Kittens rescued from dumpster

Cruel. Cowardly. Those are two words that were used to describe the person who took a box of kittens and dumped them in the trash container outside the Seymour Post Office last Monday.
In the last two weeks, our staff has seen several litters of kittens around the area. First my son Mathew found a litter under our dumpster at the Seymour Business Park. Of the three kittens, one ran away, one we found a home for and the third we took home – only to have it run away the next day. Within a week we found another litter of kittens. This time it was under our storage unit behind our home. Of those three kittens and the mother we still have two kittens and mom. The third kitten found a home at a nearby neighbor.
It wasn’t more than a day later that someone came to our office and informed me that Kodak Ledford, who works as a custodian at the Seymour Post Office, had found a litter of kittens. The only difference is these kittens were facing an almost certain death. The three were placed in a cardboard box (with no identifying marks according to Ledford), and tossed into the trash container behind the post office. On top of the box were several bags of trash.
“Something made me go to the dumpster,” said Ledford. “The garbage people were coming to pick up the trash that morning and I usually wait to empty the garbage until after they pickup, but that day something told me to go.”
When Ledford went to take the trash out about twenty minutes before the garbage men were to arrive, he heard a scratching noise from inside the container. “I saw bags of garbage with a box underneath it” says Ledford. “I moved the bags out of the way and pulled the box out. When I opened it, three little kittens came flying out as if they were scared to death. I’m so glad I got the kittens out in time. Another twenty minutes and it would have been to late. The terrible thing about it is, the garbage container is in the back next to an open field. All a person would have had to do was let the kittens go rather than sentence them to certain death. At least then they would have had a fighting chance.”
Ledford has worked for the Seymour Post Office for as long as he can remember “Several years now” according to Ledford. An animal lover, Ledford doesn’t own any cats but has had several dogs. “At one point I had eleven Beagles that I used for hunting dogs. But I don’t have any animals right now. I sure wish I could have caught that person putting those kittens in the dumpster. I would have set them straight right away.”
So what is a person to do that finds a litter of kittens? There are three animal shelters within driving distance from Seymour, located in Sevier, Blount and Knox County.
According to Dr. Sterling from Smoky Mountain Animal Clinic, if you live in Knox County you can call the Knox county animal control officers and they will pick them up. The same is true in Sevier and Blount County. But only about 20% of the animals taken in will find homes.
The Human Society of Tennessee Valley has a “no kill shelter” but they only take in selected animals. “The thing people have to realize is there is no charge for leaving an animal at most shelters only for adopting an animal. There is a misconception that most shelters charge you to leave an animal and I think that deters some people from doing it,” stated Sterling. Nina Margetson from the Human Society of TN Valley stated, “We do ask for a donation when people bring in their animals. Many people do not spay or neuter their animals and then the dog or cat has a litter and they expect us to be responsible for them.”
When you do find an animal, Margetson suggests that people first should try to find the owner by putting an ad in the paper. She states that each of their cases (on accepting an animal) is taken on a case-by-case basis and if they have space for more animals. “If we only have space for 300 animals and people bring more, we just don’t have the room” states Margetson. “There are places that offer discounted spay and neutering services. For information they can call our office at 865-573-9675.”
Margetson says of the animals that do not get caught and get spayed or neutered that they will just have more litters. “It’s a never-ending cycle. The key is to have your animal spayed or neutered.”
Phillip King with the Sevier County Animal Control stated, “We’ll pick up any strays that are found in the county. All you have to do is call the Sheriff’s department. If it’s a stray the animal will be held for 72 hours before they can go up for adoption or be euthanized.” According to Phillip, the Humane Society has a “Fix a Pet” program. “I pick up about 100 animals a month. In eight years I’ve picked up about 10,000 animals. In regards to kittens, there are about two times a year that it’s a problem – 2 months where the numbers that I pick up are a lot higher.”
Margetson says the figures speak for themselves. “Knox County, for the month of August brought in 985 animals. Of those, 302 were reclaimed by owners or adopted while 660 were euthanized. People need to spay and neuter their pets.”
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If you need assistance here are a few contact numbers you can try.
BLOUNT COUNTY
Alcoa Animal Control
865-984-3010
Maryville Animal Control
426 Home Avenue
Maryville, TN 37801
865-681-2241
Humane Blount, Inc.
P. O. Box 4665
Maryville, TN 37802-4665
865-977-5233
Blount County Animal Control
865-983-3620
KNOX COUNTY
Humane Society of the Tennessee Valley Shelter
800 Millwood Road
Knoxville, TN 37920
865-573-9675
Adopt-A-Pet
6720 Kingston Pike
Knoxville, TN 37919
865-584-0496
Petsmart
214 Morrell Road
Knoxville, TN 37919
865-691-2194
SEVIER COUNTY
Sevier County Humane Society Animal Shelter
959 Gnatty Branch Road
Sevierville, TN 37862
865-453-7000
Sevier County Animal Control
865-453-4668
Sevierville Animal Control
865-453-5506
Knox County Animal Control
865-215-5240
Knoxville Animal Control
865-521-1297
Little Friends Adoption Center
1117 Oak Center Drive
Sevierville, TN 37862
865-429-5552
Little Friends is a facility you can pick out your cat, kitten or puppy. Please note, however, that no animals are to be dropped off at Little Friends. This is an “adoption” facility only. Any animal being brought into the shelter needs to be taken to the main Animal Shelter at 959 Gnatty Branch Road.