TWO RIVERS (NBC 26) — Lucky Paws Pet Boutique owner Stephanie Endries-Mueller had recently taken in a 4-week-old kitten — now named Boots — after a client found it as a stray. When she heard another kitten had been found nearby, stuck in a sewer, she was hopeful the two could be reunited.
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"We were like, 'Oh my God, he has siblings,' we're so excited, let's get them back together," Endries-Mueller said.
Two Rivers police responded and helped rescue the kitten from the sewer. The kitten was supposed to be taken to the Lakeshore Humane Society, but the shelter says it never arrived.
"I had contacted the shelter, and apparently the kitten never made it to the shelter," Endries-Mueller said.
Lucky Paws claims the kitten was released or left outdoors. The kitten was later found dead after being hit by a car. Endries-Mueller says she received photos of the kitten, and the humane society has its remains.
"It was a lot of frustration, a lot of what happened from A to B," Endries-Mueller said.
The Two Rivers Police Department confirmed officers responded to a report of a kitten in a sewer, but said it cannot release additional details because an investigation is underway.
Lakeshore Humane Society Executive Director Tina Nichols says she hopes something positive comes from the situation.
"These types of situations are always educational; we always hope that there is going to be something positive that comes out of this," Nichols said.
Nichols says the goal is clear when an animal is found.
"The goal is if someone finds a kitten, whether it's a citizen or the police department, that the kitten comes to us, comes to a safe place," Nichols said.
Endries-Mueller says she hopes the incident leads to change.
"I hope there are better ways or policies, procedures, training put in place, so we know what to do with these animals," Endries-Mueller said.
The Lakeshore Humane Society notes it is illegal to let cats roam outdoors within the city limits of Manitowoc and Two Rivers, and that awareness of the law could help prevent situations like this from happening.
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