
Posted by: angela | October 21, 2009 05:04 AM
Thanks Peta! Glad there were consequences for that man's horrible actions...some people have no compassion.
Posted by: Sophia | October 21, 2009 02:40 PM
Hello Roxana is my name I am of Perú, the truth than me a little hard writing and reading the goods than estan in English, since I do not speak this idiom, but however mass is big to help desires although I be (subj) in something for this nobleman cause, what PETA does I seem to grand, and the celebrities that back up this cause!! I have to do with helping in am able to to it!! XD! XD! Greetings from Perú.
Posted by: Roxana | October 21, 2009 03:06 PM
What if he would've went to the front door and offered the cat to PETA? Would it have been accepted or the guy made to do whatever with the cat? I'm sorry but alot of these post seem one-sided. I live in the Miami neighborhood where some teen skinned like 20 some cats and feared for mine getting killed. It didn't, I'm happy, and she doesn't go outside anymore. Afterall the Cubans are killing horses down here as well. I'm gald he was fined for what he did but, PLEASE stop the one-sidedness...almost racist.
Posted by: bob | October 21, 2009 03:34 PM