Rescued Northeast Heights cat sparks ownership dispute after viral rescue

A storm-drain rescue in the Northeast Heights ended with an orange tabby back on the surface, but the harder question began once the cat was out: who was responsible for its care, and who had the right to claim it? The animal had been trapped for more than a week in a drain near Eubank and Candelaria, in the parking lot in front of the Arthur Murray Dance Studio at Eastdale Shopping Center. As temperatures climbed, neighbors gathered at the site and tried to pry up the grate, but they said the drain needed a high-powered winch and that firefighters and animal control had not been able to reach the cat.

Robert Naranjo ultimately pulled the cat from the drain and brought it up with him after climbing inside, then named the tabby Ukraine. He said he planned to keep the animal, a decision that immediately raised doubts among viewers and neighbors who worried about whether the cat already had an owner and whether the rescue had been handled in a way that would protect the animal if someone came forward. After bringing the cat to a local station, Naranjo was advised to take it to Animal Welfare, but he refused. The next morning, the station said he returned and claimed the cat was with a friend.

Albuquerque Animal Welfare says anyone who finds a dog or cat must notify the agency within 24 hours and make reasonable efforts to locate the owner. Those steps include checking for identification, scanning for a microchip, reporting the found animal, asking neighbors and posting on lost-pet sites and social media. Under city rules, stray animals without identification are held for 3 days before becoming available for adoption on the 4th day, while identified animals are held for 6 days before becoming available for adoption on the 7th day.

Bernalillo County’s rules place similar weight on accountability. The county says pet identification is mandatory and that microchips, tags or other identifiers should stay current with owner information. Its Animal Care Services ordinance says the agency’s work includes reuniting lost pets with owners, investigating cruelty complaints and providing rescue response to animals in danger. That overlap between neighborhood action, city custody rules and county welfare duties is what made this rescue so contentious: the cat was saved, but the question of who should control its future remained unsettled.