South Carolina Cats In 'Dire Situation' Rescued To Salem Shelter

SALEM, MA — More than a dozen malnourished and neglected cats rescued from a hoarding situation in South Carolina will soon be available for adoption at the Northeast Animal Shelter in Salem.

A crew from MSPCA-Angell and Northeast Animal Shelter made the 12-hour drive to South Carolina after the Berkeley Animal Center, a shelter the two Massachusetts organizations have been mentoring since last year, alerted them of the "dire situation" where the cats were found.

"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 NEAS executive director. "They were rescued from a dire situation and are lucky help arrived when it did.

"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."

Keiley said shelter staff and law enforcement arrived at the property to find about 100 cats there, along with "a couple of dozen" cats on the property found dead.

Keiley says 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 shelter crew arrived back in Salem with the cats on Friday.

Keiley said that while the Salem rescues are stable, they are dealing with long-term neglect and malnourishment. Some also need dental surgery costing more than $5,000.

Those wishing to make a donation to help defray the cost of care for the kitties can do so here.

The cats, which are adults and seniors with the majority being domestic shorthairs, will be made available for adoption after any necessary veterinary care.

Those interested in adoption can monitor here for their availability.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)