Every cloud has a silver lining – often there is something good in bad things. This is an example and it doesn’t get much worse in the cat world than the Julianne Westberry cat hoarding case. If you click this link you’ll be taken to a choice of pages on the topic….
This is an update on the Anderson Feline Survivors Mauldin facility. These are the cats who were trapped on a property in Anderson County, South Carolina associated with Julianne Westberry, and the building they’re being housed at. Westberry is still waiting to go to trial for one count of cat torture and one count of ill treatment of animals for the 57 dead cats and 32 live cats found in her Belton home.
Word has it the cats at the farm are all gone now. This is disturbing news, because one day there were still cats there waiting to be trapped by Anderson County Animal Control, and they literally disappeared overnight. We may never know whether those cats were taken to another property, or if they’re even alive. Marshall Shaw, the man associated with Julianne who signed over his rights to the farm cats, has a daughter. There’s the possibility she either has or knows where the cats are, but that’s speculation.
Anderson County PAWS, the local shelter, reported any cats who were trapped and weren’t transferred to the Anderson Feline Survivors shelter, located at 209 East Butler Road in Mauldin, South Carolina were placed with various rescues. At least these cats are on their way to a new life, with a lot of help from the rescue community in North and South Carolina. Many of the cats from the farm at the Mauldin facility have now been spayed. Adoption events are taking place each weekend, both at the Butler Road building, as well as various pet-related businesses.
Now for some REALLY good news. The cat shelter in Mauldin that has housed these poor cats was only offered for a six week period. Everyone was really worried, because with over a dozen pregnant cats, there was no way for the work to be done in that time frame to place all of the kittens. The Facebook: Anderson Feline Survivors page posted an update August 9.
“Great news supporters and volunteers! We can stay in the Mauldin building long term!! The landlord will donate use of the building until the end of September. After that we will negotiate a good price on rent. We plan to go cage free and are planning cat rooms for our fabulous felines (AFS & death row Upstate kitties). We WILL need your continuing support to accomplish our goals. Fund raising moves to the top of our list of priorities now. Thank you! Diana R.”
The plans are to use the facility long term as a cat rescue/adoption center. Foster Paws Rescue is actively pulling cats from the high-kill shelter in Greenville, and some of those cats are being housed at the Mauldin site. Cat lovers everywhere need to understand this is a MAJOR advance for cats in upstate South Carolina. Not only are these cats being saved from euthanasia, they’re being offered up for adoption from this building each Saturday from noon until 5 p.m. People are learning through networking that the cats are there, they’re being taken excellent care of, and they’re available for adoption.
Isn’t this the greatest news ever! Cat play rooms! Cage free facility! Long term use of the building! The cats in upstate South Carolina are SO deserving of this!
“It takes a village,” is definitely the philosophy with Anderson Feline Survivors. What started out as a community effort to save several dozen survivors of horrific abuse and neglect is turning into something much bigger. If you can help in any way, from volunteering to donating items for the various fundraisers in the works, please contact them on their Facebook page above. You may also contact Ash Truesdale, who has spent so much effort in locating as many cats as possible. I’m fairly certain she hasn’t slept in the past seven weeks since this all began on June 18, and would appreciate someone to take over a few of her shifts.
As for Julianne Westberry, I haven’t heard yet of when she will go to court, but I definitely plan to be there.
I don’t know whether you’ll agree but good cat rescue news is great news because we don’t get enough of it.