It was a 100-degree day in Merced County, California when a local sheriff's deputy noticed a U-Haul van in a Taco Bell parking lot -- with
nearly a dozen cats pressed up against the windshield, in distress.Local authorities took action immediately, knowing that
these cats were in immense danger and didn't have much time. On a day like that,
a car's interior can quickly reach nearly 150 degrees Fahrenheit.Inside,
the horrors continued. 136 cats were crammed inside that U-haul.
One fifth of them were dead, and the rest were in utter agony.Sign the petition to demand justice for these poor cats!28 cats had already died. The remaining 106 were described as "extremely emaciated." They had no access to food in the van, nor water.
Some of the animals were as young as
one week old. These cats are now safe in the care of shelter and veterinary staff, and once they recover they will be adopted into loving homes where something like this will never befall them again.
But the state that these cats are in right now clearly points to prolonged, extreme neglect. The woman responsible for these cats' suffering has been found and charged, but we need to ensure that true justice is sought. We need a full investigation into how she was able to obtain and keep so many cats, and how long she has been doing this so that we can be sure there are no other animals that she has been neglecting and no one else involved.
Then, we need her to be banned from ever owning or working with animals ever. Again.
Sign the petition if you want justice for the dozens of neglected cats recovered from a U-Haul!Photo courtesy of Merced County Sheriff's Office