The purpose of this letter is to share with our community a sad occurrence that, while it turned out OK, could have been very tragic. We want to share this experience with others as a “teaching moment.”

This letter is to the person who left a kitty in a locked carrier outside the back of Fearless Kitty Rescue on Wednesday, May 17, without notifying us; what you did was not in the best interest of this animal.

We are writing this letter to you because your action was irresponsible. Instead of coming into the rescue, you left this kitty on the ground, outside, trapped in a carrier with no food, water or means of escape. Had we not stumbled upon this kitty, he would have been left outside overnight where he could have suffered greatly had a predator come upon him while he was trapped in the carrier. This kitty had no means of protecting itself or escaping.

Your actions were not wise, nor were they legal. You cannot dump a cat, locked in a carrier anywhere and drive away. Just because you dumped him in the back of a rescue facility does not mean you did not violate ARS 13-2910.

We hope this letter will be a wake-up call for anyone who thinks leaving any animal in a locked carrier with no food or water is an acceptable solution. We are asking the community for help. If you ever walk past our facility at 16832 E. Avenue of the Fountains and you see what appears to be a cat left in a carrier, please call us immediately at 480-837-7777 or contact the Sheriff’s department.

The summer heat is upon us – please make sure any animal you come across who appears in distress you seek help for it.