Dozens of 'Extremely Hungry' Cats, Including One With Broken Leg, Rescued From Hoarder
Dozens of "extremely hungry" cats, including one with a broken leg, have been rescued from a hoarder in Weld County, Colorado. In total, 39 cats were rescued from the hoarding situation, according to animal welfare officials in the county.
The Humane Society of Weld County, an animal welfare non-profit located in the north of the state, said in a Facebook post Wednesday that it had received news of a hoarding case involving 35 cats. This figure was later revised to 39.
"Hoarding case incoming... again," the non-profit said in the Facebook post. "We just received notice that we have 35 cats arriving at our facility today. Yes, you read that right 35 cats. They will need to get extra TLC to recover and be evaluated."
In the announcement, the non-profit asked for help from the local community because they did not have enough pop-up crates to house the cats, and were also short of other supplies, such as clean linen and cat food.
"Pop-up crates are not ideal and we are still fundraising for a hoarding cat recovery room as a long-term solution, the Facebook post said. "But we need to do what we can for today. Let's get these cats the care they need!"
The next day, the non-profit posted an update saying the local community had rallied to help the 39 cats that arrived at their shelter.
"You all delivered! Literally!" the non-profit said in Thursday's post. "Last night we received the crates we needed to house the 39 cats who arrived from a hoarding case.
"We are completely blown away by the support. Thank you so much for helping us deal with this emergency situation... and on such short notice!"
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The non-profit posted a collage of the faces of several of the cats that were saved.
"Here's just a few of the faces you helped save last night. This is just the beginning. Sadly, it looks like these cats will need more medical attention than the last hoarding case bunch," the non-profit said.
"We know that one has a broken leg that's been broken for a bit. All were EXTREMELY hungry. We will update after our vet team checks all 39."
In the meantime, the non-profit said it would appreciate further donations of both supplies and money, estimating that the medical costs for all the animals, with "absolutely no issues," would amount to more than $4,000.
"We are expecting issues, which means that cost will continue to grow," the non-profit said.
"These cats had a soft space last night after a long journey. This is their fresh start. Thank you for giving that to them."
This is not the only case of animal cruelty involving large numbers of animals that has emerged recently. In August, animal shelter officials rescued 23 dogs from what they described as "deplorable conditions" at an address in Kentucky.
And 46 animals living in filthy conditions were also seized from a property in Flagler County, Florida, in September.
Newsweek has contacted The Humane Society of Weld County for comment.
