Katharine Towne presses rescue for answers after emotional support cat was adopted out

Actress and advocate Katharine Towne says a Los Angeles rescue adopted out her emotional support cat Sheila while she was facing a serious medical crisis in 2024. After nearly two years of private outreach, she is now going public to raise questions about rescue transparency, disability rights and accountability.

Why it matters: - Towne says Sheila was more than a pet and was an emotional support animal during years of worsening health problems. - The case raises questions about how rescues handle animals entrusted to them by disabled or medically fragile owners. - Towne says the issue goes beyond one cat and touches on trust, transparency and the responsibilities of tax-exempt animal welfare groups.

What happened: - Actress and advocate Katharine Towne says Los Angeles-based Santé D’Or Foundation adopted out her cat Sheila after she asked for the cat to be returned. - Towne says she first turned to the rescue in spring 2024 while dealing with a severe neuromuscular disease, repeated sepsis, housing instability and the terminal illness of another cat. - Towne says Sheila, a cat she rescued at two days old and raised for more than seven years, was being held while she stabilized her health and housing. - Towne says a rescue representative told her Sheila could be fostered while she secured housing and would remain in foster care for months. - Towne says she later learned Sheila would be adopted to another home.

The details: - Towne says she made major life decisions based on the rescue’s assurances, including relocating closer to her doctors, Sheila’s veterinary specialists and her support system. - Towne says she stayed in communication with the rescue while navigating serious illness and attempting to move. - Towne says the rescue stopped responding and she was later informed Sheila would be adopted out. - Towne said, “I asked for him back before he was adopted.” - Towne says the situation became harder after the death of her father, Academy Award-winning screenwriter and director Robert Towne, on July 1, 2024. - Towne says she has spent nearly two years sending private outreach, letters, meetings and legal correspondence seeking accountability, transparency and dialogue. - Towne says she has been told by rescue workers, rescues and pet owners that temporary fostering for medically vulnerable owners is a known practice and should be handled with honesty and compassion. - Towne has shared Sheila’s story publicly through the Instagram account @aboynamedsheila.

Between the lines: - Towne is framing the dispute as part of a larger ethical problem in rescue culture, especially when owners seek temporary help during illness or crisis. - She points to public reunification efforts during the Altadena fires and says the treatment of her case felt inconsistent with how rescues handled displaced families. - Towne says the experience shows how easily vulnerable people can make life-changing decisions when they believe an animal will be returned. - The timing of the adoption dispute, her father’s death and her health crisis deepened the personal stakes and made public resolution more difficult.

What's next: - Towne says she wants more information about Sheila’s whereabouts. - She is hoping the public attention will lead to honesty, accountability and meaningful dialogue. - Towne is also seeking a broader conversation about nonprofit rescue oversight, disability rights and the ethical duties of animal welfare organizations. - Towne says the central question remains why a cat with an existing home was rehomed at all.