BRADENTON -- Two cats are recovering in a Manatee county animal shelter as investigators work to find the person who left them to starve in a cage.
Manatee County spokesperson Michael Strollo says the two surviving cats were found July 29th on Lena Road in Bradenton, dehydrated at about half their body weight. A third cat died during the ordeal. A good Samaritan discovered the cats and brought the cage closer to the road so animal welfare could find it.
Animal welfare supervisor Steven Bell is leading the investigation. He says the one-year-old gray tabbies were left out in the open with no buildings nearby, and there's no surveillance video. He's hoping someone might have seen someone drop off the cats and perhaps caught a license plate number.
If you have any clues, Bell asks you to call (941) 742-5933 and press option 1.
Strollo says it'll take some time to get the cats back to a normal weight, as they can't feed too much too quickly. Once the cats are healthy again, they'll be put up for adoption.
Hear more about the cats and the case by listening to our Beyond the News podcast below.
Photo: Manatee County Animal Welfare/Canva