There is a crisis in animal shelters all over North and South Carolina. Despite local area groups efforts to promote low-cost and free spay/neuter shelters are still overflowing with pregnant or mother cats and their kittens, mother dogs and puppies. This article comes following the intake of 62 cats in two days at a rural shelter with very limited space.

8-yr-old Kiki needs rescue (Concord, NC)

While this article is primarily about the unwanted pets at Cabarrus County Animal Shelter in Concord, North Carolina, it’s a plea for help sent out by animal advocates across the U.S. The “South” is much worse, partly due to the attitude of many pet owners to allow their animals to procreate “at will” simply because they CAN.

From the cat owners who want to see their precious Fluffy have just one litter to the pit bull breeders who put their mama dogs through pregnancy after pregnancy for some quick cash, the shelters are the ones left to pick up the pieces when things get tough and the dog or cat is dumped like garbage.

Miss Hoover & family need rescue (Concord)

One of those working tirelessly to help the unwanted cats and kittens at a North Carolina shelter is Jan Scere who stated

“It actually seems worse than last year to those who volunteer to help the animals at Cabarrus County Animal Shelter located in Concord.This is a completely avoidable situation if people would just spay neuter!”

On June 6th 40 cats and kittens were received by the Concord shelter, the day before 22 were logged into intake to a shelter already bursting at the seams. The shelter staff and volunteers are in great need of help at this small shelter. Many of the cats and kittens are owner surrenders who state they “Just can’t take care of or do not want all the cats and kittens anymore!”

Todd & siblings need rescue (Concord, NC)

The advocates and volunteers helping the Cabarrus Cats state there is a simple solution for that problem! SPAY AND NEUTER your one cat instead of showing up at the shelter with a mother and 10 kittens from various litters that may end up being euthanized if a rescue can not be found for them!

The saddest thing for the Concord shelter, Jan said, is the pregnant cats brought in as owner surrenders who birth at the shelter or worse miscarry their kittens due to the stress of being sent to the shelter away from the family they knew because they are pregnant.

Volunteers who help the cats at the Cabarrus County Shelter in Concord to find rescue are desperate to find help with fostering and transporting the animals to their rescues. A couple of volunteers can not save them alone they need help from local animal lovers who care. If you can. please help with sharing the cats Facebook Bios for funding and rescue,  they also need people to temporary foster or to help transport the cats and kittens to rescue.

Concord kitty #3775 needs rescue 

Please visit the Cabarrus Volunteers Facebook page and leave a message for Jan Scere or Marleen Jenkins if you can help in any way. They’ll get back to you ASAP or email Marleen Jenkins at jenkins.marleen@gmail.com.

Marleen did want everyone to know the cats and kittens being turned in are not feral and had been socialized. This tells her that the reason these kittens were born is people still refuse to spay and neuter pets and these are not coming from situations where trapping would be necessary for spaying and neutering. This tells clearly that it is the public’s indifference to the breeding and killing of pets.

If you can not volunteer your time you can also help by donating much-needed supplies like kitten and puppy food, especially canned Pate’ canned food for the kittens. The Cabarrus Shelter is listed on AMAZON for donation items that are needed for the animals.

If you are a rescue and you can help pull some of the Cabarrus Shelter cats please visit the Cabarrus County Animal Shelter website for updates on available cats and kittens and email for information on pulling cats and kittens (dogs as well) to animalshelter@cabarruscounty.uss or contact the shelter rescue and adoption coordinator directly at jrloos@cabarruscounty.us.

Rescue coordinators and animal crossposters, if YOUR shelter is in the middle of a population crisis, please feel free to comment on where your shelter is located and what you need from the public.

And please share this article with those you believe can help the Cabarrus County cats. Most only have until Thursday, June 8 at 3 p.m. This isn’t an empty threat and the shelter WILL kill them to make space for still more unwanted cats.

Elisa