PetSmart Charities® Sends Emergency Relief Waggin'® Vehicle to Cat Rescue in Pennsylvania
Officials report approximately 400 cats in need of assistance
PHOENIX (June 24, 2010) —PetSmart Charities has dispatched its Emergency Relief Waggin’® vehicle to the scene of a cat rescue in St. Mary’s, Pa., where approximately 400 cats are in need of immediate assistance.
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The ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) is the lead agency on this rescue effort, which was requested by the Elk County Humane Society. The cats were living in allegedly overcrowded conditions in a two-story commercial building about 120 miles northeast of Pittsburgh.
PetSmart Charities sent its Emergency Relief Waggin’ vehicle, which is stocked with $60,000 worth of crucial supplies, including pet food, wire crates, plastic carriers, bowls and litter boxes. The vehicle is also stocked with items such as fans, a generator, tents, a battery charger and lights to aid the animal rescuers on scene. In addition, PetSmart Charities sent a supplementary 53-foot trailer loaded with hardgoods specifically for cats, such as additional wire crates for maximum ventilation and additional cat carriers.
The rescued cats are being transferred to an emergency shelter where they will be treated for various medical conditions. According to rescuers on the scene, the cats include kittens and adults, some spayed and neutered. According to Dr. Melinda Merck, the ASPCA’s Senior Director of Veterinary Forensics, cats are suffering from a host of ailments, including upper respiratory conditions, eye infections and feline leukemia virus (FeLV). Many are expected to test positive for the feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), a disease that weakens the immune system and make cats susceptible to secondary infections. Several cats are in critical condition.
“The cats were literally crawling over each other,” said Sherrie Buzby, PetSmart Charities photographer on the scene. “The cats are very friendly and it’s obvious that they want attention. Some look very sick; they are skinny and have runny noses and visible eye infections. Several of the cats that I saw are missing eyes.”
PetSmart Charities is a nonprofit organization and the largest funder of animal-welfare efforts in North America. It established its Emergency Relief Waggin’ program in March 2007 to help animals who are displaced and/or suffering as a result of natural or man-made disasters.
Members of the public who would like to support PetSmart Charities’ Emergency Relief Waggin’ program can make a tax-deductible donation in one of two ways:
- Make a credit card donation via the PetSmart Charities Web site at: http://www.petsmartcharities.org/donate/emergency-relief.php;
- Mail a check earmarked for “Emergency Relief” directly to: PetSmart Charities, Attn: Emergency Relief; 19601 N. 27th Avenue, Phoenix, Ariz., 85027.
Funds raised will be used to aid pets affected by this and future Emergency Relief Waggin’ program efforts when pets are affected by natural and man-made disasters.
Learn more about the Emergency Relief Waggin’ program at http://www.petsmartcharities.org/programs/emergency-relief.php
About PetSmart Charities®
Established in 1994, PetSmart Charities, Inc. is an independent, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that creates and supports programs that save the lives of homeless pets, raise awareness of companion animal welfare issues and promote healthy relationships between people and pets. The largest funder of animal-welfare efforts in North America, PetSmart Charities has provided more than $165 million in grants and programs benefiting animal-welfare organizations and has helped save the lives of more than 5 million pets through its in-store adoption program. To learn more about how PetSmart Charities is working toward its vision of a lifelong, loving home for every pet, visit petsmartcharities.org or call 1-800-423-PETS (7387).
