MSPCA-Angell staffers rescue more than a dozen cats from hoarding situation in South Carolina

SALEM, Mass. — More than a dozen cats rescued from a hoarding situation in South Carolina are now calling Massachusetts home.

The cats arrived in Salem on Friday night, after staffers from the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals-Angell Animal Medical Center drove for more than 12 hours to get them to the Bay State, shelter officials said.

“We needed to move quickly as the cats are in pretty rough shape,” said Mike Keiley, MSPCA-Angell director of adoption centers and programs and executive director of the Northeast Animal Shelter in Salem. “They were rescued from a dire situation and are lucky help arrived when it did.”

Friday’s rescue follows previous action by the Massachusetts shelters to rescue animals in need from out-of-state areas.

In December, dozens of cats and dogs were brought to Massachusetts from overcrowded animal shelters in Tennessee, Texas, and Kentucky, MSPCA officials said.

More recently, the MSPCA and NEAS were alerted to the South Carolina situation by the Berkeley Animal Center, a shelter the two organizations have been mentoring since last year.

“Berkeley has grown and evolved so much since we started working together, but they still don’t have the staffing or experience that we do when it comes to handling hoarding situations, so jumping in to help with this was a natural extension of our already existing mentorship,” said Keiley.

Keiley said the MSPCA brought shelter staff and members of its law enforcement team.

“There were about 100 cats on the property, and we needed the varied expertise to safely remove and begin rehabilitating the cats that survived,” Keiley added, noting that a couple dozen cats on the property had already died.

Keiley said the case is under investigation by local authorities.

“The property owner was posing as a legitimate animal sanctuary for cats with special needs and was clearly not qualified,” he said. “We’re grateful we were there to help rescue the surviving cats and bring some to Massachusetts where we’re confident they’ll be able to find the loving homes they deserve.”

The cats are in stable condition, but are dealing with issues related to long term neglect, including malnourishment, Keiley said.

Some of the cats also need surgery to address painful dental issues. Their care is expected to cost more than $5,000.

Anyone wishing to donate to help offset that cost may do so at mspca.org/carolinacats.

The cats are adult to senior in age and the majority are domestic shorthairs. They will be available for adoption after they receive any necessary medical treatment. Interested adopters may monitor neas.org/adopt to see when the cats are available.

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