‘Tub of kittens’ dumped in cold parking lot — then a NY shelter came to the rescue
A shelter in New York is asking the public to consider the health of unwanted pets they’re considering surrendering after a clowder of kittens nearly froze to death.
The Dutchess County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Hyde Park issued a warning aimed at people who are looking to surrender pets during the holiday season — or any season — on Facebook.
“Yesterday, we found a covered tub of kittens that someone had dumped in our parking lot. Fortunately, an alert staff member noticed the covered tub and brought the kittens inside before they froze,” the shelter said in a Dec. 9 post. “We are reviewing our camera footage to see if we can identify the person who left them.”
While the shelter said it was an act of animal cruelty, it did note that the baby cats were left on the property of the shelter instead of somewhere more dangerous.
“Dumping defenseless animals is not only inhumane, but unnecessary,” the shelter continued. “We are grateful the person at least left them on our grounds instead of by the side of road or in a field, but they could just as easily have contacted us to surrender, and the kittens would not have had to go through the ordeal of being left in the cold in a box with barely any air.”
The shelter said people considering leaving pets at the shelter should call to “surrender them properly.”
It is unclear when or if the kittens will be up for adoption.
For more information or for updates on the kittens, visit the shelter’s website.
Hyde Park is about a 5-mile drive north from Poughkeepsie.
This story was originally published December 9, 2024 at 4:54 PM with the headline "‘Tub of kittens’ dumped in cold parking lot — then a NY shelter came to the rescue."