Oshkosh animal shelter says pet owner left dog and litter of kittens outside building overnight

OSHKOSH, Wis. (WBAY) - The Oshkosh Area Humane Society is reminding the public to give them a heads-up before dropping off animals, after an owner dropped off a large group of animals in front of the shelter overnight.

Last week, one of the shelter’s employees came into work at 7 a.m. to find a crate with two adult cats and eight kittens in it, and a dog tied to the bench in front of the shelter.

Leaving that many animals unannounced for the shelter to deal with is taxing on the shelter’s resources, Oshkosh Area Humane Society said.

“We had already scheduled 12 cats to come in that day, which means we took in 22 cats in one day. Also, nearly every dog kennel is already full,” the shelter said online. “We have a long wait list of dogs waiting to come into our care; taking another dog in pushes everyone on that list, which is unfair to those who follow our processes.”

The animals were left outside in the dark for 10 hours. The shelter said there are predators who could have attacked the dog, or the dog could have chewed through his leash, or twisted it around himself and become injured.

“This post is not intended to shame the people who obviously very much needed our help,” the shelter said. “We are just asking that people in need call us first so that we can be prepared, and can help the animals in the best way possible.”