Caught on Camera: 4 Cats Abandoned Outside Illinois Shelter

On Monday morning one woman abandoned 4 cats outside Noah's Ark Animal Sanctuary in Rockford, Illinois, and now the shelter needs help identifying who she is.

Pet Abandonment in Illinois

As a pet owner, I can't wrap my head around people abandoning pets at animal shelters.

I understand that sometimes life changes make it impossible for people to keep their pet and they have no other choice but to relinquish ownership, but people who just dump their animals at shelters? That infuriates me.

I feel bad about making harsh judgments because you can never truly know what challenges other people are facing in life, but dumping pets at a shelter that you know is closed is spineless and cruel. Sorry, not sorry.

The sad fact is, people abandon pets at shelters, or on the side of a road, with alarming frequency so it's time for a refresher on what Illinois law says about this.

Animal Abandonment Laws in Illinois

Just in case you are unaware of Illinois laws regarding pet abandonment, here is what it says:

 No owner may abandon any animal where it may become a public charge or may suffer injury, hunger or exposure.

Basically, if you purposely leave animals outside of a shelter you know is closed, you are putting the animal in danger and it is ILLEGAL!

4 Cats Abandoned at Noah's Ark Animal Sanctuary

On Monday morning Noah's Ark Animal Sanctuary issued a plea for the community's help identifying a woman who left 4 cats outside their vet clinic. Do you know who this woman is?

If you know who this woman is, please call Noah's Ark immediately at (815) 962-2767 or email them at noah@noahsarkanimals.org. The shelter is willing to work with the woman to make the situation "right" before they press charges.

If you find yourself in a position where you can no longer care for your pets, please reach out to a local animal shelter. They have ways to help that don't involve leaving animals in crates outside of closed buildings. It should never come to that.