NORTH FORT MYERS, Fla. — A Lee County commissioner says he's committed to getting answers for a pet owner after the county shelter euthanized a cat that was there for less than two hours.
When Angela Tardiff's son noticed their cat, Kevin, didn't greet him at the door after school one day, they started looking for him.
Tardiff later discovered a neighbor had found Kevin and taken him to the Lee County Domestic Animal Services shelter that morning.
"He was the most spunky, cute, little goober that we had," Tardiff said.
Shelter intake reports show Kevin was dropped off at 8:36 a.m.
Tardiff says the shelter told her they didn't have Kevin when she called that afternoon. The next morning, when she went back to the shelter, she learned Kevin had been euthanized.
"I was just like appalled...I was like what do you mean that makes no sense. I couldn't even process it,” Tardiff said.
Paperwork shows Kevin was euthanized at 10:30 a.m. the same morning he was dropped off, just 1 hour and 54 minutes after he got there.
Hear what Commissioner Brian Hamman has to say about the situation in Community Correspondent Ella Rhoades report:
"They gave me to no chance to get him. You can't even grocery shop in that amount of time," Tardiff said.
Kevin didn't have a microchip, and according to county policy, there is no hold period for non-microchipped cats. Per ordinance, all microchipped cats are automatically held for five days at the shelter.
The shelter records indicate Kevin was euthanized because of a bad eye, which the family says he's had since he was a kitten.
Tardiff told county commissioners on Monday that she believes what the shelter did was illegal, citing Florida State Statute 823.151.
"Procedural safeguards to minimize the euthanasia of owned dogs and cats. Such safeguards shall include, but are not limited to, record verification...and proper scanning for an implanted microchip," it reads.
Domestic Animal Services says they will review their process.
In a statement online Domestic Animals Services wrote:
"The situation that arose recently was heartbreaking. Animal Services extends heartfelt condolences to Kevin the cat’s family. Animal services staff remain committed to compassionate care and continuous improvement in serving our community and its animals."
Commissioner Brian Hamman says he's committed to finding answers for Tardiff and her family and said it's a sad situation.
"They committed to us publicly that they're gonna look into this. They're going to find ways that they can do better, and I certainly will hold them to that," Hamman said.
Hamman says at the next commissioners meeting, he wants an update from the shelter.
Shelter data from April shows 18% of cats were euthanized.
"Is there something more we can do when we evaluate animals especially cats that come in to make sure that this is not somebody's pet? I mean, I think absolutely we have to ask those questions in order for the public to make sure that they can trust that we're doing a good job for them going forward," Hamman said.
The shelter has been dealing with a significant cat population.
Since April 1, 2025, approximately 700 cats have been brought to Lee County Domestic Animal Services' shelter, according to Lee County. They say on average, 20 cats arrive each day, except Sunday when the shelter is closed.
In the last two years, LCDAS has added three positions to assist with the feline population: a foster coordinator, an adoption coordinator, and a rescue coordinator.
Tardiff is demanding change so this does not happen to another family. She wants to see the individual responsible for euthanizing Kevin terminated.
She also wants owners to have more time for their cat to be at the shelter, if they're not chipped.
Find previous reporting on community concerns about Lee County Shelter conditions here.
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