20 cats dumped outside Mohawk Hudson Humane Society

The Mohawk Hudson Humane Society is working to find out who dumped more than 20 cats outside the shelter over the weekend while the facility was closed.

They say three women pulled up Saturday night and began unloading several boxes and a dog crate full of cats and kittens. Surveillance video shows the women throwing more loose cats out of the back of their SUV, the shelter says.

CEO Ashley Jeffrey Bouck says a neighbor who saw this happen alerted staff, who returned to the shelter to bring the cats in and begin caring for them. "We were contacted by some of our neighbors who were out walking, and they noticed that a group of people had stopped at the Humane Society and dropped off quite a few boxes and crates of cats," she said.

In a Facebook post, the Mohawk Hudson Humane Society says 20 cats – described as frightened and sickly – are recovering at the shelter.

Bouck says the shelter is there to help people, but you must call first. "This way we could best prepare if there are animals that are more sick than others," she said.

The shelter says they want to remind people that abandoning pets like this is against the law. They’re hoping the surveillance video will help identify the people involved in this case.

Anyone who finds themselves unable to care for their animals can call the shelter at 518-434-8128 or email them at admitting@mohawkhumane.org to make arrangements to safely turn them over.