RED DEER COUNTY - The recent cat ‘dumping’ incident in the Dickson dam area has triggered an Alberta SPCA probe to determine how, why and for how long 18 felines were left to survive on their own without food or water in the bushes close to a nearby parking lot.
The cats were first discovered by Jason Murphy of Red Deer on May 15, who then posted a social media video that ignited a firestorm of anger and heartbreak, and then an outpouring of public support to immediately rescue the abandoned felines.
Soon after, the Central Alberta Humane Society (CAHS) was contacted, and the cats were rescued from their outdoor predicament near Dickson dam.
“They were malnourished and dehydrated. We can't tell if they were like that when they were released in that area or if that is just from being released there,” said Megan Barrett, executive director of the CAHS. “We can't really predict how long they have been out there for, but they all did stick together, which is unusual.”
Barrett said several cats showed signs of suffering from upper respiratory problems, which she added was a sign of feline calicivirus, a highly contagious virus that causes mild to severe respiratory infections and can be fatal.
“We did have one cat that came in with what we thought was a severe case, which resulted in going into emergency due to painful ulcers that formed in its mouth,” said Barrett. “We also had one other that had an almost tennis ball-sized like hernia, and that was an approximate $1,600 emergency repair.
“Other than that, they all seemed very friendly,” added Barrett. “Some of them are a little skittish because of the situation they've been in but they're all very friendly.”
Barrett said all 18 cats should recover from their ordeal.
She also believes the cats were not wild or feral; their behaviour indicating they were domesticated and once having a home with human caregivers.
“The video we've seen from Jason, you can tell these cats were someone's at one point, and very friendly,” said Barrett.
SPCA probe
Scores of citizens who vented their anger on social media, along with humane societies in the region, are looking for answers, including whether the cats’ plight was due to human negligence, and if legal accountability should be a priority.
“The Alberta SPCA is now dealing with a case right now,” said Barrett. “The Central Alberta Humane Society had reached out to the Alberta SPCA, and they deal with situations like this.
“We have sent them our report, and now they will be taking over,” she added. “It's all up to the Alberta SPCA for where it goes from here.”
The Albertan contacted the Alberta SPCA for comment but only received a short email response.
“All I’m able to say about the cats in questions is the cats are all in care,” said Dan Kobe, director of communications for Alberta SPCA. “We're working with our partners at Central Alberta Humane Society and the families. It seems this was an unfortunate incident, and it's being handled.”
Officials with Innisfail RCMP and Red Deer County Protective Services told the Albertan no public complaints were received, and no investigations have been initiated.
In the meantime, efforts have been made and are still ongoing to unite the abandoned cats with their prior human caregivers before their ordeal at Dickson dam.
Barrett said microchip evidence showed that seven had homes in the Olds area.
“We did have seven cats that we were able to reach out to owners about. They ended up getting surrendered into our care,” said Barrett, adding her agency has not been able to return any of the 18 Dickson dam cats to their former homes. “No, none of them have at this point. We've only had the seven that were surrendered to us.
“And we have had an abundance of people come to us with, ‘I think that is my cat’ or ‘do you have my cat?’ But it ends up being none of them are their cats,” added Barrett. “We still have been in contact, trying to track down owners, but we haven't had anybody come forward yet.”
Didsbury response
One of the Dickson dam cats was traced back to the Wildrose Humane Society (WHS) in Didsbury.
Patty Sutherland, acting shelter manager at WHS, said one of the rescued cats was a resident of her society that was adopted last August.
Sutherland said WHS was contacted shortly after the Dickson dam rescue by CAHS through information on the cat’s microchip.
“We gave them the contact information of the person who had adopted her, and that's really all the contact we've had,” Sutherland told the Albertan on May 22. “We have reached out to see if they could give us some clarifications.
“But we've not heard anything back to this date anyway,” she said. “We're kind of on the outside watching to see what develops with the investigation because it’s just very troublesome.
“I don't understand how 18 cats all got out there. The only thing that makes sense to me is that somebody had to have dumped them there (Dickson dam),” added Sutherland, who also believes the felines were once under the care of humans. “This is not a feral cat colony. These are pets. They're not feral.”
However, despite the initial public shock over the disturbing news about the cats, the story immediately morphed into heartwarming offers of support that demonstrated a better side of humanity.
“It’s people like Jason who took the time to stop and see these cats, and thought, ‘hey, there's something going on, like there shouldn't be that many friendly cats here.’ And then it just started to snowball,” said Barrett. “We've had emails. We've had outpourings of support on social media. We've also got donations coming into the shelter.
“That's all helping us look after what we would consider extra mouths to feed,” she added. “It's helped not only the animals, but it also helped our staff give the animals a better quality of life and really made sure they're going to be on the mend.”
