143 Cats Have Been Recovered From One Alberta Man's Home (VIDEO)
The Alberta SPCA has just concluded a two-month operation to recover 143 cats in Edmonton, Alberta. Once rescued, the cats were checked by vets, and were spayed or neutered. Some of the cats were then placed for adoption by the Humane Society, while others were taken to partner agencies. All 143 cats were recovered by the Alberta SPCA from just one home.
The cats were not found in distress but the animal welfare organization continues to stress the "importance of spaying and neutering to help control the pet population," the Alberta SPCA's press release explained.
According to CBC News, the Peace Officers first visited the Edmonton home on December 12, beginning a two-month process of removing the cats from the premises.
The entire process was spread out across five visits. They were able to remove 35 cats on the first visit.
CTV News reports that the operation was done in coordination with the homeowner, who will not be charged for having had 143 cats in his home. He will still be allowed to have a few cats under his care.
In a video posted by Alberta SPCA's on Youtube, the Peace Officers can be seen moving the cats to the Edmonton Humane Society.
They are being transported via a truck, with each kennel holding between 2-3 cats, seen purring or crying as they wait.
The spread-out method of the recovery was done to ease the removal process for the owner.
In their press release, Ken Dean, Director of the Animal Protection Services for the SPCA, says, "The gradual approach to removing the cats allowed the owner to properly process what was happening, and to reduce the shock of having the cats removed."
We recently removed 143 cats from a home in the greater #yeg area. The cats were generally in good health so they w… https://t.co/7kMEdseZY5— Alberta SPCA (@Alberta SPCA) 1581345000.0
This is not the first time Edmonton has had a problem with a pet hoarding situation. As many as 72 dogs were rescued from an Edmonton home six months ago after showing signs of neglect and illness.
As mentioned by the SPCA's press release, Alberta has quite a cat over-population problem. Alberta SPCA has so far investigated 10 cases of people having 20 cats or more in their homes.
They have also had to take in many pets during winter distress calls. Looks like they have their hands full.
Alberta SPCA is asking for donations from the public as the vet care and boarding of the cats are estimated to cost upwards of $25,000, as stated by MSN.
You can go on their website to make donations to help keep these cuddly cats healthy and safe.