KAUKAUNA (NBC 26) -- A lost cat named Walter is back and safe at home, but not before his owner and a Good Samaritan allege a Kaukauna Police Department officer took the animal and abandoned it miles away from safety instead of taking it to a humane shelter as promised.

College student finds lost cat, seeks help

College student Michael Lynch found Walter near his mother's yard on Sunday and determined the friendly animal was someone's pet rather than a feral cat.

After giving Walter food and water and posting pictures online hoping to find his owner, Lynch called the Kaukauna Police Department for assistance when local animal shelters were closed.

According to Lynch, the responding officer told him he would take Walter back to the station until the local humane association opened on Monday.

Ring camera footage shows the officer taking the cat carrier to his patrol car.

Owner discovers cat never reached shelter

The next day, Angela Lowe, Walter's owner, reached out to Lynch after seeing the cat's picture online. When Lynch told her the cat had been taken by police to the humane society, Lowe called to arrange pickup.

However, when Lowe contacted the humane association, they said no one from the Kaukauna Police Department had dropped off a cat.

Lowe declined an on-camera interview but said she learned about an alleged "cat dumping site" used by the Kaukauna Police Department through online comments. NBC 26 has not been able to verify the validity of this claim.

Cat found after hours of searching

With help from online community members, Lowe found Walter in a field Monday afternoon after hours of searching through thick brush and difficult terrain.

According to social media posts, Lowe wrote: "You wouldn't believe what we had to crawl around in - after 3 hours in the sharp brussels I was able to get to him and he crawled to me.... my friend got cut so bad she had to go get stitches!"

Police department reviewing procedures

The Kaukauna Police Department issued a statement saying: "We are looking into internal procedures to figure out how to better handle similar situations in the future."

The department would not share their current policy on handling stray animals, but city ordinance requires police to confine stray animals in a suitable animal pound for seven days before they can be sold or destroyed in a humane manner.

According to Ordinance No. 1922-2025, the police department "shall apprehend any animal running at large within the city" and "confine the same in a suitable animal pound." The ordinance states that "the keeper of the pound shall keep all animals apprehended for seven days at the animal pound, unless sooner claimed by the owner or keeper."

If an animal is not reclaimed within seven days, "the animal may be sold for the amount incurred in apprehending, keeping, and caring of the animal, or it may be destroyed in a proper and humane manner."

Mayor Tony Penterman also issued a statement saying: "I am aware of the situation and have spoken with Michael and the police department about it."

Similar controversy in region

The Kaukauna Police Department is not the first local police department to face criticism over stray animal policies this year. In January, the New London Police Department faced widespread backlash after announcing they would "no longer take in stray animals without identification, instead releasing them back onto the streets."

The New London policy stated that animals found without tags or microchips would be released "in the hopes that they will go back home," sparking outrage from residents concerned about animal welfare.

Following the criticism, New London police reversed course and began working with organizations to find solutions for handling stray animals.

Lynch has submitted a discovery request for the officer's audio and video footage and met with the mayor about the incident. He said he plans to continue pursuing accountability in the matter.

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