Animal rights groups express concern over cats residing on Hardy County property

Animal rights groups in the region are raising concerns about a troubling situation at a home in Hardy County, West Virginia, where a large number of cats are living in distressing conditions. Organizations like Shirley’s Angels in Winchester and To The ResQ in Eastern West Virginia have been involved in efforts to address the issue, but the cat population at the property continues to grow.

According to Michell Taylor, President and Founder of Shirley’s Angels Animal Rescue, the situation at the property is dire. She described seeing cats that were sick, injured, and in need of urgent medical attention. Some cats had missing eyeballs, wounds, fleas, and other health issues. The conditions at the property were alarming, with cats roaming everywhere in poor health.

The involvement of animal rights groups like Shirley’s Angels and To The ResQ began when Amy Roach and her family visited the property in response to an ad for a kitten. What they found was shocking – kittens and cats were running loose, the house was in deplorable condition, and there were signs of neglect and lack of proper care for the animals. Roach and her family ended up purchasing a kitten from the property, which was in need of immediate medical treatment.

After documenting the situation with photos, Roach and her husband shared the evidence with Anna Holland, Director of To The ResQ. This led to a collaborative effort between various organizations to rescue the cats from the property. Over 70 cats were eventually removed from the property, but there are still more in need of help.

Despite initial cooperation from the residents of the property, they eventually stopped working with the animal rights groups. Attempts to seek assistance from law enforcement, specifically Hardy County Sheriff Steven Dawson, did not yield significant results. The groups faced challenges in addressing the issue due to a lack of support and resources from local authorities.

The cats rescued from the property were found to have various health issues, including communicable diseases like Leukemia, FIV, Coronavirus, and FIP. The lack of proper veterinary care and overpopulation of cats pose a potential health risk to the community and other pets in the area.

Months after the initial rescue efforts, it has been reported that the cat population at the property has once again increased, with around 40 new kittens. Animal rights groups continue to advocate for the proper treatment and care of these animals, emphasizing the need for intervention and support from authorities.

Despite efforts to contact the family living on the property and Sheriff Dawson for comment, there has been limited response. Sheriff Dawson mentioned working with the Hardy County Humane Society to address the situation, but acknowledged the challenges in managing cat overpopulation in the county due to resource limitations.

The ongoing situation highlights the importance of addressing animal welfare issues and the need for collaborative efforts to ensure the well-being of animals in distress. Animal rights groups remain committed to advocating for the rights and protection of these cats, urging for action to be taken to address the ongoing crisis.