Animal shelter seeks supplies

MOSES LAKE - Forty-two cats, five rats and four dogs are recovering at the Moses Lake/Grant County Animal Shelter after being rescued from a Moses Lake home this week.

Originally, 84 cats were confiscated. Half were euthanized due to extreme infections of pneumonia and ringworm, Shelter Manager Mary DeHerrera said. Animal shelter employees expect to remove close to 40 more cats from the location on Juniper Drive.

The animals were removed from the residence after a Moses Lake woman offered to surrender them, she said. She surrendered them because she was being evicted and didn't have a means of caring for them.

The 42 surviving cats are in quarantine at the shelter, according to DeHerrera. Many are being treated for upper respiratory infections. Some of the cats are heard repeatedly sneezing and struggling for air.

Shelter employees and the Moses Lake Police Department wore masks to avoid the heavy ammonia smell while removing the animals from the residence, DeHerrera said. The first 84 cats were removed Tuesday. The dogs and rats were removed Wednesday. Approximately 40 additional cats will be removed within the next two weeks with the assistance of an organization specializing in feral cats. The feral cats are not inside the residence; they are cats the woman fed outside the home.

The feral cats will endure a health exam. Extremely ill animals will be euthanized while others will be spayed and neutered to place on farms to catch mice, she said.

The four dogs are in quarantine and appear healthy, DeHerrera said. The dogs include two pit bulls, a dachshund mix and a Chihuahua mix.

The five rats may be euthanized. Two have advanced tumors and none of them appear healthy enough for adoption. If they are deemed adoptable, the adoption fee for the rats is waived. She said the adoption fee is usually waived for exotic animals.

The surviving healthy animals should be ready for adoption within the next week.

Spayed and neutered animals cost $55 and unaltered animals cost $80. The $80 fee includes vaccinations, DeHerrera said.

The 42 cats in quarantine range from newborn to adult. One cat gave birth this week while another is in labor. She said the cat in labor may have a miscarriage due to the extreme stress of the move.

It is unclear how the Moses Lake woman came into possession of so many animals.

"She thought she was saving them. She was doing the best she could," DeHerrera said. "She just wanted to give them that second chance and we can relate to that."

She said the woman may not have realized how overwhelming it can be to care for more than 100 animals.

The shelter requests a $20 impound fee for each animal. DeHerrera said the fee was waived due to the immediacy of the situation.

She said the shelter was focused on removing the animals and placing them into a safe environment.

The Moses Lake woman did not keep any of the animals but later requested to have some of them returned, DeHerrera said. None of the animals will be released to her without advisement from law enforcement.

Due to the massive influx of infected animals, the shelter is in need of financial help, she said.

Checks made payable to the Grant County Animal Outreach can be mailed or dropped off at the animal shelter located at 6725 Randolph Road in Moses Lake.

The shelter is in need of animal food, cat litter, blankets, towels, cleaning supplies, carriers and other pet supplies.