If You Can't Keep A Pet, Don't Just Abandon It

Waterford-East Lyme Animal Control Officer Robert Yuchniuk has seen a lot of things in his time but it's not often that he takes to his Facebook page to vent about some of the cruelties he witnesses.

This week, however, he had to give voice to his feelings after he found a cat left in freezing temperatures sometime between 5 p.m. Tuesday and 10 a.m. Wednesday outside the animal shelter. The cat was left in crate so small the animal couldn't stand up or turn around, and without food, water, and with nothing for warmth. Yuchniuk was off on Wednesday but happened to stop by the shelter to find the cat shivering next to a puddle of frozen urine in the crate. 
 
"My faith in humanity is shaken," Yuchniuk posted. "I had to take 24 hours to think about this post, and to make sure I would abide by my own rules of staying positive and constructive on my comments, this is as good as it gets." 

Resisting the temptation to say anything negative, Officer Yuchniuk decided to offer the following advice to anyone who finds they can no longer take care of a pet.  

• Contact the Connecticut Humane Society or one of the many private rescue groups active in the state to see if they can help find a new home.
• Don't just leave a pet outside in inhumane conditions. Go into the animal shelter and talk to Yuchniuk or to one of the volunteers if he's not there. At the very least, leave an email or phone message to let someone know you've dropped off a pet and provide information about the animal (age, name, shots, health history).