SHAMOKIN DAM, SNYDER COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — A week-long cat rescue has come to an end in Snyder County after a total of 58 cats were saved from a hoarding situation in Shamokin Dam.
Nearly 40 of the cats are at the Animal Resource Center (ARC) in Millville. Their conditions are all ranging.
Those at the no-kill shelter say that they are just happy that all of these cats are in a safe spot.
“Probably about 30 crates on the ground in the parking lot, feces everywhere, cats walking around with their spines up in the air… You could just tell that the cats were in awful, awful shape,” said ARC volunteer Stephen Lang said.
After five days, volunteers with the Animal Rescue Center took in 58 cats from a New York couple. The rescue first learned about the hoarding situation from a Facebook post with nearly five dozen cats in Shamokin Dam.
“They were in a storage unit on Monday night ,and then they were in a U-Haul on Tuesday. And from Tuesday to Thursday they were in a hotel room. Then Friday to Saturday or Sunday morning, I’m sorry, they were back in a U-Haul,” Animal Resource Center cat coordinator Kate Magni said.
ARC volunteers say there were no litter boxes, food or water for the felines.
“We realized the situation was dire for these cats, and we both kind of felt the same thing of, we have to actually do something,” ARC volunteer Kelly Shroyer said.
The ARC says the cats were all suffering from upper respiratory infections and fleas. They’re all also under weight and have parasites.
Many of them have injuries to their eyes or other superficial wounds and at least six of them are pregnant. The couple initially surrendered 15 cats, but after several attempts, the shelter rescued all 58.
“Initially they weren’t looking to release all 58, they really were just looking to release the initial 15, and then 23 and finally 19… Which they told us was 12, so they were initially going to try to save an additional 7 from us, so,” said Magni.
Pennsylvania State Police say 62 year-old John Muccio from Brentwood, New York has been charged with one count of animal cruelty.
“One charge kind of stings a little bit, but the goal was to save the cats,” said Shroyer.
It is unknown if the couple has any previous or pending neglect charges.
ARC is looking for any donations of funds, cat food, cleaning supplies, and other materials to help take care of the cats. Donations can be dropped off at ARC’s yard sale location at 2877 Skatetown Road in Bloomsburg Thurs-Sun from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. or at the shelter in Millville.