Officers in Washington didn’t know what to expect when they received reports of an abandoned boat, but even they were surprised when they found more than two dozen cats living inside. Since many of the felines were malnourished, they hurried to rescue them from the vessel, while investigators are still trying to figure out what happened.
Over 30 cats and kittens rescued from “unsafe” boat
On August 7, the Marine Services Unit of the Tacoma Police Department was notified to an abandoned boat floating in Commencement Bay and arrived to find it filled to the brim with over 30 cats and kittens, according to the agency’s official Facebook page and a report by News Tribune.
Public Information Officer John Correa described the encounter like a scene out of “a Studio Ghibli movie.”
“It was their boat,” he said, “and they were all out and about roaming around on it.”
As seemingly magical as the situation was, the officers observed the felines “living in unsafe conditions.” A photograph shared by police of the boat’s interior shows nearly 20 cats packed in a dusty chamber. They say that many of the cats were “frightened and malnourished,” prompting them to rescue them as quickly as possible.
Given how many cats were on the anchored vessel, the unit coordinated with Animal Control and the Forensics Unit to rescue them safely. Though the boat was abandoned, it was still under ownership, so Animal Control secured a search warrant before the rescue. The cats were brought to the Tacoma-Pierce County Humane Society for medical care and fostering.
While the Marine Service Unit uncovered the boat owner’s information, they were unable to reach him before the rescue was made. As of August 7, no arrests have been made from the incident.
As police has not yet revealed details on the type of boat, the owner’s whereabouts, or how the boat entered the bay as the investigation continues.
