Dozens of cats, dogs and a bearded dragon taken after NC animal hoarding complaint
Police and animal services workers removed 64 animals being kept in “unsanitary conditions” at a home on Marigold Drive in Fayetteville on Monday.
In a release, Cumberland County Animal Services said workers had removed 54 cats, 9 dogs and a bearded dragon from the home after the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office responded to a complaint of animal neglect and hoarding.
Two dead animals also were removed, the release said.
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Many of the cats were found with upper respiratory infections, investigators said, and several of the dogs and cats have ringworm fungal infections. The animals are being treated under the guidance of a veterinarian at the county shelter.
“It is always heartbreaking to deal with animal hoarding, because usually the individuals involved start out with good intentions,” Cumberland County Animal Services Director Elaine Smith said in the release. “Their lack of ability to see issues in animals under their care can result in very serious cases of neglect.”
Including those rescued from the hoarding situation Monday, Smith said the shelter now has 170 cats and kittens at the facility. She said the shelter welcomes people looking to adopt a pet.
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For now, Paw Project of Dunn and other rescue groups are taking in some of the animals, but the county shelter also needs help from the public to find homes for cats and kittens.
The shelter is in need of donated pet supplies, Smith said, especially cat litter and both dry and canned cat and kitten food. Cash gifts also can be made to the county’s Animal Medical Fund.
The Cumberland County Animal Shelter is open this week Monday through Wednesday, from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and will be closed Thursday, Friday and Saturday for the Thanksgiving holiday. The usual adoption fee of $70 for cats will be waived this week. The adoption fee for dogs is $100.
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