SALT LAKE CITY — An 8-year-old Utah boy wrote a letter to his local newspaper after an animal shelter worker failed to write a note to save his cat from being euthanized. "Yesterday grown-ups killed my kitty, my best friend, when they weren't supposed to," he said.

The letter appeared in The Herald Journal, of Logan, on Thursday. By Friday, it had received the fourth-most comments on the newspaper's website – behind three letters about Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney.

Some berated the shelter for failing to keep the cat safe. Others criticized the family for letting the cat outside, failing to have it on a leash or not looking for the cat at the shelter sooner. Still others faulted the neighbors who had trapped the cat and denied having seen it when asked.

But the boy, Rayden Sazama, just wanted to share his love of his cat, Toothless.

"I just wanted to tell people about Toothless – that I loved him," he told The Associated Press through his father, Jason Sazama, on Friday. "And that people shouldn't lie."

Sazama said he's surprised how many people didn't get the point of Rayden's letter, which the boy dictated to his grandfather: "It was about a boy sharing his love for his cat – and saying, `C'mon grown-ups.'"

Toothless, a fluffy, black cat who roamed the cow pasture next door and often brought home "presents" of field mice, slipped out his kitty door Sept. 28 and didn't return home. By Sunday, Rayden and his younger brother, Devin, were going door to door, asking neighbors if they had seen the cat.

Everyone said they hadn't seen Toothless.

Jason Sazama checked the Cache Humane Society's website but didn't see any photos resembling Toothless. After two busy days on the road for work, he decided to swing by the organization's shelter Tuesday to see if Toothless had turned up.

The shelter had already closed for the evening, but a worker allowed Sazama inside, where Toothless sat in a cage. There was just one problem: Sazama still needed to pay the impound fee at a government building that was also closed.

The worker assured Sazama the cat would be fine, and he returned home, crowing: "I found Toothless! We'll get him tomorrow."

But when Sazama returned the next day, the receipt for his impound payment in hand, he discovered that Toothless had already been euthanized. The worker had forgotten to put a note on the cage.

The Cache Humane Society did not return a telephone message Friday from the AP. When reached by The Herald Journal, Director Brenda Smith confirmed Rayden's story, saying the boy's father had visited the shelter after business hours, when the worker was busy training another employee.

"She let him in to look for the cat, but unfortunately, in training someone she forgot to leave a note on the cat's cage," Smith told the newspaper. "I've just been sick about it, and so has she."

Sazama said he has no ill will toward the shelter.

"I had to explain to my son that several adults made mistakes here," he said. "The worker made a mistake, and I should have gone to the shelter sooner."

Sazama said he even understood why the neighbors trapped the cat; he hadn't known that Toothless had been visiting the neighbors' sandbox and leaving different kinds of presents there.

But Rayden said in his letter that the neighbors lied when he asked them if they had seen the cat. "My dad and mom tell me and Devin not to lie and that is right," he said.

"Now I don't know what to do," the letter concludes. "My cat Toothless is dead; the people that killed him didn't even give him to my dad so we could bury him. What do I do now?"

___

Online:

Sazama's letter: http://bit.ly/QKGGjn

Also on HuffPost:

  • Sprinkles the Koala

    Veterinary specialist Dr Rod Straw holds 'Sprinkles' the Koala following her life saving radiation treatment at the Brisbane Veterinary Specialist Centre in Brisbane, Australia. Suffering from an extremely rare case of excessive drooling, sprinkles developed a skin infection due to the excessive moisture flowing from her mouth.

  • Elephant with Prosthetic Leg

    Motala, age 50, rests in the afternoon sun with the new prosthetic made for her at the Friends of the Asian Elephant (FAE) elephant hospital in the Mae Yao National Reserve August 29, 2011 Lampang,Thailand. Motala lost a foot many years back after stepping on a land mine and now is on her third prosthetic, as they need to be changed according to the weight of the elephant. The world's first elephant hospital assists in medical care and helps to promote a better understanding of the elephant's physiology, important in treating them for illness. For generations elephants have been a part of the Thai culture, although today the Thai elephant mostly is domesticated animal, since Thailand now has few working elephants. Many are used in the tourism sector at special elephant parks or zoos, where they perform in shows. In some cases Thailand is still deals with roaming elephants on the city streets, usually after the mahout, an elephant driver, becomes unemployed, which often causes the elephant serious stress.

  • Rhino Cow

    A bizarre three-horned cow has proven itself to be a cash cow for a farmer in Baoding, in China's Hebei province. Farmer Jia Kebing said the 2-year-old cow was born with a small bump on its head that has grown to be nearly 8 inches long and now resembles a rhino's horn. "My farm has fame in this region for this cow, and people came in just paying a visit to this cow," said Jia.

  • Kangaroo On The Loose In Washington State

    Late June 2012, this kangaroo disrupted traffic several times along a highway in Washington state.

  • Posing Praying Mantis

    Giant Malaysian Shield Praying Mantis pictured in Igor's studio in Munich, Germany.

  • Mobile Home Filled With 154 Reptiles

    Inside Walter Kidd's North Carolina trailer home were 154 reptiles, including cobras, vipers and Gila monsters. About 100 of the animals were dead and frozen, according to the Henderson County Sheriff's Office.

  • Britain's Saddest Puppy

    Six-month-old puppy Princess has such delicate skin she can't go outside. While other dogs run free at Britain's Bleakholt Animal Sanctuary, Princess must gaze through the window. But this canine, otherwise known as Britain's Saddest Puppy, has become a minor celebrity in the media.

  • Star the Duck

    District councils have slapped a collecting ban on one of the West Country's most loveable characters - Star, the bowtie wearing DUCK (pictured) See SWNS story SWDUCK; Star the duck, who has raised more than £6,500 may be forced to quit after he has been told he is no longer allowed to collect for Children's Hospice South West without a permit. District councils believe Star should be fair to all charities and want to limit how often members of the public are asked to donate by various organisations to avoid it becoming "irritating." His owner, Barrie Hayman, from Bideford, Devon, was left furious at the decision and wants to try and raise the most money possible for the sick children.

  • Scientist Swims With Whales

    Natalia Avseenko swims with beluga whales in the White Sea off the coast of northern Russia. A skinny dipping Russian researcher took a ten meter sub-zero plunge in a bid to get up close and personal with two beautiful 15 foot long beluga whales. Scientists believe that the whales could be more friendly with humans if they swim naked - but as these pictures show the clever-looking marine mammals called Matrena and Nilma seem happy to swim with the same lady whether bears all or not. Champion free diver, Natalia Avseenko, 36, from Moscow gamely jumped into an ice hole in the White Sea off the coast of northern Russia. She was able to hold her breath and swim underwater for an incredible 11 minutes. The pictures show her swimming in the minus one degree Centigrade waters - cold enough to kill a normal person in 15 minutes. Beluga whales generally shy away from conventional scuba divers because they dislike the bubbles they produce. It is thought the synthetic materials used to make wet suits smell bad to them.

  • Cat Cafes Threatened In Tokyo

    TOKYO - JANUARY 20: A woman strokes a cat at Nekorobi cat cafe on January 20, 2009 in Tokyo, Japan. Changes to Japan's Animal Protection Law threaten the future of these furry bars by imposing a curfew on cats and dogs. (Photo by Junko Kimura/Getty Images)

  • Earless Bunny

    A new-born rabbit without ears is held in Namie City, just outside the 30km exclusion zone of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station. The owner of the rabbit says it was born without ears on May 7.

  • Yoga Bear

    There's Yogi Bear, and there's yoga bear. Meet Santra, a female brown bear at the Ahtari Zoo in Finland, famous for her morning yoga stretches. After the bear woke up from a nap, amateur photographer Meta Penca took amazing shots of her fitness routine, which reportedly lasted about 15 minutes and included a number of poses.

  • Gibbon Betina

    Withe-handed gibbon mother Betina, 32, holds her 2-week-old baby at the Safari zoo in Ramat Gan near Tel Aviv on March 17. The birth of the gibbon surprised the zoo staff, as it had been 11 years since Betina last gave birth.

  • Prada

    This March 8, 2012 photo shows Nicole Andree feeding a hamburger to her dog, Prada, a 4-year-old pit bull mix, at an animal control facility in Nashville, Tenn. Andree is fighting a lengthy legal battle to save her dog's life after the animal was ordered euthanized for attacking other dogs.

  • Alexander Lacey, Animal Trainer

    Alexander Lacey, the big cat trainer for Ringling Brothers And Barnum & Bailey Circus, has been working with lions and tigers for 18 years, ever since he followed his dad into the business.

  • Hippo Goes to the Dentist

    North Carolina Zoo Chief Veterinarian Dr. Mike Loomis recently returned from Bayamon, Puerto Rico, where he helped perform a dental procedure on a 3,000-lb. old friend. Loomis, along with veterinarians and keepers from the Parque de las Sciencias museums in Bayamon, conducted dental surgery on "Tomy," a 39-year-old male hippopotamus that the N.C. Zoo veterinarian has been treating on a semi-regular basis for two decades.

  • Charlie the Cat

    He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named? No, it's Charlie -- an unlucky cat who happens to look just like the evil Lord Voldemort from the "Harry Potter" films. Charity workers are trying to find a new home for the British kitty, who lost his nose and ears to skin cancer.

  • Horse rescued from pool

    The horse, which is boarded on the 4 acres of land next to the O'Brien's home, backed into the swimming pool where it became trapped. Officials with the Brevard Zoo, a veterinarian, and the Brevard County Fire Department responded along with a hazardous materials team. The horse was not injured.

  • Heidi, The Cross-Eyed Possum

    Jeepers, creepers -- where'd she get those peepers? Heidi the cross-eyed possum has become a media sensation in Germany.

  • In this Aug. 18, 2012 photo provided by Jody Bright, Molly Palmer poses with her catch_ a 12-foot marlin that took more than four hours to get on her team

  • Open Rabbit Sport Tournament

    Lisa Marie Bach leads her pet rabbit Marie through an obstacle course in the middle-weight category at the 5th Open Rabbit Sport Tournament (5. offene Kaninchensport Turnier) on August 28, 2011 in Rommerz near Fulda, Germany. Eighty rabbits competed in light-weight, middle-weight and jumping-for-points categories at today's tournament in Rommerz that is based on Kanin Hop, or Rabbit Hopping. Rabbit Hopping is a growing trend among pet rabbit owners in Central Europe and the first European Championships are scheduled to be held later this year in Switzerland.

  • World's Smallest Living Cat -- Oct. 2011

    Fizz Girl, a Munchkin Cat from San Diego, Calif., has grabbed the record title for Shortest Living Cat. Measuring in at just 6 inches tall from floor to shoulder, Fizz Girl weighs 4 pounds, 2.3 ounces. Munchkin cats are a special breed that have little legs caused by a naturally occurring genetic mutation.

  • Man Finds Pythons In N.J. Backyard

    James Geist found two pythons in his West Milford, N.J., backyard within a few days.

  • Otis, skydiver.

    "Otis'' the pug gets his harness put on him before making his 64th skydive at the Parachute Center in Acampo with his master, veteran skydiver Will DaSilva of Galt. Otis knows that harness means he's going skydiving and sits patiently while it is put on him.

  • Seal Pup Survivor

    This little seal was nearly strangled to death when it got tangled up in a discarded G-string thong near the Lovers Leap Cliffs of New Zealand. Luckily, a passerby saw the panicked pup, and conservation workers were able to free the animal from the offending garment.

  • Camel Fight

    Afghan festival-goers watch as a "camel fight" starts during the second day of Persian new year, or "Nowruz," celebrations in Mazar-e-Sharif, in northern Afghanistan.

  • Andre The Turtle

    Thirteen months ago, Andre the turtle suffered massive injuries from boats that left a massive hole in his shell and the inside of his body exposed to the elements. However, thanks to some innovative treatments, including using orthodontic techniques to repair his shell and a vacuum treatment on open wounds, he is scheduled to be set free on Aug. 3.

  • Leaping Lemurs

    A group of lemurs encounters a unusual roadblock on the way to their feeding den: a turtle. The lemurs clearly don't want to get into a territorial spat with the creature... so they take turns leaping over it in this photo sequence shot at the Indianapolis Zoo.

  • Smallest Frog

    Some frogs eat flies. This tiny amphibian is not much bigger than one. The Microhyla nepenthicola, a newly discovered species of frog, lives in the jungle on the island of Borneo in Malaysia. It is barely larger than a pea.

  • Polydactyl Kittens -- Jan. 2012

    Undated Cats Protection handout photo of 4-month-old polydactyl kittens named Fred (left) and Ned (right), currently in the care of Cats Protection, Gosport Town Branch in the United Kingdom. They will shortly be going to their new home once they've been neutered. Ned has an extra eight digits, while his brother Fred has 10 more than the usual 18, making a total of 54 digits between them.

  • Skateboarding With Tillman

    Tillman the skateboarding dog is always learning new tricks. The famed canine skater -- who is also an acclaimed surfer and snowboarder -- made an appearance at Madame Tussauds on the Las Vegas Strip on Sept. 16.

  • Catherine Baucom, Surgeon, Avoids Traffic Jam By Riding Child's Bike To Operating Room

    When a traffic jam kept surgeon Catherine Baucom from driving to work to meet a patient, she borrowed the bike of a 7-year-old and started pedaling.

  • Moose In A Pool -- Oct. 2011

    This New Hampshire moose was swimming a little too deep, forcing nine rescue workers to help remove it from the pool.

  • Monkey Macaw

    This lazy monkey hitches a ride to the top of a tree -- by sitting on the back of a parrot. The squirrel monkey, which lives with a male and female parrot at a hotel in Colombia, was photographed by Alejandro Jaramillo after it hopped onto the macaw. These kinds of bizarre inter-species friendship aren't unheard of, but they aren't common.

  • China Liger Cubs

    In this photo taken on Thursday, May 19, 2011, a dog nurses two liger cubs at a zoo in Weihai in east China's Shandong province. Cong Wen of Xixiakou Wildlife Zoo in eastern China says four cubs were born to a female tiger and a male lion on May 13. The tiger mom fed the ligers for four days then for unknown reasons abandoned them, she says. Chinese zoo workers brought in a dog to nurse them instead, but two died of weakness. (AP)

  • Big Litter

    Hania, a 4-year-old Great Dane, feeds her 3-day-old puppies in the Warsaw suburb of Nowa Iwiczna on March 17. Hania gave birth by cesarean section to 17 puppies.

  • Animals in the News

    "Shrek," New Zealand's most famous sheep, died in June at the age of 16. This merino wether (a castrated male sheep) came to the world's attention in 2004 when he was found in a cave near the city of Otago after being on the lam for six years. He had managed to avoid capture all that time and when he was finally found, he was carrying nearly 60 lbs of untrimmed fleece, nearly six times more than the average merino fleece.

  • Dog With World's Largest Eyes

    Bruschi, a four-year-old black and white Boston Terrier, who lives with his owner, Victoria Reed, in Grapevine, Texas, holds the Guinness World Record for "dog with the largest eyes" -- a whopping 1.1 inch in diameter.

  • Gorilla With Toothache

    Two Bay Area dentists made a house call at the San Francisco Zoo on Monday, July 11, to help out a gorilla with a toothache. Dentist Dan Mairani (left) and endodontist Steve Holifield, who usually perform procedures on human patients, worked for three hours on Oscar Jonesy (O.J.), a 30-year-old male western lowland gorilla that developed an abscessed canine tooth. Thanks to this dental team, the abscess was successfully treated and the tooth was saved!

  • Trouble, The Millionaire Dog

    Hotel magnate Leona Helmsley left $12 million for her dog Trouble when she died in 2007, but a judge reduced the bequest to $2 million.

  • Elephant in Water Reservoir

    Indian army personnel use a bulldozer during a rescue mission to save a wild elephant trapped in a water reservoir tank at Bengdubi army cantonment area some 25 kms from Siliguri on August 30, 2011. A wild elephant fell into the water reservoir tank as a herd crossed the area. Army personnel of 16 Field Ammunition Depot along with wildlife elephant squad of Mahananda wildlife sanctuary joined forces to save the animal.

  • Goose and Deer Become Unlikely Friend

    Wildlife experts in Buffalo, N.Y., have been amazed by an unusual springtime friendship between a deer and a nesting goose. It's a relationship that has blossomed inside a cemetery.

  • Taxidermied Squirrel -- Dec. 2011

    Rick Nadeau has saved up quite a nut by creating taxidermied squirrels that he puts in unusual outfits. He sells his works starting at $65 all the way up to $200.

  • Sprinkles the Koala

    'Sprinkles' the Koala following her life saving radiation treatment at the Brisbane Veterinary Specialist Centre in Brisbane, Australia, August 9, 2011. Suffering from an extremely rare case of excessive drooling, sprinkles developed a skin infection due to the excessive moisture flowing from her mouth.

  • Super Egg

    Cookie Smith shows off a normal egg and a "super egg" Wednesday, May 30, 2012, in Abilene, Texas. Cookie Smith went to collect eggs from her three laying hens on Monday afternoon, and discovered one normal egg and one "super egg" in her coop.

  • Deer In Pool

  • Kangaroo's Human Lifestyle

    Beemer the kangaroo has Vegemite on toast with a side salad of fresh-picked wild grasses, accompanied by adoptive "mother" Julianne "Julz" Bradley.

  • Crocodile in Belgium -- Dec. 2011

    A man holds a crocodile with tape around its mouth, as workers from the Natuurhulpcentrum, a wildlife rehabilitation center, collect several crocodiles at a villa in Lapscheure, near the Dutch border, on Dec. 22, 2011. Police discovered eleven Nile crocodiles and one alligator (all alive) in a villa rented by a German man, Rolf D., during an investigation into financial fraud.

  • Zookeeper Lives With Lions

    Alexander Pylyshenko, 40, will live in a cage with two lions for five weeks to raise awareness about living conditions for animals in captivity.

  • Water Skiing Elephant Dies

    In this undated 1958 photo provided courtesy of Liz Dane, Dane is shown performing her act with Queenie the water skiing elephant. The Valdosta Daily Times reports that 59-year-old Queenie was euthanized Monday, June 2, 2011, after her health deteriorated.