Bartholomew County Humane Society
Bartholomew County Humane Society is refuting intense social media criticism after being accused of releasing 10 recently spayed and neutered cats into the winter cold recently.
Shawn Bliton, Humane Society executive director, said following the death of a local resident, an animal advocate contacted the humane society saying they were attempting to rescue as least 35 cats from the deceased resident’s property. Humane society officials said due to capacity and resource constraints, the facility could only take 10 cats at a time and would attempt to assess whether the cats could be adopted.
The animal advocates, who the social media posters have declined to identify, trapped 10 cats and took them to the humane society, Bliton said.
Posts on social media indicated the 10 cats consisted of an adult cat and nine 4-6 month old “kittens.” The posts also stated that the humane society agreed to spay and neuter the cats and then adopt them out. During that time, staff conducted daily care and observation. Despite claims that the cats were kittens and 3–4 months old, Bliton said the humane society veterinarian and registered veterinary technician) assessed the cats to be closer to 1 year old, not kittens.
Additionally, the cats exhibited persistent feral behavior, including extreme fear responses and repeated aggression toward staff during routine feeding and cleaning, he said. Staff were scratched and attacked multiple times, he said.
The veterinarian and vet technician determined that the cats were not adoptable, and rehabilitating them would have required months of intensive resources with no reasonable expectation of success, Bliton said. Both veterinary professionals agreed these were feral cats, not socialized cats.
On Saturday, Jan. 24th, the cats were spayed/neutered, vaccinated, and ear-tipped at no cost. No surrender fees were charged, and the humane society absorbed the full expense of housing, care, and medical treatment, Bliton said.
Humane society officials determined the most humane outcome was placement in the facility’s “managed outdoor cat colony,” Bilton said. The facility, fully maintained by the humane society, includes an insulated and heated structure, electric heated water bowls, bedding, litter boxes, and daily feeding and monitoring by staff.
A gradual transition process was used to prevent temperature shock, Bliton said. The cats were kept indoors while the ambient temperature was slowly reduced over several days. On Monday, Feb. 2, at a temperature of 30 degrees, the cats were released directly at the food and water station, ensuring they could immediately locate shelter, warmth, and resources.
Additionally, after this process began, the deceased individual’s relative came to the shelter and informed staff that:
- They had explicitly told the advocate not to take the cats.
- They were working with an individual to have the remaining cats spayed/neutered.
- They did not consent to the advocate removing cats from the property.
- They have since posted no trespassing signs and stated the advocates would be trespassed if they returned to the private property.
At this time, Bliton said the cats are thriving in the managed colony, eating, sheltered, and warm, adding that the cats are not loose or abandoned, and their placement aligns with accepted animal welfare standards for feral cats.
The humane society has asked that anyone with concerns about the social media posts by the advocates should contact Bliton at sbliton@bartholomewhumane.org. Anyone interested in volunteering with the humane society is asked to visit bartholomewhumane.org/volunteer.
