By Elisa Black-Taylor
Kaitlyn Hughes was the only mommy a little orange tabby named Porkchop ever knew. He was only five months old last month when he escaped unnoticed from his home and was found by a neighbor, taken to the Mobile County animal shelter, and killed one minute later.
Kaitlyn is suing Mobile County, Alabama (acting on behalf of Mobile County Animal Shelter) for an undisclosed amount on charges of wanton negligence in a effort to bring reform to the shelter system, making them accountable for the murder of her perfectly healthy kitten.
Kaitlyn was on her way out the door around noon to run errands last month and didn’t see Porkchop run out the door. He’d never shown any interest in going outside, and had lived inside his entire short life. A neighbor found Porkchop and kept him for about two hours before taking him to the shelter. This is a very long story, so please read it when you have the time. It’s at http://lifewithcats.tv/2013/02/11/porkchops-tragic-death-at-shelter-inspires-petition-for-reform
After searching the neighborhood and the county and city shelters, Kaitlyn was eventually asked by her neighbor as to whether she’d lost a small orange kitten. When the man told her he’d taken Porkchop to the Mobile County Animal Shelter, she immediately called the shelter and told them she was on her way.
In her opinion, the shelter personnel weren’t very nice to her and couldn’t understand why she hadn’t seen Porkchop the day before when she searched their shelter. Kaitlyn was told at the front desk to go on back and search the cat rooms. Still no kitten. Finally a shelter employee named Andrew located the file and told her a very different story from the one the neighbor gave.
The shelter eventually confessed, saying Porkchop was turned into the shelter in a trap used to catch ferals. The neighbor says the kitten was never in a trap until he handed it over once he arrived with it at the shelter. The neighbor allowed the kitten to remain free while in his vehicle and had orange kitten fur covering his car upholstery to prove it. There is also video footage from the shelter to disclaim Porkchop arriving in a feral trap.
This is where things get really disturbing. The shelter has an unwritten “policy” to kill ferals on arrival because ferals don’t usually make good pets for the general population looking for an adoptable kitten.
However, the shelter has a written policy that all healthy strays turned into the shelter are to remain there for at least seven days. Then an evaluation will be held to determine whether the stray would make a good pet.
Porkchop escaped from his home at noon on January 10. According to shelter paperwork, he was processed at intake at 4:08p.m. At 4:09p.m. he was euthanized. The shelter defended their action to euthanize little Porkchop saying he was “feral and aggressive.” They must be BRILLANT animal behavior experts to be able to determine this in one minute!
Kaitlyn is suing the country, as well as everyone at the shelter who played a part in the murder of her healthy, lost kitten.
Comments, anyone? I really need to end this article before I go on a rampage and say things that really shouldn’t be on record. In other words, my mouth is about to engage before my brain. What is WRONG with the people who did this?
Well said. I have a vision of a fat troll drinking beer. Disgusting.
I’m so sorry for Porkchop, as I am sorry for all the cats that have boiling water poured on them, fed antifreeze and fed to fighting dogs as bait.
There is something seriously psychologically wrong with someone who has this obsessive need to control, especially animals who cant fight back, I bet these people have dogs and children and even wives who they beat into submission until they are cowering in the corner doing their masters will.
Do not feed the troll. He is on a cat lovers site causing trouble while he stuffs beer and snacks into his fat, stupid face. Its his idea of entertainment. Ignore him and he will go and annoy someone else.