MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — A 6-week-old kitten is in critical condition after getting hit by a car in the parking lot of Manatee County Animal Services.
The kitten, now named “Von,” — which means '"hope" in Icelandic — was left in the parking lot after shelter officials said a couple came to the facility to surrender the cat.
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“For owner surrender, we require an appointment to take those,” Hans Wohlgefahrt explained. “So, we explained to them we will make an appointment for them, and we’ll give them a packet of resources on tips for rehoming and other shelters in the area they might want to try. They left the lobby with their kitten.”
What happened next is pieced together from the numerous surveillance cameras around the shelter.
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“Cameras captured the couple walking to the car and then abandoning the cat in the parking lot. The Manatee County Sheriff’s office is now reviewing the video trying to identify that couple,” Wohlgefahrt said. "It’s a misdemeanor, animal abandonment in a public place.”
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A volunteer found the kitten out walking a dog hours after getting abandoned.
“He basically has a crushed skull,” Wohlgefahrt said. “The swelling has gone down (but) he is still critical. We are all hoping for the best. We are really hoping this cat is going to make a recovery and we are going to find the best home possible for this little guy.”
Wohlgefahrt said the cat is now under 24-hour care thanks to the help from the non-profit Friends of Manatee County Animal Services. All of the surgeries and rehabilitation will be paid for by the non-profit a critical part of the community effort to save injured dogs and cats.
