Surveillance cameras at the Humane Society of Greater Miami captured a chilling scene on Nov. 1: someone opening a car door on West Dixie Highway in North Miami Beach and tossing cats and kittens straight into the shelter’s flooded parking lot before driving away. Shelter staff rescued all 13 animals within minutes, but the footage has left workers shaken and Broward authorities now investigating.
Cats Tossed Into Standing Water as Driver Flees
According to WSVN, the footage shows the driver opening the driver’s-side door and tossing cats from the car directly into the flooded lot. Two kittens landed right next to the front tire while several others remained underneath the vehicle, the station reports. The driver then backed out and drove off, leaving the animals in the standing water.
Humane Society staff noticed the abandoned cats shortly after they were left behind and moved quickly, rescuing all 13 in a matter of minutes, per the same account. Jossie Aguirre, executive director of the Humane Society of Greater Miami, described the incident as horrific and said some of the kittens could have drowned had workers not responded so fast.
Shelter Director Calls Out a Cruel Choice
Aguirre said the driver could have left the kittens in a safe space instead, calling the method chosen that day a needlessly cruel way to handle the situation, the station notes. The shelter said it handed over the car’s tag number to Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies, since the vehicle is registered in Broward County, and Broward authorities are now investigating the case.
The Humane Society of Greater Miami describes itself as a limited-admission, adoption-guarantee shelter that commits to any animal it admits until it finds an adopter, according to the organization's admissions policy. The nonprofit says it receives no government funding, meaning its ability to take in animals depends entirely on available space and resources, and that even an intake evaluation does not guarantee a spot. For anyone considering surrendering an animal rather than abandoning it, the shelter accepts dogs and cats for evaluation, with cats required to arrive in an appropriate carrier.
A Pattern of Dumped Cats Around South Florida
This is not the first time cats have turned up abandoned outside the same shelter. In an earlier incident highlighted during NBC6 and Telemundo 51's Clear the Shelters campaign, which ran through Aug. 31, 2023, 11 Scottish Fold and British Shorthair cats and kittens were left outside the adoption center in crates, according to NBC6 South Florida. That report said all seven kittens in the group suffered severe upper respiratory infections and all four adult cats had mastitis, and one of the adult cats eventually died. The group of 11 grew to 16 after one adult cat, Chyna, gave birth to six kittens, though one of those newborns did not survive, per the outlet.
A separate dumping incident played out in Wilton Manors, where surveillance video captured a woman carrying a box and dumping at least five kittens onto the ground at Donn Eisele Park, according to CBS News Miami. A nearby resident gathered four of the five kittens and brought them to safety, and the outlet reported the animals began finding new homes within hours, with only one kitten still needing a home as of its latest update.
What Florida Law Says About Animal Abandonment
Florida Statute § 828.13 makes it a first-degree misdemeanor for a person with charge or custody of an animal to abandon it in a way that causes it to suffer injury or malnutrition, or to leave it in a public place without providing care, sustenance, protection, and shelter, according to the Florida Legislature. The statute allows for a fine of up to $5,000, or that fine combined with additional punishment under a separate sentencing statute. It remains unclear whether anyone will face charges in the North Miami Beach case, as the investigation by Broward authorities continues.
For now, the focus is on finding homes for the 13 cats and kittens pulled from the flooded lot. The Humane Society of Greater Miami says the animals need adopters or fosters and is accepting inquiries from anyone interested in taking one in.
