Animal Rescue Corps (ARC) assisted the Tullahoma Department of Animal Control in the rescue of 68 cats found living in a single-family home with dangerously high levels of ammonia gas in Tullahoma TN, two hours south of Nashville. All of the cats were surrendered to Animal Rescue Corps by the property owner.
Sixty eight cats, including newborn litters and pregnant females, were running loose inside the home located in a residential neighborhood within the city limits. According to the property owner, she took in a few homeless cats four years ago. The unaltered cats have since multiplied into over sixty. All of the cats are exhibiting signs of upper respiratory infections from the unclean conditions and excessively high ammonia. Some of the cats are also suffering from other medical conditions like eye infections, bladder infections, external and internal parasites.
Animal Rescue Corps had just concluded a two-day rescue training course for the public on Sunday in Memphis, TN, where one of the topics was animal hoarding: a compulsive emotional attachment to collect and keep animals. "These conditions are typical of animal hoarding," said ARC President Scotlund Haisley. He continued, "the resources for cats are very limited in most communities and I'm glad the Tullahoma Department of Animal Control requested ARC's assistance to bring this sad situation to an end."
"We take cases of animal suffering very seriously in this city." said City of Tullahoma Director of Public Works, Wayne Limbaugh "These animals desperately needed help so we didn't hesitate to accept the assistance of Animal Rescue Corps and these cats are now in good hands."
In this rescue, dubbed Operation Nine Lives, ARC is safely removing the cats from the property and transporting them to ARC's Rescue Operation Center in Lebanon, TN, about 40 minutes east of Nashville. Each animal will receive a thorough veterinary exam, appropriate vaccinations, and any necessary medical treatment. ARC will provide daily care until the animals are placed with shelter and rescue organizations that will ultimately adopt them into permanent, loving homes. For people wishing to foster or adopt, ARC will publish its list of shelter and rescue placement partners on its Facebook page once the cats are transferred to these groups.
Animal Rescue Corps performed Operation Nine Lives in conjunction with the Tullahoma Department of Animal Control.
For more information about Animal Rescue Corps, please visit www.animalrescuecorps.org.