The Humane Society of the United States received several complaints from area veterinarians and community members about the facility last week, prompting officials to raid the shelter on Bailey Road on Wednesday.
Hundreds of animals were evaluated and more than 295 were removed from the property, officials said. About 90 percent of the cats examined by the team were emaciated and officers found 74 dead animals.
 |
| An emaciated cat found at Last Hope Cat Kingdom on Wednesday by county officials is shown here. County officials say 74 cats were found dead at the animal sanctuary, and 200 were euthanized on-site. Photo: Merced County |
Some of the dead cats were found inside cages with live animals, while others were put inside freezers, said Mike North, county management analyst.
The owner and co-founder of the facility, Renate Schmitz, could not be reached for comment Thursday.
A team of veterinarians from across the state was present during Wednesday's search to evaluate the health conditions of the animals.
One veterinarian said more than 80 percent of the cats at the site had severe and ongoing infections involving the eyes, nose, mouth, throat, ears and skin.
Many of the cats' eyes were swollen shut and they were covered in fleas, North said. Several of the animals were euthanized on site because they were too sick to be removed, North said.
Officials determined that there were a variety of contagious diseases present at the location, as well as flea and pest problems.
Some of the diseases included feline herpes, mycoplasma, chlamydophila and feline calicivirus, according to one veterinarian's report.
The vet said the facilities at Last Hope Cat Kingdom were "substandard, overcrowded and unsanitary," ensuring that any cat brought to the center would swiftly be exposed to several infections.
Mary Jo Campodonica, president of Trails of Happy Tails, a spay and neuter group in Merced County, said she used to offer animals for adoption alongside the Last Hope Cat Kingdom at PetSmart — but stopped once she saw the sick cats.
"One of the main reasons we pulled out of there was the risk of disease," she said. "Cats spread disease so easily that it was high-risk."
Campodonica said she is heartbroken for the animals, many of which likely suffered a slow death from the deteriorating conditions.
"She should have never been allowed to have that many animals," Campodonica said. "It's just not manageable for anyone — let alone one person with a handful of volunteers."
About six or seven volunteers were present during Wednesday's search, North said.
Agencies on site during the operation included The Humane Society, the Merced County Sheriff's Department, Merced County Animal Control as well as animal control officers from Livingston, Los Banos, Turlock and Stanislaus County.
Anyone with information regarding conditions at Last Hope Cat Kingdom or anyone who has adopted animals from the site and has noticed illness that may require veterinary treatment is encouraged to call Officer Cerissa Hultgren with Merced County Animal Control at (209) 385-7436.
(Merced Sun Star - June 27, 2013)
Earlier:
No comments:
Post a Comment