Animals, pets being abandoned across CT at a ‘crisis’ level, advocates say

A mother cat was killed when she was hit by a car this week after being abandoned along with several of her kittens outside an animal shelter in North Haven — highlighting one of the many reasons why deserting animals outside of shelters is a cruel and inhumane practice, animal advocates say.

The staff at The Animal Haven on Mill Road — a no-kill, not-for-profit shelter — found a small box over the weekend with kittens’ heads “popping” out of it that had ear mites and fleas and were left next to the shelter’s dog kennel to fend for themselves. Shelter workers later found four adult cats “shaking in fear” nearby under an empty pallet and were horrified to later discover that the mother of the abandoned kittens had been killed when she was hit by a car.

“These people just dumped the kittens in a box and threw the adult cats out,” said Michelle DeRosa, manager at The Animal Haven.

“It’s very upsetting,” DeRosa continued. “It’s just disgusting.”

Robin “Zilla” Cannamela, president and co-founder of Desmond’s Army Animal Law Advocates, told The Courant that The Animal Haven is just one of many shelters “inundated” with abandoned animals and that the issue is something that is being seen across the state — so much so that the group’s Facebook page makes regular posts entitled “The Daily Dump” that highlight cases of dogs and cats that are “just dumped” by their owner.

Cannamela cited recent examples of this in Southington, Prospect and New Haven “all in the span of, since the weekend, not even a week.” In one instance, a dog was thrown over an 8-foot fence and suffered two broken legs as a result and, in another, a dog had a severe eye injury and head injuries that suggested it was being used as a “bait dog” in dog fighting.

“We’re in crisis,” Cannamela said. “It’s awful.”

“It’s every day in multiple towns, cities,” she continued.

“I haven’t seen it this bad,” DeRosa said, adding that her shelter is over capacity and short-staffed. “Nobody has ever seen it this bad. And I don’t see it getting any better.”

According to DeRosa, the answer to the problem is simple: Don’t adopt an animal unless you intend to have it for the entirety of its life. It’s why Animal Haven has such strict criteria when adopting out animals. DeRosa said she’s not just looking to find a home for a pet. It needs to be the right home with a responsible owner who will care for the animal properly and won’t tire of it in a few months.

Anything else will lead to situations like the one over the past weekend and put the animals at risk, she said.

“That’s the mentality: Just get rid of it,” Cannamela said. “It’s awful.”

According to Cannamela, Desmond’s Army is currently following about 60 pending cases of animal cruelty in Connecticut that the group “knows about,” acting as a mouthpiece for animals that don’t have a voice of their own.

The group regularly lobbies for stricter punishments in animal cruelty cases and often offers a reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the abuse or neglect when an animal is abandoned.

The number of animals being abandoned in Connecticut on a regular basis can partially be attributed to the after-effects of the pandemic — when many people stuck at home during lockdowns purchased or adopted pets — but Cannamela said it also boils down to irresponsible pet owners who probably should have never rescued or bought an animal in the first place.

“What I always tell people is that it’s like having kids,” she said. “You can’t just abandon them and you shouldn’t do it with a pet.”

Those who do need to get rid of an animal for whatever reason should contact a rescue shelter and make arrangements to have the animal properly cared for, according to advocates.

“Get on a list, do whatever you have to do,” Cannamela said. “Be patient. You may have to hold onto it for a week or two.”

DeRosa said most shelters are over capacity and won’t immediately have space for an animal that needs a home. But she said pet owners need to do their part to hold onto an animal for as long as it takes until there is open space and it can get the care it deserves.