‘Hoarding’ Case Under Investigation By RCSO
More than 50 cats and kittens were rescued from a property on Plank Road last week by several animal rescue organizations working in cooperation with the Rockbridge County Sheriff’s Office.
“Cases of this magnitude truly take a village, and the success of this rescue demonstrates the strength of Virginia’s animal welfare community and the power of collaborative partnerships,” Rockbridge County Sheriff Tony McFaddin said in a press release posted to the department’s Facebook page Friday afternoon.
According to the press release, the investigation began on June 26, when deputies assigned to the Rockbridge County Sheriff’s Office’s Special Enforcement Unit responded to a complaint alleging that “numerous cats on a property in the 300 block of Plank Road appeared [to be] sick, neglected and/or emaciated.” The investigation uncovered a “large-scale animal hoarding situation requiring immediate intervention.”
Deputy Eric Higgins with the county’s Special Enforcement Unit contacted Dogs Deserve Better Blue Ridge, a Charlottesville-based organization that provides animal rescue and assistance services for Rockbridge County and the surrounding areas. That organization reached out to other rescue partners, including Loudoun County Animal Services, who took a leading role in planning and executing the response.
Nina Stively, director of Loudoun County Animal Services, told The News-Gazette on Monday that the cats and kittens on the property were largely roaming free, uncontained by any sort of fence or even within a building.
Several of the animals were friendly and approached the rescue team when they arrived, letting the team pick them up to take them away. For most of them, the team used equipment and supplies they’d brought with them to catch them in nets or traps in order to take them away. She estimated that the effort took about four hours from start to finish.
“When we walked up to the scene, it honestly felt like you were walking up to Jurassic Park,” Stively said. “There were so many cats all over this hill. We saw cats that were limping, we saw cats with obvious injuries, and as we started to capture them and put them in carriers with food and water, it was abundantly clear that these animals were not being provided with adequate needs in any way, shape or form. There was no reasonable source or clean water for these animals, and with the temperatures and the conditions the way they were … it was not a safe or healthy living environment for anyone, humans or animals.”
“Loudoun County Animal Services brought a level of expertise and experience that was critical to the success of this effort,” McFaddin said. “Their team worked side-by-side with our deputies and rescue partners from start to finish, and we are extremely grateful for their leadership, dedication, and commitment to animal welfare.”
The rescue partners assisted with the handling, triage, transportation and logistical coordination to ensure the safe removal of all of the cats and kittens from the property. In total, 53 cats and kittens were removed from the property, with one kitten later needing to be euthanized.
Kimberly Hawk, president of Dogs Deserve Better Blue Ridge, told The News-Gazette on Monday that there are approximately 14 cats still on the property, and that she and her organization are hoping to return this week to rescue them.
Other rescue organizations involved in providing care and placement for the animals include: the Charlottesville-Albemarle SPCA, SFC Virginia: The Squishy Face Crew, Remy’s Reign, Middleburg Humane Foundation, and Angels of Assissi.
“[This] was an incredible example of what can be accomplished when dedicated professionals, rescue organizations, and volunteers come together for a common purpose,” McFaddin said. “Every person involved worked through challenging conditions with professionalism, compassion, and determination. Because of their efforts, 53 animals are safer tonight and receiving the care they desperately needed. We are proud to stand alongside these organizations and grateful for their partnership in serving both our community and these vulnerable animals.”
The investigation remains ongoing and charges are pending.
SOME of the cats and kittens on the property on the property, such as this one, were friendly and approached the rescue team when they arrived, making collecting them easier. (photo courtesy of Dogs Deserve Better Blue Ridge)
THE RESCUE team found cats all over the property outside of the Plank Road house, with no fence or other containment. (photo courtesy of Dogs Deserve Better Blue Ridge)
THE RESCUED cats were transferred to several different organizations’ shelters and care facilities. (photo courtesy of Angels of Asissi)
