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Globe humane society asks people to stop dumping kittens: 'It’s cruel. It’s inhumane'

By
Published  May 24, 2023 5:43pm MST
Pets and Animals
FOX 10 Phoenix

GLOBE, Ariz. - A small humane society in rural Arizona says people are committing cruelty outside their doors.

They’re dropping off cats in the heat, trapped in cardboard boxes.

In all of Globe, High Desert Humane Society says it's the only place to take a cat, so when the shelter is full, there’s a problem.

"I want to save them all. I’m trying to. This is my heart," said Sylvia Smith with High Desert Humane Society.

Sylvia Smith with High Desert Humane Society

How they got here is a big concern though.

On Monday, just outside the Broad Street door in downtown Globe, someone left a box on a bench. Out of sight of the cameras and volunteers.

Luckily, someone found four kittens inside the box before it was too late.

"It’s just inhumane. These were bottle-feeding babies, if we had not noticed them, they could have died. They could have overheated in that box. Anything could have happened to them," Smith said.

Humane society asks people to stop dumping cats

One of the kittens had to have what they call a fox tail removed from its eye. It’s basically a prickle from a plant.

This is hardly the first time it's happened. In fact, many of the 40 cats inside High Desert have a similar story. Instead of coming when they’re open, many are dropping off cats outside and leaving in a hurry, worried they’ll be turned away from the only cat shelter in town.

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"We’re full. We’re overwhelmed. We want to help the community any way we can, but it’s just us," she said.

Another litter was abandoned in the heat outside earlier this month. Their eyes were matted together.

Now, they’re all playing. But, just a few months ago, another unauthorized drop-off outside was deadly.

"Sitting outside in the rain. They had frozen to death outside. It was devastating," Smith said.

She says to stop.

Even though they’re full, they’ll find a way to help. Leaving them outside in the elements is not OK.

"Please don’t do that," Smith said. "It’s sad. It’s cruel. It’s inhumane."

The cats dropped off Monday are doing great and will be able to be adopted in a few months.