UPDATE DECEMBER 25, 2016: Wally has been found! Update article coming in a few days!
Help is needed in the around-the-clock rescue mission of 16 cats who were dumped and abandoned by the boyfriend of a “cat rescuer” in Johnston County, North Carolina. It’s alleged the cat rescue knew of this either at the time the cats were taken from the home or shortly after the cats were abandoned to fend for themselves.
May this article serve several purposes: 1) for women to watch who they allow into their lives because there are many out there who hate cats 2) for the rescue community to continue to monitor those who rescue to prevent another Julianne Westberry ending 3) a call-out for those in the area to volunteer their time to help rescue these poor lost cats.
At the time of this article eight of the 16 cats have been trapped after being dumped November 30 in the vicinity of Cornwallis Road and Cleveland Road in Garner, North Carolina. All of the cats are microchipped and fixed, as the majority came from local kill shelters in Eastern North Carolina. People who live in this area are being asked to watch their neighborhood for any new cats. These cats are scared, cold and hungry after being on their own for such a long time.
If you can help, wear old but warm comfortable clothes and shoes, as temperatures have dropped below freezing several nights. Night searches are asked to bring headlights, flashlights or lanterns. Canned cat food and canned sardines are also needed, along with humane traps and towels. People are also needed to go door to door with the flyers to ask about the missing cats. Coordinator contact information is listed on the flyers posted with this article.
I would like to give credit to those who are going out around the clock, having dropped everything in their personal lives, to try to find these cats. I’ll amend this article as more names come in. These ladies are out there, destroying shoes in the mud, risking illness, in danger of wild animals attacks (yes, I’m serious).
No information is available as to whether charges will be filed against the boyfriend and the “cat rescuer.” I’ve been told both have been out helping with the search and going door to door. I also won’t post the names of those responsible, but those who have proof of their identity are welcome to sound off in the comments (please, no threats of violence and no spreading of rumors without proof).
My position as a writer is to give basic information and the facts as I know them at the time. Not to accuse or speculate.
Please share this article, especially with those in the Garner, North Carolina area or those willing to travel to that area to help. For reason of space, I chose to picture those who haven’t been found, as those are the most urgent.
Those helping in the search are listed below and I’ll be updating as more become available.
- Christine Zois
- Lori Register
- Kellie Wester
- Cindy Jackson Collins
- Laura Rashdan
- Kim Vazquez
- Silvia Delespinoza
- Suzanne Melton
- Kathy Kamins
- Laura Johnson
- Anne Smiley
- Felicia Corbett
- Tyler Corbett
- Nancy Yarosis
- Rebecca Yarosis
- Jeremy Melton
- Lori Parker
- LaVonda Fowler
- Susan Shaddock
- Karen Thompson
- Also special thanks goes to Pam Thomas who helped along with Laura with flyers being created and printed and Regina Hite, who has been there from the beginning in charge of communications.
Let’s give a big THANK YOU to all of those involved. Please keep the cats still missing in your thoughts and prayers.
Elisa
Has Tamara Lazaro been charged with anything yet?
Yes! I’ll be writing the update Thursday night. Both have been charged with animal abandonment and cruelty to animals. Check back around 7 pm eastern time. I should have it online by then.
Thanks Elisa.
If I was there I’d definitely help! Hopefully this waste of space is charged and the so called “rescuer” is too! She also should be flagged to never be able to rescue ever again! Since animal cruelty is illegal in all 50 states there should be some charges she should face as it was her responsibility to care for these cats!! And to the mom of this scum protecting her POS, maybe if you had raised him better he wouldn’t be such a dirtbag! Obviously he’s the way he is because you have always defended all the bad $h!t he has done!! Keep making excuses for the scumbag you’ve birthed and raised! The first comment she said was wrong or whatever but really what I have to say is she should have swallowed! He doesn’t deserve to be walking among the rest of us, breathing the same air, after treating animals the way he does!! He’s a serial killer in the making!
Thanks Dawn. I have corrected that typo and deleted your second comment referring to it. Thanks for nice comment.
Thank you to all for your efforts in finding these innocent babies! My heart breaks for them— I wish I was closer to help – will donate for rescue though! I remember the fire that she had last year but I do also remember of her and her father dumping cats before that !! Thank you Elise for the article … praying —
If I lived anywhere near I’d get there and help.
So would I. But at least we can share this and people may recognize the cats or they may be able to go join the search.