ANN ARBOR, Mich. (WXYZ) — The Humane Society of Huron Valley is asking the public to adopt after 149 cats were rescued from hoarding situations across the region over the past two months. The shelter has waived adoption fees for adult cats to help free up space.
Four separate hoarding cases brought cats from homes in Manchester, Ypsilanti, Northville and Ann Arbor Township to the shelter, filling every available area — including administrative offices.
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Wendy Welch, communications and marketing director at the Humane Society of Huron Valley, said the cases included both court-ordered rescues and voluntary surrenders.
"A number of them were hoarding cases and several of them were people who reached out to us, and we always really appreciate that when people are able to reach out to us, versus getting the authorities involved," Welch said.
Images from the rescue scenes show cats living in unsanitary conditions.
"There was one house that was deemed not suitable for either humans or animals," Welch said.
Landon Jackson, an animal care technician at the shelter, said the conditions the cats came from can cause lasting health problems.
"The fecal build-up, the urine. Over time, it creates a lot of ammonia in those atmospheres, and it can cause those cats to go blind," Jackson said.
Many of the rescued cats are unsocial and are being slowly introduced to human interaction as they decompress at the shelter.
"These guys are very unsocial. Right now, we're working with getting them used to people being around them," Jackson said.
Jackson said prospective adopters should be prepared for the adjustment period these animals may need.
"We're going to need those adopters to have a little bit of patience with these guys, especially with them coming from some pretty rough environments," Jackson said.
With 149 cats now occupying every corner of the building, Welch said the shelter urgently needs the community to step up.
"Right now, we have cats in all areas of our building, including the administrative offices. So, we would really appreciate it if people would step up to adopt," Welch said.
"Absolutely. Yeah, as you know, space is limited. We only have four walls here. Fortunately, we do have fosters who step up and help us with things, but we really need adopters at this point," Welch said.
The adoption fee waiver applies to adult cats. For more information on adopting, visit the Humane Society of Huron Valley's website.
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