Woman surrenders her cat to shelter after being told they'd find him a home. Within an hour, though, they had killed him AND listed on the records that she wanted them to do it.

MICHIGAN -- It started with a stranger’s knock on the door. The stranger had news. Nancy Hornberger heard it and collapsed on the ground outside her Commerce Township home.

“I just don’t understand how they could do this to him,” said Nancy.

The stranger was an activist with the Michigan Political Action Committee for Animals. The group had filed a Freedom of Information Act Request for euthanasia records at the Oakland County Animal Shelter.

“He was healthy. He was lovable. They just killed him,” said Nancy.

Though healthy and lovable, Spitz had caused trouble. He fought with Nancy’s other cats and marked his territory.

She thought if he lived in a single cat home, he’d be a great pet. Nancy called the Oakland County Animal Shelter. They told her they’d put him up for adoption as long as he is healthy and adoptable.

Nancy later learned the shelter euthanized Spitz less than an hour after he got there, and recorded it as an owner requested euthanasia.

“We never, in any way, requested that. Why would I pack up all his food, his toys, and a two-page letter for the new owners if I wanted him euthanized?” said Nancy.

“It’s a fraud upon the public. It is not okay. It is unacceptable,” said Courtney Protz-Sanders of Michigan’s PAC for Animals.

She says they came to Nancy for evidence the shelter was recording the euthanasia of surrendered animals as owner requested, something that makes it’s save rate look better than it is.

Oakland County Director of Public Services Mark Newman says that isn’t true. He says not enough surrendered animals are euthanized to impact the save rate. The shelter has a relatively high save rate, and adopts out thousands of animals every year.

He responded to what happened to Nancy with one change at the shelter. The wording on the release signed when animals are surrendered is now more clear. People now sign a document requesting euthanasia if the animal is unadoptable or ill.

“If that animal is adoptable we do everything we can to find that animal a loving home,” said Newman.

As for why Spitz was put down?

“We couldn’t have given that cat to another family,” said Newman.

Newman says Spitz was euthanized because as his owner said, he loved to mark.

That made him unadoptable. He says he feels terrible that Spitz’s owners didn’t understand he was unadoptable.  He said will work with staff to make sure it is clear.

As for the shelters written policy on what makes an animal adoptable, it won’t be posted at the shelter or its website.

“It is not something we disseminate to the public, but it is our information,” said Newman.

It is information Nancy says would have saved her cat’s life.

“I would have walked out with him in my arms and he would be alive today,” said Nancy.

The Oakland County Animal Shelter provided a copy of the document that contains information on what constitutes an animal being designated as untreatable or unadoptable. You can see the document below.

(WXYZ - July 3, 2015)