PELHAM, N.H. — A resident of Pelham has faced charges of animal abuse following an alleged incident where a cat was left inside a crate, deprived of food and water, outside a shuttered pet facility during severe heat.
The Pelham Police Department stated that Kenneth Kimber, 46, is accused of leaving the cat, later recognized as Cookie Rose, outside the Northeast Pet Center on Bridge Street. On the morning of July 7, a local woman visited the business to provide food for the animals and found the cat trapped in a kennel near the entrance with no essential supplies. The woman promptly took Cookie Rose to the police.
On that day, temperatures climbed to 89 degrees, with a heat index reaching 99 degrees, leading the National Weather Service to issue a heat warning. Authorities mentioned they are not sure how long the cat had been outside the store.
Scott Merrill, the proprietor of Northeast Pet Center, informed The Sun on Wednesday that he was not present at the time and it was his parents— who look after the store and feed the animals when he is away—who found the cat.
Cpl. James Locke of the Pelham Police directed the following inquiry and followed Cookie Rose’s background using rescue records. The feline was initially registered with a Florida-based rescue organization and had recently been moved to a New Hampshire rescue group.
As per the police, Kimber had taken in Cookie Rose on July 5, only two days prior to leaving her at the animal shelter.
A warrant was issued for Kimber’s arrest, and he surrendered on Sunday. He is set to appear in Salem, N.H. District Court at 8 a.m. on August 25.
Cookie Rose has now been transferred to a nearby animal rescue group.
On Tuesday morning, the Pelham Police shared a press statement regarding the incident on Facebook. By Wednesday afternoon, the post had accumulated almost 200 comments.
It doesn’t seem like he planned to hurt the cat,” a reader remarked. “He might have taken it to a secluded area and left it there; instead, it was safely placed at a pet shelter. It’s unfortunate that the adoption didn’t succeed. Fortunately, the cat was discovered and is now being cared for.
Another person wrote, “Thank you for representing Cookie Rose. No one should be treated like that in life.”
Follow Aaron Curtis on X at @aselahcurtis, or on Bluesky at @aaronscurtis.bsky.social.
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