Woman angry her rescued cat was put down

FLORIDA -- A St. Johns County woman says she was horrified to learn that her cat of four years had been put down by an animal control facility less than an hour after it was found safe in the engine of a rental car.

Chelsea Santoro said her cat, Tails, went missing Monday and that she had placed posters in her St. Augustine neighborhood in hopes of finding her cat.

She told News4Jax that her cat never wandered off, but that while she was having work done inside of her home, Tails walked away and ended up in the engine of her neighbor's rental car.

Santoro says a worker at Ford Bozard found the cat and took the animal to the St. Johns County Animal Shelter.

Santoro says when she learned about the cat being found, she was excited and called the shelter, only to find out Tails had been put down.

"I was horrified when I found out," said Santoro. "It just made no sense at all because he was perfectly safe and it was supposed to be a miracle story that he survived a trip in the engine and then was reunited with his owner. There's just no reason for this type of outcome."

News4Jax has asked the St. Johns County Animal Shelter for comment and awaiting a response.

Return to News4Jax later in the afternoon to learn more and find out if the shelter has a comment.
(news4jax - March 5, 2015)