We don't know the story, so I think it makes no sense to try to pass judgement (maybe he was a good Samaritan who found the cat, though that seems unlikely seeing how the poor thing could barely move, maybe he was the neglectful owner, or maybe the cat belonged to an elderly relative who recently passed away, who knows), what I do know is that the last thing shelters should do is scare people away from turning in unwanted animals, and that is what they run the risk of doing by getting the police involved. Besides, does anyone really think he wouldn't have gotten judged if he'd turned up with a cat in that condition during business hours and done 'the right thing'? I'm glad the cat is safe, but I really think they should let it go.

Maybe it belonged to an elderly person who was senile (e.g., his mother) who was overfeeding and neglecting the cat because they didn't know better, and he had to remove the cat while they were sleeping.

I don't think he should get in trouble for dropping the cat off. He could have easily let it die and no one would have known any better. If someone makes an effort to get an animal help then they should not be hunted down and charged for doing the right thing. Punishing someone for stepping up and doing the right thing is wrong. This is why more people DON'T step up.

It's all about context. He may have been a relative of an old person, or disabled who had the cat. Obviously it wasn't starved so it doesn't make sense someone would have such a well fed cat with a fairly expensive carrier an the same time, show such disregard for grooming unless it became unmanageable and they were unable to pay for care. I tend to feel the person dropping the cat off had no choice and was caring enough to transport it to a shelter.

Not knowing why the gentleman dropped the cat off in the middle of the night, I'm just glad he did. Perhaps he works during the day and couldn't come in then. Maybe the cat belonged to a friend or relative who died. There are a lot of scenarios that could be true, and without knowing the true facts, I prefer to give the guy the benefit of the doubt. In the end, he didn't just dump the poor cat in a field somewhere to fend for itself, but took it to the shelter where it could be taken care of. That's got to count for something.

Glad Bob now has a home

I've heard of similar cases where an elderly person was beyond properly caring for and grooming a cat, but kept feeding and watering it. The man who left the cat looks competent. And the carrier it was left in was not cheap. The owner may have died and the man got care for the cat.

Having a shelter on "Dump Rd" surely isn't helping things.

I think it was very wrong for them to announce this and ask for the publics help in identifying the man. If it was his cat, in the end he did the right thing by leaving it with people who could help it. Now looking to punish him will make others fearful of turning in neglected animals and they will die a bad death.

Why are they going after the gut bringing the cat in, being hunted?? You don't know if it was him that neglected the cat! The guy could have been someone that knew the owner and said that he can't tolerate it anymore and took the cat in to the vet. People are so quick to jump into judging or thinking the most horrible scenario and they don't know jack s**t! I hope they do find him but not charge him... Yet until they get all the facts. If it was him, then so be it, arrest his a*s but if its not, which I personally don't think it is, then leave him alone and give him a reward!

Oh, that poor beautiful cat. How can anyone let an animal get in such a state? If you aren't prepared to groom a long haired cat then don't let it get that bad! It will soon be obvious if you can't deal with it. That cat was a long time neglected! Hand him over to a rescue shelter or find someone else who can look after him. As for poor Bob's mystery man - unlikely to be a good Samaritan but at least he dropped him off somewhere he would be helped. The worry is that he may have other animals in neglected states. Maybe a prosecution isn't the answer if this was an isolated case or he voluntarily gave up any other animals. We don't want to discourage people from handing over animals they can't cope with. The freedom Bob must be feeling now! Many hugs Bob!

I doubt the person who brought the cat to the shelter is the owner who neglected the cat for so long. After all why would someone who didn't care about the cat in the first place, bring him ANYWHERE. Bag, trash can, done. More likely, this guy discovered this cat with someone close or dear or important to him who he didn't want getting into trouble but couldn't allow the person to continue to mistreat the cat.

Regardless of the background and reason for abandoning the cat, everyone should be grateful he left the cat at an animal shelter rather than dumping it out in the middle of the country or city. I would rather see someone do this than dump the cat were it wouldn't get any help.

I cant believe anyone would let their cat get into such a horrible state. Perhaps this cat was a stray and this man found him like this and brought him in for help? I don't like labeling him as the culprit without any evidence. It's never safe to assume anything just on a pic. What makes me so happy is that even though this cat is old, he was properly taken in and well cared for and then some sweet person came in an adopted him. I pray the rest of his life that this kitty is treated like a king and his pampered and loved. He certainly deserves it.

MANY if not most public animal shelters require "surrender fees", that is, payment from the person who surrenders or turns in an animal to the shelter. THIS "fee" (which is often variable depending on WHO is at the front desk that day!) is inhumane and leads to SO MANY pets being dumped out on streets or in the country or after hours at animal shelters. NO ONE should have to pay to turn in a pet. MANY people cannot afford that fee. It hurts the pets the most. JUST a suggestion why the cat may have been left "after hours".

What matters is the animal got the help he so desperately needed. There are ways to find out if the man that dropped him at the shelter is abusing other animals without demonizing him for doing the right thing.

The man brought the cat in and saved the cat's quality of life in doing so. They even got a free cat carrier out of the deal. Would they rather he dump the poor kitty in a river so no one would see him? For whatever reason, someone could not take proper care of the cat and he made sure the cat made it to someone who could.

I won't judge anybody without all the facts. He could have left the cat outside and left to the elements. I had a dog whining and barking at my door after midnight. I brought it in and got maybe two hours of sleep. I took it to the shelter in the morning and discovered there were kennels outside for after hours drop off. I discovered the owner was our neighbor. Had I known it was hers, I would have woke her up in the wee small hours to take care of her dog.

I live in the area and that man looks familiar

I don´t know, if that man is "good samaritan", if he just found that cat somewhere, he could bring it to the shelter explain situation or something. But like, most people just dump unwanted pets somewhere on the street, so he at least brought it to the save space where they were able to help.

I would love to see an even later photo once his hair grows back, glad that cat got to someplace where he can be taken care of. I have a dog with long hair and know that animals with a lot of hair can be a lot of work.

And everytime when i think: it ca t be worse ..........

I don't think that guy neglected the cat. I think he either found the cat somehow or he knew the owners of the cat and took it while they weren't looking (or convinced them to give up ownership of the cat) so he could get it some help. When people abuse/neglect animals it's really unusual for them to just turn them over to someone else (like a shelter) like that.

Given the time in the morning the camera captured the drop-off, most likely the man was on his way to work. He could be the owner but I don't think so ... I think he rescued that cat from a neighbor or a relative or whatever and dropped it off not wanting the original owner to know who took their cat. Focus on the important thing, the cat got help. The man gave the cat a chance at a better life ... everything else is just speculation ... "What if there are other cats?" "What if he was the bad guy?" etc etc .... Focus on the good, not the negative.

When the publisher of this article says in the line separating the first comments from the next ones...."but others aren't buying this" haven't they made a judgement on opinions.?I thought the purpose of this publication was to share an unexpected happy ending" It appears that "issues" once again seem to be more important to sensationalize a story.. Bottom line .. the cat did not die in the carrier "dumped" in a dumpster somewhere or in a ditch somewhere... Oh and when seeing the pics ... My first thought was, "What about Bob." Does he need a new home? Hey, this cat is alive and has a chance now... isn't that what is important...???

It amazes me how animals can persevere. And with some, they can recover and love their rescuers. I have rescued animals many times, and cherish every one.

Poor baby!

kitties rule.

I refuse to dream up unfounded scenarios.

Similar to a cat at the vet I worked in when I was a kid. It was a blue persian and it's fur was one solid mat. The vet sedated it and cut away the fur, I couldn't beleive how much came off it. I think the owners took it back, so no idea if it started all over again. People shouldn't have fluffy cats if they can't be arsed to groom them.

People who neglect or abuse animals should be face prosecution.

I'd much rather the cat was dropped off somewhere he had a chance. I remember people used to drown unwanted cats. Let's not discourage someone from doing something semi right.

So sad... I can imagine how much pain that cat must have been in any time someone touched him. It’d be like having your hair pulled constantly. I remember having a cat as a kid and it was my job to brush him every day so he didn’t get mats. I wish people would understand that some animals need more grooming than others. I see this kind of s**t way too often... never this bad, though.

Whoever did that to the cat is horrible, if the man found him then great if he did that do him, not great. However if he did do this what I'm glad about is that he left him at a shelter and not in the streets. He's getting ridiculed for leaving him at the best place to be treated

The cat is safe and quite handsome now. I do love dreads but that was a little too much for me and Bob. I'm sure Bob will have a good life here on out. Kuddos to the man that dropped him off there, this could have turned out much worse.

If he was the one to let the cat get like that, then he should get punished. There would be less crimes against animals if the abusers get the same punishment as they do for committing a crime against another human. It makes me so mad!

Step 1) Find said man in video surveilance Step 2) Determine if cat was said man's pet and if the man caused this problem. Step 3) Take appropriate action.

We do not know the full story. Very happy the cat is healthy and has a forever home. There is a special place in hell for those who neglect and hurt animals.

I think if he was a good Samaritan he would've brought the cat in during normal business hours instead of abandoning it. If he truly cared about the cat he would've wanted to make sure it was taken care of. I think he was the one who neglected it & then got tired of dealing with it & then abandoned it. Poor thing. No animal deserves that.

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One more reason to not breed animals for useless traits like super-short legs, super long fur, etc. House cats are barely domesticated and, as a species, can live in the wild, since they are barely evolved from their wild ancestors. So....we're trying to make them useless creatures, like we did with dogs: Just look at the poor deformed bulldogs that live in misery, animals with snub noses that interfere with breathing, long hair that can end up like this without human interaction, etc. It's disgusting that we do this to other species.

Having worked for the rspca in the uk some years ago chances are that the man that dumped it was responsible for the state of the cat's condition, even if he wasn't responsible and took the cat from someone else and dumped it it the person that did that to the cat is now free to do it again and again!!!

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I hope they catch the evil SOB. Take responsibility and bring the cat to the vet yourself. I am sure it's either a dying or deceased relative and the cheap shIthead doesn't want to spend a dime. Seriously. This is indefensible: dumping a cat and expecting a charitable organization pay for what you can clearly afford.