34 "tuxedo" cats abandoned outside Novato animal shelter, bringing total to 130 by same people

[Liberal_in_LA]

Nearly three dozen cats stuffed in cardboard boxes were abandoned outside the Marin Humane Society in the middle of the night, and authorities at the shelter suspect they came from the same mystery hoarder who has been dumping felines on their doorstep for four years.

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With paws and claws crowded inside boxes, 34 cats and kittens were left outside the shelter on Bel Marin Keys Boulevard in Novato early Sunday, said Lisa Bloch, a spokeswoman for the Marin Humane Society.

Surveillance video at the shelter shows a vehicle pulling up, before three people grab and stack the meowing boxes outside the door. A note slapped on one of the boxes asked shelter workers to find homes for the cats they could no longer care for. Most of the animals are black-and-white tuxedo cats, similar to those previously dropped off.



Bloch said that over the past four years, at least 130 cats have been deserted at the shelter, possibly by the same people. The last drop-off occurred about two years ago, when 24 cats were left at the shelter’s door.


Humane society workers have not been able to track down the people dumping the cats, but they suspect it’s a local hoarder who has allowed the breeding of cats to get “out of control fast.”
http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/34-cats-abandoned-outside-Novato-animal-shelter-9208080.php

[narnian60]

1. Oh, my. So sad.

May they all find loving homes.

[uppityperson]

2. I wonder if they've offered the hoarder free spay/neuter? In really severe cases like this, it

might be worthwhile. Those poor cats, hope they get good homes.
Signed, servant of 2 tuxedos

[roody]

3. I'm sure that Marin County has

a good spay/neuter program.

[tammywammy]

4. It sounds like they don't know who the horder is. n/t

[suffragette]

8. Uppity, you have a good heart.

Just want to let you know how much I admire that about you.

[REP]

10. That particular office offers low cost spaying and neutering

And free chipping for cats.

[Gormy Cuss]

17. They can't do anything until they identify the source.

They WANT to help reduce the breeding and counsel the person(s) responsible on bettering the lives of their cats.

[tammywammy]

5. My sweet tux boy is sleeping in my lap.

He's 17 lbs of love.

[Lithos]

7. I kissed my tux girl of 17 years goodbye a year ago

Miss her everyday. Tuxedos are some of the sweetest babies ever.

[alittlelark]

9. ...they are... sorry u lost yours....

I have one in my lap now

They are awesome beasties!

[womanofthehills]

22. I love my tux boy - Mr. Lucky is his name because he walked up to my place

in the country and I am kind of in the middle of nowhere. He's my favorite cat I ever had. He's about 12 or 13 now. He even sits up and if I say "meow" he will say it back to me. I'm just crazy about tuxedo cats - Hopefully, they will all be adopted.

[leftynyc]

14. I've got two tuxedoes (brothers and rescues)

One 21 pounds, the other 18 - both love bugs (one is not so great with other people but loves me unconditionally - the other will lay in anyone's lap and kiss your nose and ears). This story breaks my heart.

[bullwinkle428]

6. Shitty way to dump your problems, but possibly the best chance these kitties will have

to lead some kind of normal and happy life.

[Little Tich]

11. Poor kitties. I hope they all get good homes to go to. n/t

[LeftyMom]

12. I can't imagine there are many dark blue second generation Caravans registered in the area.

Should be easy enough to look up.

[Warren DeMontague]

15. maybe not.

There are a lot of cars in California.

[LeftyMom]

18. But 20+ year old blue Cararavans in Marin County? Not so many.

[Warren DeMontague]

19. I'd disagree. I've seen plenty of beaters going up and down 101.

And Novato is close enough to Sonoma County, you could be talking about someone coming down from there.

Edited to add: I agree, of course, that there's a humane imperative to figure out who this is and hopefully get the spay/neuter truck out there.

[LeftyMom]

20. It would be the logical place to start looking.

Sonoma County would be the second place to look, and probably has a lot more 20+ year old minivans because a lot of people who work in the wineries and other ag have some real beaters.

But even then, there probably would be a managable number of 91-95 blue caravans registered. Most of those things died a long time ago. Hideous transmission issues. edit: Or were cash for clunkered.

[Warren DeMontague]

21. I was thinking, its unforunate the license plate is blocked in that shot

Although im not sure the resolution would be able to make it out anyway- still, even one letter or number would be a big clue.

[duncang]

13. We know a hoarder with cats

She wants to keep them all. We have slowly been able to find some place to place some of them. It is really tough to find a no kill place. We even found out about one place that needed a clothes washer and offered one we had in storage if they would take some. But they were so full they couldn't handle them. There is a big problem with options for no kill.

[Blue_Tires]

16. How do they know it's not an illegal/amateur breeder?