Over Fifty Cats Taken from Superior Home

Douglas County Humane Society is Now Seeking the Public's Help

SUPERIOR, Wisc. – The Douglas County Humane Society is staying busy these days.

An animal hoarding case in the City of Superior is creating an overflow of feline friends at the shelter.

Now, they need your help in finding nearly 60 cats a new place to call home.

“It can be quite emotional, it can be really sad,” said Sheila Keup, Executive Director of the Douglas County Humane Society.

Keup is doing her best to keep emotions at bay.

“It’s actually a really enjoyable job, and the end results are fabulous,” said Keup.

Fabulous at first until life throws obstacles in the way.

“We started taking cats out of this home, mid to late February,” said Keup.

Authorities first discovered the Superior resident back in December; the home, fallen victim to animal hoarding.

“The first bunch we took out was right about 20 and then I’ve been going back a couple times a week and sometimes we might get five or eight or ten, but they are getting more difficult to catch. We just started live-trapping them now,” said Keup.

One month later, over 50 cats, ranging from kittens to seniors have found shelter at the Douglas County Humane Society.

“We’re doing it kind of in waves,” said Keup.

Waves of furry friends, coming in with ear mites, poor dental hygiene, and outdated vaccinations.

“They’re hiding in the home, or as soon as they see us they take off, and it’s quite difficult to catch a cat running,” said Keup.

“It’s kind of overwhelming, but you’re here to help them out,” said Emily McClay, a Vet Technician at Douglas County Humane Society. “I’ve learned quite a lot actually, especially with cat behavior.”

Learning to care for the scads of cats, giving second chances at life.

“Not a lot of cats would get this opportunity coming in the way they are,” said McClay.

“Some cats we can check over and clean in 15 or 20 minutes, others are a little more difficult; they may take longer,” said Keup.

Right now, the Humane Society is searching for funds and families to help out.

“We’ve had different very difficult cases but never this large of amount of cats since I’ve been here,” said Keup.

Whether you choose a barn cat or a fluffy cuddler, the cats are slowly being cleaned up, vaccinated, and prepared for their forever homes.

“The most important part is finding them a good place to live, where they have shelter, where they will be fed, a place to get into,” said Keup.

Keup says they see a large amount of dental issues with these cats, along with fleas and severe earmites.

If you would like to donate to the shelter, or are seeking to adopt one of the furry friends, visit The Humane Society of Douglas County on Facebook, call the shelter (715) 398-6784, or stop by their location at 138 Moccasin Mike Road, Superior.

The Shelter also has a donation site set up if you would like to donate. Click here.