A Child's Glimpse into the World of Uncaring Adults - They Killed my Cat

I feel bad for this child and especially for his cat. Several times before this happened, there were opportunities by adults to do the right thing, but they didn't. Shame on the neighbors who lied. Shame on the rescue woman who was too busy "training" someone to make a note - great training by the way. Examples of shameless adults helping make one boy wonder, "does anyone really care?"

From a letter to the local paper the boy and his dad wrote:

On Wednesday after work my dad went to the animal shelter as it was closing. They didn’t want to let him in, but they did. He asked if there was a cat with long black fluffy hair there. They let my dad in to look at the cages, and there was Toothless! He was curled up laying in the back of the cage very scared. When my dad made his funny meow sound that he does to make him come home, Toothless jumped up and came to the screen and rubbed up against it and was so happy to see my dad, and he wasn’t scared anymore.

My dad went back the next day to get our kitty and they told him they didn’t have any long-haired black cats. They only had a white fluffy cat. My dad waited a long time for the lady to come back and talk to him. The same lady that told my dad to come back the next day said she was sorry. She had forgotten to leave a note to tell the people my dad would be there for Toothless and they had just killed my cat that morning. She had just forgotten to write a note to save a member of my family. They killed him and I don’t know why.

My dad found out where he had been picked up and it was our neighbors down the street that don’t like cats and dogs. They had caught him in a trap and gave him to the police to take him away. When Devin and I knocked on their door and asked if they had seen Toothless they told us no, and that was a lie. My dad and mom tell me and Devin not to lie and that is right. I didn’t think big people lied because they are grown ups and know what is right. Now I don’t know what to do. My cat Toothless is dead; the people that killed him didn’t even give him to my dad so we could bury him. What do I do now?

Sad and what a bunch of losers who hurt this kid.

heartless adults

ColoradoJens

Ah, so sad. The bastards. I hope they're named and shamed all over the internet for that dirty trick. Shame on the rescue centre (or whatever it was) that put a healthy cat down. They should put their money into neutering then let them go outside if they haven't a home to go to.

Calling someone to come pick up a stray animal is like reporting a piece of litter. Live and let live, animals are people too.

reply to post by ColoradoJens


This hurts my heart.. The women who worked at the shelter and 'forgot' to write the note owes them more than an apology in my opinion..
Poor kid and family.. They lost a family member..
My question is why put down a healthy animal so fast? Or at all? I feel they did the out of pure laziness and selfishness taking the easy way out instead of taking care of that cat and helping it get adopted (which in this case wouldn't be necessary because the owners already had claimed it)
I thought 'shelter' in animal shelter insinuated help.. It makes me sad when animals are looked at and treated as a nuisance instead of a life this story really hurts my heart..
Poor kid and poor Mr.Toothless

This is absolutely horrendous. That poor boy, poor family, poor Toothless

And it's not like it can be made right either, you can't bring Toothless back, and another cat will still not undo what is done. What a crap situation.

Ugh.

reply to post by ColoradoJens


Just so sad,however,If I had been the father who went to the shelter and saw my cat there,there is no way in hell that I would have left without him.

Originally posted by nake13
reply to post by ColoradoJens

 

Just so sad,however,If I had been the father who went to the shelter and saw my cat there,there is no way in hell that I would have left without him.

Me too. My cat, he's coming home, no argument!
Most people these days though are used to being told what to do, and I expect this guy just did as he was told believing it would all be ok.

Best thing they can do is make a lot of noise to make sure procedures are changed so that this never happens again, I bet Toothless wasnt the fist but maybe Toothless's daeth could make it the last.

The dad probably didn't have the cat basket with him and assumed (wrongly) that the cat was safe till morning. I can see no other reason for him leaving without him.

Ill tell you right now, if my dog had been there, It would of taken the Police to get me to leave with out my dog, and even than I would of been camped out at the door until they opened the next mourning.

As for the neighbor... well, id deal with that a different way, nothing illegal, but their life on that block would become intolerable.

reply to post by wigit


You see no other reason because you couldn't be bothered to read the actual article, not hassling ya, but read first: try a quick Google search. Sad story, hopefully taught the father a lesson in life about how pets by law need to be licensed, cats included. Would have been a different story for him if he followed the rules. No where elsewhere does it say anything about these imaginary Cat haters that trapped and called the police, nice hype for the sheep. I don't know any Police department in the country that shows up for feral cats. Too much sounds like hype about this for me to care for one second longer about a dead cat in Utah.

reply to post by ColoradoJens


Very sad story!

It is very sad for this child to have lost a pet,,,,,given!

But what example was the parents setting by allowing the cat to run around the neighborhood? Hell! People can't even walk around safely anymore, but yet because of irresponsible pet owners, it is easy to blame the pound for the pets death

I am a slave to my cat, and am very well aware of the dangers of allowing him to go outside. I am the human who is responsible for taking care of him! Not my neighbors or anyone else!

People need to wake the hell up and stop saying you love your pets like a member of your family, while allowing them to be put into danger in the first place!

Would you allow your children (members of your family) to roam around the neighborhood when you perhaps know that there are evil people out there who want to harm them???

I am not saying that it isn't a tradgedy that this cat was killed, but I think it is time for people who claim that they love their pets to PROVE it by protecting and looking after them!!

It may not seem like a big deal to some here, but it meant alot to the 8yo, who not only lost a companion but bit of his childhood.
I was going to go into a rant about the shelter employee and the responsibilty of pet ownership. But, I don't have it in me. Such a tragic situation for the child...and Toothless.

RIP Toothless

Whaa, thats nasty.
How dare they.

How dare they let their cat roam around the streets at night, and not even bother to get it chipped.
Taking the time to CARE for the cat would have saved its life.

If I could talk to that little boy I would tell him that the love in his heart is the best thing on this planet. Some other people don't have that in them. They try to make others feel sad or just don't pay enough attention to others feelings. That is their problem. Don't make it yours. Don't become like them by changing that love in your heart to hate or revenge. This is the time to show them that you are loving by forgiving them for their mistakes instead of hating them back.

One way they win. The other you do. You are special because you care. Always remember that.

Originally posted by DangerMcBacon
reply to post by wigit

 

You see no other reason because you couldn't be bothered to read the actual article, not hassling ya, but read first: try a quick Google search. Sad story, hopefully taught the father a lesson in life about how pets by law need to be licensed, cats included. Would have been a different story for him if he followed the rules. No where elsewhere does it say anything about these imaginary Cat haters that trapped and called the police, nice hype for the sheep. I don't know any Police department in the country that shows up for feral cats. Too much sounds like hype about this for me to care for one second longer about a dead cat in Utah.

edit on 7/10/12 by DangerMcBacon because: (no reason given)

I know there's ten sides to every story. My reaction is to the one I read here. The only one I want to read. Thanks.

ps You need licences for cats over there? There a good reason for that other than another money raking scam?

WHAT KIND OF WORLD ARE WE LIVING IN?!?
Don't the shelter people know that cats make great child care-takers? Or is it only Argentinian cats? They should just release all of the cats from the shelters into the streets to take care of all the homeless children, they'd do a better job than some parents...less cats to murder plus they'd do their part in society

but seriously, that is no "shelter" it's a detainment facility...I feel so badly for this child, and his now warped view of the world..