Owner surrenders 80 cats over to Guelph Humane Society

The Guelph Humane Society says it was a busy but exciting day on Wednesday after over 80 cats were removed from a single home and surrendered into its care.

“Obviously this is an unusual circumstance,” said the organization’s associate director, Lisa Veit.

Each cat received an intake exam, which includes an evaluation by a veterinarian, vaccines and de-worming. They will still need to be spayed or neutered and any medical issues will also need to be addressed.

“We’re in the early stages right now,” Veit said, adding that the initial cost would be $20,000 minimum.

“We know that there will likely be additional medical costs. As we evaluate the cats, we will get a better understanding of that,” she said.

Details about where the cats came from have not been made public by the Humane Society, but Veit said the owner of the cats contacted them.

“It’s a large number of animals to be in a home,” she said. “In cases like this obviously, there are questions and concerns.”

While she didn’t comment on the conditions the cats were living in, the Humane Society contacted the province through their animal welfare hotline that is used to report suspected cases of cruelty or neglect.

Global News has reached out to the Ministry of the Solicitor General for more information.

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The Guelph Humane Society is preparing to move from their shelter at 500 Wellington St. W to a new facility in the Hanlon Creek Business Park.

Their current facility has been described as cramped and overcrowded.

“We’ve commented several times this morning about how our new space will be so much more helpful in processing this number of animals coming in at one time,” Veit said.

“This shelter has been here for almost 50 years and we’ve clearly outgrown this space.”

They are aiming to move into the new shelter in the fall.

The current shelter does not have the capacity to hold all of the cats, so most will be sent to foster homes before the adoption process can begin.

The organization is also looking for support from the community to help pay for the cats’ care and medical needs.

Donations are being accepted on the Guelph Humane Society’s website or they can be dropped off at the shelter.

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Despite the gruelling day for shelter staff, Veit said the challenge was exciting.

“They have all responded to our need and the needs of these cats. Staff have come in on their days off, everyone is working extra hours,” she said.

The hope now is that the community will come through with donations, she added.

“We really appreciate the community’s support and it’s so important in cases like this.”