Cats removed from Hornby home

A rural home near Milton is the scene of a disturbing find. Dozens of cats are being taken out of the house. Elise Copps is in Hornby with the details.

OSPCA crews are just gearing back up, they’re just going back into this house on Steeles Avenue to make one more pickup.  There are some cats that are still inside.  They are the more distressed ones.

When they came into this home this morning, they found about a hundred cats in varying degrees of distress.

OSPCA Investigator Laura Mackasey:  “We’ve got everything from kittens to adults to healthy to sick.  So veterinarians and clinics are going to help up out.”

There were so many cats inside that a man offered his horse trailer to help remove all of them in cages.  The humane society got a warrant to search the property after receiving a tip about the sheer number.  When they went inside, a veterinarian said they were in enough distress that they had to be removed immediately.  Several dead cats were also found.  They were taken out of the home in plastic bags.

Brenda Dushko of the Oakville Milton Humane Society said: “Another hundred cats is a lot to take on at this time of year. We’re happy to do it. It’s really going to put a strain on our resources.”

“Our staff will be working late into the night making sure that all of them are looked at, they’re cleaned up if they need to be, they have somewhere warm to sleep tonight. They have food to eat, water to drink and somewhere very safe to be.”

Right now the humane society has about 300 cats. That’s not including today’s new arrivals. Cats like Teddy are ready to be adopted to make room for the new additions.

The rescued cats will have to be examined. It could be weeks before they’re ready for adoption.  Bylaws in Milton say you can keep up to 6 cats.

The OSPCA could lay charges depending on the investigation.  All of the cats being taken out are being taken to the Oakville-Milton Humane Society.  Anyone who is interested in helping can give them a call at 905-845-1551.