A deserted sailboat stranded near a Washington beach harbored a surprise crew: 60 cats and kittens, with many of them appearing scared and undernourished.
The peculiar rescue mission kicked off on August 6 when the Tacoma Police Department’s Marine Services Unit responded to an alert about a vacant 40-foot sailboat adrift near Owen Beach.
Upon first inspection, officers uncovered over 30 cats and kittens living in precarious and unhealthy conditions aboard the boat. Many of the animals were visibly frightened and in poor health, prompting a coordinated effort between Marine Services, Animal Control, and the department’s Forensics Unit to safely extract them.
Initially anticipating a rescue of just over 30 cats, the operation expanded to encompass 60 felines over an intensive six-day mission.
In a mammoth effort by Tacoma police, 60 cats and kittens were salvaged from a 40-foot sailing craft stranded off Owen Beach after six days of painstaking rescue work. (Tacoma Police Department)
“That’s a wrap! The final cat is off the boat. Fur real this time!” police wrote. “Final cat count: 60!”
Police said Animal Control was “as certain as they can be that all cats have officially disembarked.”
“That’s all for meow!” the department joked online.
Despite believing all 60 cats had been rescued, police said they would continue making trips to the boat this week as a precaution.
Tacoma Animal Control and Marine Services worked to safely remove 60 cats and kittens from a sailboat anchored off Owen Beach. (Tacoma Police Department)
“While we believe we have safely removed all of the cats from the boat, as any cat owner knows, cats are exceptionally good at hiding,” police said. “Because there is always a possibility that a cat may remain onboard, our work isn’t quite finished.”
The department said the additional searches would be conducted under the authority of a search warrant.
Police said Marine Services has also begun the process of having the legally registered vessel moved.
Authorities asked people visiting Owen Beach or boating nearby to notify Animal Control if they spot another cat aboard the vessel, while warning members of the public not to attempt their own rescues.
Tacoma police rescued 60 cats and kittens from a 40-foot sailboat anchored off Owen Beach in Washington after a six-day operation. (Tacoma Police Department)
“We know many animal lovers in our community want to help, and we appreciate the concern for these cats,” police said. “However, this remains an active criminal case. Our teams are working hard to protect the animals while also protecting the integrity of the investigation.”
“PLEASE DO NOT BOARD THE VESSEL unless you are the legal owner,” police added.
The warning followed an incident in which private cat rescue trapper Camille Sutherland told KING 5 she boarded the vessel overnight and captured two cats, which she took to the Humane Society.
Some of the cats and kittens discovered aboard the sailboat were frightened and malnourished, Tacoma police said. (Tacoma Police Department)
Sutherland told the outlet she was trying to help and believed authorities were taking too long to rescue the animals.
Police told KING 5 that the unauthorized boarding complicated their investigation into the vessel’s owner.
Police have not announced any arrests or charges in connection with the case.
Tacoma Police Marine Services responded to reports of an abandoned sailboat off Owen Beach before discovering dozens of cats and kittens aboard. (Tacoma Police Department)
More than 40 of the 60 rescued cats were taken to the Humane Society for Tacoma & Pierce County, while the remaining animals were placed in foster homes in the area, according to KING 5.