14 Sick, Underweight Cats Rescued in Mobile Animal Hoarding Case, the First Under New Ordinance

MOBILE, Ala. — Fourteen cats were rescued from a filthy trailer near Halls Mill Road in the first Mobile animal hoarding case since the city’s new animal ordinance took effect about two weeks ago.

City of Mobile Animal Services officers found the cats while responding to the trailer during an eviction, according to Animal Services Director Robert Bryant. The owner agreed to surrender all 14 animals, Bryant said, and the cats are now in the care of Friends of the Mobile Animal Shelter, which is asking the public for food donations, foster homes and adoptions.

What officers found inside

Inside the trailer, officers found piles of hair and feces, according to Animal Services. Several of the cats were extremely thin and covered in sores.

Bryant said situations like this one often develop gradually.

“Sometimes people get in over their heads, and they don’t realize how bad it’s gotten until we show up,” Bryant said.

He said the conditions created health concerns that went beyond the animals themselves.

“It’s dangerous. Well, not just for the cat’s health; it’s also dangerous for the resident’s health,” Bryant said. “And it can be dangerous for neighbors as well.”

Accumulated animal waste can produce strong ammonia odors and attract fleas and other pests, and crowded, unsanitary conditions can allow illness to spread quickly among animals kept close together. Those are among the reasons animal welfare officials treat hoarding situations as a concern for public health as well as animal welfare.

First test of Mobile’s new animal ordinance

The rescue comes weeks after the Mobile City Council approved a rewrite of the city’s animal control rules. The council voted unanimously on Oct. 6 to adopt the ordinance, which was proposed by Mayor Spiro Cheriogotis over the summer and revised by the council’s public safety committee after months of public debate. It sets stricter rules on pet ownership and animal care and raises fines for violations.

One of the ordinance’s provisions is aimed at preventing people from keeping large numbers of dogs and cats in conditions that create problems for the animals or for neighbors. Bryant explained how that part of the ordinance works.

“When that situation is causing an unreasonable nuisance. If you have more than five dogs or cats and it’s causing a problem with bad odors or a problem with excessive barking or a problem with fleas, then you’re going to be mandated to come back to that five animal limit,” Bryant said.

As South AL News reported when the ordinance passed, the final version also gives responsible owners a way to keep more animals. Owners can avoid the hoarding provision if their dogs or cats are spayed or neutered, are current on vaccinations and are either microchipped or licensed by the city. For more on what the ordinance includes, read our earlier coverage of the council’s vote.

‘Sometimes it’s mental health’

Bryant said the new ordinance is meant in part to prevent animal hoarding, but he cautioned against assuming that every case involves intentional neglect. People can become overwhelmed while trying to care for too many animals, he said.

“You know, sometimes it’s mental health, sometimes it’s general health,” Bryant said.

That view is consistent with how many animal welfare and mental health professionals describe hoarding. People who hoard animals often start out wanting to help and may not recognize that the number of animals has grown beyond what they can care for. Illness, financial hardship, a change in living situation or other personal struggles can make a manageable situation spiral. Because of that, hoarding cases frequently call for help for the person involved as well as care for the animals.

In this case, the owner agreed to give up all 14 cats, Bryant said.

Cats now with Friends of the Mobile Animal Shelter

Friends of the Mobile Animal Shelter, known as FOMAS, took in the cats. Several remain seriously ill and are receiving treatment, the organization said.

Some of the cats are now available to foster as the group works to improve their health and find them permanent homes.

The new arrivals come on the heels of another large group. Days earlier, FOMAS announced that it had assisted with an animal control call in which 11 cats were found abandoned in a Mobile hotel room. At the time, the group asked people to foster or adopt cats already in its care to free up room for the newly rescued animals. South AL News reported on that rescue on Oct. 19.

FOMAS said it is now running extremely low on both wet and dry cat food and is asking the community for donations and help with adoptions.

How you can help

Residents who want to help the cats rescued from the trailer, and other animals waiting for homes, have several options:

• Donate cat food. FOMAS said it urgently needs wet and dry cat food.
• Foster. Some of the 14 cats are available to foster while they recover. Fostering gives a sick or frightened animal a quiet place to heal and frees up space for new arrivals.
• Adopt. Each adoption opens room for another animal in need.
• Spread the word. Sharing adoption and foster posts from FOMAS can help animals reach the right families.
• Spay and neuter. Sterilizing pets helps prevent unplanned litters, one of the main reasons animal numbers can quickly get out of hand.

People who are interested in fostering, adopting or donating can contact Friends of the Mobile Animal Shelter through the organization’s website or social media pages.

Getting help before it gets out of hand

Animal welfare advocates encourage anyone who feels overwhelmed by the number of animals in their care to ask for help early, before conditions become dangerous for the animals or the people living with them. Options can include contacting a local shelter or rescue group about rehoming animals, seeking low-cost spay and neuter services and talking with a doctor or counselor if personal health or stress is a factor.

Residents who are concerned about animals being kept in unsafe or unsanitary conditions inside the city limits can contact City of Mobile Animal Services. Reporting a concern allows trained officers to check on the animals and, as in this case, connect them with care.