Winnie – the cat thrown into river inside a duffel bag – finds forever home

MASON CITY – Winnie, a cat found in a duffel bag that had been thrown into the Winnebago River 12 days ago has found her forever home, according to the Humane Society of North Iowa.

Winnie’s story made headlines when a Mason City couple witnessed a man throw a duffel bag in the river and fished it out of the chilly waters. They discovered a live cat inside the wet bag. She was brought out to the Mason City Stray Animal Shelter (co-located and managed by the Humane Society of North Iowa) and was given the name “Winnie.” A few days later, a Mason City man, William Hill, turned himself for the heinous act and has been charged with animal torture, a simple misdemeanor under Iowa’s law.

Winnie’s story of survival made it all the way up to Ken Avery, a man who lives in St. Paul, MN. In January, Ken lost his longtime feline companion to cancer. He had been waiting for the right time to bring a new cat into his life. When he heard Winnie’s story, he knew the time was now. Ken came to meet Winnie last weekend and thought she was beautiful. “Winnie deserves a good home where she is safe and happy. I knew I could provide her that home,” Ken said.

Ken returned to the Humane Society of North Iowa today to finalize Winnie’s adoption and take her home. “We are so happy that Winnie is going home with Ken. She survived her horrific ordeal and is now getting a second chance at a happy ending,” said Sybil Soukup, Executive Director of the Humane Society of North Iowa.