>> Nine puppies recovering after being found dumped along country road
“Two kittens have sadly passed away because their bodies were not strong enough to fight off the disease,” the Humane Society said in a prepared statement.
“To be safe and ensure no other cats were exposed, we are temporarily closing all intake and adoptions of cats at our main shelter for two weeks,” The Humane Society said. “The cats at our shelter have all been vaccinated and this is just a precautionary measure, but it is a step we all agree is important to ensure the animals are safe and continue to be healthy.”
The remaining 18 cats are still receiving round-the-clock care at a 24-hour emergency veterinary clinic.
The Humane Society said the 24-hour care is crucial to give the cats a chance at survival, however it’s too early to know if it will help them or not.
INITIAL REPORT:
In the last 24 hours, 19 stray cats have been dumped at the Humane Society of Greater Dayton.
Around 8 a.m. Monday, a staff member was greeted by two litters of abandoned kittens at the front entrance.
One crate had a mother cat and three kittens inside, the other had six sickly kittens. It’s unknown how long each crate had been sitting outside in the heat.
Once the veterinary team arrived, they began examining and treating the abandoned cats. Each kitten in the sickly litter was infested with fleas and needed additional medical attention including eye medication and oral antibiotics.
About an hour later, the lawn care company discovered a mother cat and six four-week-old kittens loose in the dog park. Each of these cats were also covered in fleas and needed additional care.
In April, the Animal Resource Center said it would no longer take cats.
>> Animal Resource Center no longer providing shelter, care for cats
This morning, a rolled up note was found in the fence of that back gate that was from a witness who said they saw someone throw two cats in the dog park. The staff found one juvenile cat, but has yet to find the second one.
Thanks to the foster program, most of the cats were placed into homes.
Animals dumped can place a strain on the organization. The care for the cats dumped will cost the shelter roughly $3,000 to prepare them to enter the adoption program.
To donate to the Humane Society, visit www.hsdayton.org/donate.
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