UNITED KINGDOM – The family is saying the Animal Trust in Bolton put Malvyn – who they had cared for for several months – to sleep without contacting them at all.
A distraught family claims a stray cat they took to the vets for some treatment was instead put down without their permission – even though he had actually become ‘part of the family’.
Julie France, her partner Lee and their son Taylor, seven, first started feeding the black cat named Malvyn when he turned up at their door in December, last year.
After failing to track down his true owners, Julie explained that he became part of their family – eating meals with them and even sleeping in young Taylor’s bed.
However, after the concerned family took Malvyn to the vet to be treated for an infected wound, they say they were heartbroken to be told he had been put down without their consent.
The family says they had repeatedly told the Animal Trust in Bolton that they wished to bring Malvyn home after his treatment, and were even told the cat he was ‘doing well’.
However, when the excited family went to pick him up, they say a receptionist at the surgery informed them all – including Taylor – that Malvyn had been destroyed.
Animal Trust bosses are now saying they could not comment on the case for confidentiality reasons but insisted they do provide a ‘high-quality service’ to all pet owners.
However, graphic designer Julie, of Halliwell Road in Bolton , went on to say the vets confirmed Malvyn had been ‘destroyed’ as it had been a ‘busy week’.
Julie then added: “We were devastated. We first took Malvyn in on Saturday, July 23. The following day we visited but weren’t allowed to see him, but we told them we wanted to take him home after treatment.
“We called again on Tuesday and we were informed it wasn’t usual practice for strays to go home with people that bought them in and he might be re-homed, even though we said we wanted to take him home and that we had been looking after him for months. It was very odd.
“We were then called by someone at the surgery informing us that tests had been carried out which had found Malvyn had feline HIV.
“But many cats live with their disease and we reiterated our desire to bring him home.”
Julie is now saying she wants answers as to why the family weren’’t told that he was due to be put down.
She stated: “Malvyn was a happy cat, he’d probably had a tough life on the streets and had just found a forever family. He trusted us and we trusted the Animal Trust to look after him.
“He had a good few years ahead of him being cared for and loved by us. We are distraught, we would have picked him up immediately if we’d have been informed of their intentions but they didn’t call us because he was classed as a stray, but he wasn’t really.”
After being contacted about the allegations, a spokesman for the Animal Trust declined to make any comment on the family’s case.
Instead, they said this: “Due to the confidential nature of our work we are unable to comment on individual cases. We would, however, like to advise you that the Animal Trust pride themselves on the high-quality service that they provide to all of our patients and their owners.”
