Groups rescue nearly 50 cats in Ritzville

Groups from across the state of Washington banded together in an effort to find new homes for nearly 50 cats from Ritzville.

The 10 organizations and the Ritzville Police Department worked together to remove 48 cats and kittens on Thursday, Aug. 14, from a home on Cherry Avenue in Ritzville.

The effort began after a search warrant had been executed on the premises on July 17, following reports of an overpopulation of cats at the residence. After the Ritzville Police Department completed the search warrant, the owner of the home readily agreed to comply and find homes for the cats.

The initial estimate of cats in the home ranged around 25, and the Ritzville Police Department requested assistance from national and local groups to help with the large-scale rescue.

Washington State Director Dan Paul of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) took the lead on the efforts and brought four different organizations to the home last Thursday.

Paul had been a member of the initial crew reviewing the condition of the home and animals in July.

The homeowner had 30 days to become compliant, and Paul worked directly with the owner to ensure the cats would be relocated in a timely manner.

The owner had agreed to surrender the cats, keeping only three fixed cats to comply with city ordinances. While coordinators worked outside to build a shelter to examine the cats outside the residence, other individuals worked inside the home with the owner to crate the cats. The Ritzville Police Department stood by to assist.

The majority of the cats appeared to be under the age of four, and the initial screening and examination of the animals outside of the home showed the animals appeared to be well cared for. Only minor health issues were discovered with a select number of animals, but the majority appeared extremely healthy.

The coordinators at the site thanked and praised the owner for managing to keep the multitude of cats healthy. Many of them voiced their surprise at the condition of the animals, as it is not typical for that many cats to be rescued from one location and still be as healthy.

Ritzville Police Chief Dave McCormick said the owner agreeing to comply and surrender the animals was a great assistance to coordinators. With the agreed upon compliance, it took just over three hours for all of the animals to be removed from the home, examined and transported to the next location.

The Spokane based agency, SpokAnimal, collected all of the pregnant or nursing females, as well as all of the kittens retrieved at the site. At least two litters of kittens were found within the home, with one litter being only a few weeks old.

SpokAnimal had individuals ready to receive and process the animals at the facility in Spokane. At least two nursing and one pregnant female were transported from Ritzville. A kitten with a predetermined disability, as noted by the owner, was transported in a separate carrier to be cared for properly at the SpokAnimal facility.

The owner also informed coordinators of an older cat of a dietary issue and provided a bag of specialty cat food to be transported with the animal.

All of the information obtained from the owner was recorded and also taped to the carriers holding each animal.

The remainder of the cats traveled to Everett, Washington, and were divided between a variety of organizations.

Organizations involved in the removal and rescue of the animals are Blue Mountain Humane, Everett Animal Shelter, Homeward Pet, King County Animal Services, Pasados Safe Haven, PAWS, Purrfect Pals, Skagit Valley Humane, Adams County Pet Rescue and HSUS.

Due to lack of space, the Adams County Pet Rescue facility was unable to shelter any of the animals, but representatives from the organization assisted with the removal of the animals from the home.

ACPR representative Mikki Kison voiced her appreciation for the hard work put forth by Paul and the team who traveled to Ritzville, especially with the cost incurred to make the rescue possible.

The cats have been divided among the organizations and rescue groups involved in the process. From there, veterinarians will examine all of the animals and the cats will receive any necessary medical treatments needed.

After the examinations and medical treatments are complete, including the fixing of many of the cats, all of the animals will be available for adoption. Based on the young age, overall attractiveness and general good health of the cats, coordinators onsite believed all of the cats would be adopted in a timely manner.

“The collaboration between national and local groups in Ritzville today (Aug. 14) has saved numerous lives. We’re grateful to the Ritzville Police Department and all of the local rescue groups for stepping up to help these cats,” Paul said.

The assistance from multiple agencies allowed the rescue and the distribution of the cats to occur quickly.

At the home, a team worked inside while another team assembled outside to complete the examinations and recording of the animals. The owner always worked with the teams to ensure each cat received the proper care, especially if it had a preexisting medical condition.

The majority of the cats rescued from the home are believed to originally have been strays or abandoned cats. The owner took in some of the cats left in the area, but hopes residents do not use the location as a drop site for unwanted animals.

With three animals already residing within the home, the owner is unable to care for additional animals, and the police department or ACPR will be contacted about any animals in the area in an effort to reduce the amount of animals at the home.

Paul said the organizations involved were grateful for the owner for surrendering the cats and informing the coordinators of the needs of the animals. The entire rescue ran smoothly and the cats should be available for adoption soon.

McCormick said, “I am very thankful for the cooperation and assistance provided to our department in dealing with this issue. The individuals that showed up to assist us are very caring professionals and we are grateful for their assistance.”