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Larimer Humane Society Rescues 20 Cats From Wyoming Hoarding Case
Fort Collins, Colorado (August 29, 2010) – On Sunday, August 29, 2010, Larimer Humane Society will receive 20 new cats from the Humane Society of the United States as part of an overall effort to save the lives of over 150 cats that were rescued from deplorable living conditions at a Powell, Wyoming residence on August 26.
The sheriff’s department in Park County, Wyoming, called upon the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) to assist in the animal cruelty investigation and help rescue the animals from the home. HSUS immediately contacted various shelters within Colorado, including Larimer Humane Society, the Humane Society of Boulder Valley and the Dumb Friends League in Denver to ask for their support in finding loving, new homes for the felines.
A total of 90 cats will make their way to Denver following thorough veterinary checks and treatment for immediate medical concerns, as deemed necessary. Staff from Larimer Humane Society will pick up 20 of the cats and bring them to Fort Collins.
“We are pleased to support the Park County Sheriff’s Department and the HSUS in this rescue effort, ” said Judy Calhoun, executive director for Larimer Humane Society. “Thankfully, we have a tremendous staff and a dedicated team of veterinary and foster care volunteers in place who are committed to helping us in this life‐saving effort. ”
Following comprehensive medical and behavioral evaluations, all treatable cats from the Wyoming rescue will be spayed/neutered, vaccinated and micro‐chipped to ensure they’re ready for adoption. The cats are expected to be made available for adoption the week of September 6, 2010.
Select here for video of rescue operation
Its wonderful that these cats will have a chance at a new and healthy life but I wonder if the HSUS with all their resources will be financially assisting the groups receiving these pets? It is a well known fact that HSUS does not operate shelters, so one would hope that they are financially supporting these shelters with monies that people send in based on the HSUS TV ads. After all, isn't that what the public expects will be done with their donations?
How often does the public get what they think they will through HSUS donations? I've never heard of HSUS giving any of the donation money they get from any raid…er rescue…or natural disaster without either being publicly shamed into it or, as with Hurricane Katrina, the state Attorney General investigating the reason why donations aren't used for the reason HSUS asks for them.
Terrible conditions. Why do all the people from HSUS look like thugs? Tatoos and rings in places I would not like to put them myself. Where does HSUS find these people?
The HSUS is asked to assist in these situations by the local authorities, and large-scale rescues like this one generally run into the tens of thousands of dollars. Since this case is still ongoing, we don't know the final cost. However, the expense of deploying our team, operating the emergency shelter, covering various medical costs for the cats, and transporting them to area shelters will probably be similar to other cases. The shelters that agree to care for and place these animals provide an incredibly important service, and we're thankful for their participation. As DJ noted, the HSUS isn’t affiliated with local shelters. Our budget funds a variety of programs and campaigns aimed at issues like puppy mills, factory farming, and abusive hunting practices; hand-on animal rescue is just one component of our work.
I am not sure what people expect of the HSUS. It sent in a team to rescue 150 cats from a terrible hoarding situation, set up and funded a temporary shelter, and provided care for significant medical issues before the cats went to the local humane society. All of this costs money. If a local shelter cannot afford to house a cat while it is up for adoption, it does not have to take any cats. My local shelter took 30 dogs from a large puppy mill bust coordinated by the HSUS a couple of years ago, and was glad to do it. The shelter put out the call, and dozens of volunteers showed up to help.
Also, I am not sure how the HSUS ads are supposed to be misleading. All the images come from their own activities to help animals in puppy mills, fighting rings and hoarding situations just like this one. The only way the HSUS can come into these situations is if they are asked by local authorities.
The comment about the number of tattoos is ridiculous. Most of our pro athletes have more tattoos, and they get paid millions of dollars and millions of people watch them. Maybe instead of denigrating people who are trying to help, you should get off your butt and do something to help take care of these animals.