From Local 3 News: Walker County Animal Shelter is is working to help nearly 100 animals rescued from a hoarding situation. LaFayette
From Local 3 News: Walker County Animal Shelter is is working to help nearly 100 animals rescued from a hoarding situation.
LaFayette Police Department contacted the shelter on Monday to assist in rescuing 83 cats and 10 dogs. Walker County’s Animal Services Director, Jeff Mitchell, says they thought 30 animals needed help. But the shelter picked up three times that number.
“93 in one day can obviously overwhelm us very easily,” he says.
Mitchell says it probably took a year and a half to accumulate so many animals. He says some kittens were just a day old.
He says the shelter typically sees 93 animals in a month.
“It’s just with the sheer number we need to get down for quality of care, so we have enough animals and staff to properly maintain them,” Mitchell says.
The shelter can hold 120 animals, but he says they typically keep around 80. He says at the time of intake, they were already at capacity for cats, at 25.
They had to convert an empty room into a space for the new cats.
Mitchell says they keep extra kennels for cases like these, and they have reached out to other shelters. He says local groups and neighboring communities, including Chattanooga’s Humane for Educational Society, have offered to help.
“You don’t necessarily have to wait till Monday for one of these,” he says. “We’ve got several throughout the shelter that have similar stories. They have similar stories, and they need help as well.”
He says some animals will be ready for adoption by Monday. Taking home an animal already in the shelter will help with space issues and give the animals the second chance they deserve. He says most of the 83 cats have been claimed, but there are plenty of animals that need a loving home.
Mitchell says hoarding cases are not unusual. He says the solution is to have pets spayed and neutered.
“The situation out here wouldn’t happen if the female at the beginning of the cycle was fixed,” he says.
If you are in need of resources for spaying and neutering, microchipping, or other needs, Mitchell urges you to reach out to local shelters for help. If you would like to donate, call the shelter for more information.
If you are interested in adopting, you are required to fill out a form. You can find this information, as well as a list of animals for adoption, at Walker County’s Animal Shelter’s website.
“It takes a whole village,” Mitchell says. “I want to thank everyone who has helped and supported us.”
