An adopted blind shelter cat was returned months later in a box which was left on the front steps, and staff have paid her tribute, telling Newsweek she is stronger and more resilient than ever.
Elena came to Greenville Humane Society in South Carolina aged just three months, a terrified 3-month-old kitten. The runt of her litter and blind in both eyes, had initially struggled with the shelter environment. Her blindness left her in a constant state of fear, hissing at every sound and living in a perpetual state of anxiety.
But despite these challenges, Elena was adopted shortly after her story was shared, and the shelter staff were overjoyed for her new beginning.
That was until late July, just months after Elena was adopted, when shelter staff arrived to find the box abandoned on their front steps, with Elena inside.
The staff were devastated, not understanding what could have led to her being returned in such a way.
“No note was left with her. We had no communication with her previous owner regarding any issues they were having or concerns with surrendering her,” Emily Zheng from the Greenville Humane Society told Newsweek.
Greenville Humane Society
When they brought her inside, they realized that in addition to her blindness, Elena had another condition, and it turned out she had developed Hydrocephalus, which causes an accumulation of fluid in the brain.
The shelter decided to rename her Mabel, giving her a new name for her newfound resilience and strength. “She’s no longer that scared, blind baby we used to know. She’s strong. She’s learning her way around Cattery,” the Greenville Humane Society said on Facebook. The other cats in the cattery began to bond with Mabel, helping her gain confidence as she adjusted to her surroundings.
In 2023, 6.5 million animals entered U.S. shelters, according to Shelter Animals Count, up 4 percent when compared to 2022 intakes. At the end of 2023, 117,000 additional dogs and cats were in the animal sheltering system compared to the same time the year before.
In 2024, a survey showed 45 percent of pet owners said they would be forced to use a credit card to cover an emergency expense for their pet, while one in four pet owners say they have considered rehoming their pet in the last 12 months.
The shelter knew that finding a forever home for Mabel would be a challenge. She requires daily medication for her Hydrocephalus, a lifelong commitment with an estimated monthly cost of $25. But the staff believed she was worth every bit of the effort, describing her as a cat with “so much love to give” who deserved a family that would love her unconditionally.
Amazingly, just hours after Mabel’s story was shared online, Greenville Humane Society announced that Mabel had been adopted by a family ready to give her all of the love and attention she needs.
“Her new family is wonderful. They saw her post and fell in love with her immediately. She was adopted within an hour of our Adoption Center opening, and we couldn’t be happier. We are feeling hopeful that she has found her forever,” Zheng said.
Thankful for Mabel’s happy ending, the shelter is keen to share how she was returned, as sadly this is not an unusual situation.
“Unfortunately, animals being abandoned on our property is fairly common. We are always working to educate our community on resources for caring for their pets and if they are looking into surrender. Nearly half of our shelter pets are surrendered by their owners and we our team works tirelessly to help support our community in any way we can,” said Zheng.
The team, like many shelters, schedules owner surrender appointments 5 days a week, working tirelessly to accommodate animal surrenders. Zheng explained: “We are hoping Elena/Mabel’s post sheds light on the reality of animal welfare and what we struggle with day to day. We are thankful we found Elena/Mabel quickly, as the outcome could have been very different if we hadn’t.”
Last week the reality of animal abandonment became sadly apparent when a dog died tied outside a shelter in New York on a dark and rainy night. The incident prompted outrage and prompted the staff from the shelter to raise awareness of the dangers of abandoning animals in this way.
