Multiple Cats Rescued In Richmond After Being Left In The Cold

Who in the world would leave 16 cats in the middle of a winter storm to die in the cold? That is what the Berkshire Humane Society and local officials would like to know. And a reward is being offered for crucial information.

A local man came across a cat roadblock of sorts while driving near Richmond Pond in Richmond on Friday evening. It turned out to be several cats that were just left out in the cold in the midst of the winter storm.

The story, first reported on WNYT.com and then picked up by other media outlets, is tugging at the heartstrings of cat lovers and animal lovers in general around the Berkshires.

Local man and certainly good samaritan, Joshua Christman, was the man who fortunately came upon the kitties, that looked to be frightened and freezing.

Christman took to Facebook Live...

(Via Joshua Christman's Facebook profile page)

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Berkshire Humane Society executive director, John Perrault told the Berkshire Eagle that "Eight of the cats in Richmond were recovered and transported to the shelter in Pittsfield."

Unbelievably, on Saturday, six more cats were abandoned on Hunter Mountain Road in Lanesborough. Five of them were rescued by volunteers and first responders just before the temperatures dipped below zero, according to the local newspaper. 13 cats in all were rescued. A handful of others are still missing.

A reward has been offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible...

Update posted on the Berkshire Humane Society Facebook page:

Thanks to the generosity of our donors, Berkshire Humane Society is offering a $1,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for abandoning these cats and an additional six cats found in Lanesboro. Please contact Berkshire Humane Society at 413-447-7878 and we will forward information to the appropriate authorities.

We are grateful for hero Joshua Christman who came to the rescue of these cats, who were left out in the cold in advance of a storm to fend on their own. We are caring for the cats and working with local veterinarians to get them healthy. Many are nervous but friendly and we are working with them for the best possible outcome. Thank you to all who helped bring them here to safety.

As an open-admission shelter, we are here seven days a week to take in unwanted pets. We also have a pet food bank for pet owners facing financial difficulty. Pets abandoned in town or in the wild are subject to the elements, disease, predation, traffic, and other perils. If they survive, they can contribute to public health and wildlife issues. If you can no longer care for your pet, we are here to help.

One thing is for certain, we can't have too many people like Joshua Christman in the Berkshires. He should be commended for his amazing efforts. Others also showed up to help in the effort after a plea was made by Christman on social media.

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