The Kanawha-Charleston Humane Association is in desperate need of foster families for cats after 20 cats were found in a Kanawha County home said to be in deplorable condition.
Jessie Shafer, spokeswoman for the humane association, said the county humane officer and State Police went Thursday to a home on Collins Drive just outside of Charleston to investigate. They found 20 live cats and one live dog in the home. One dog was found dead in a bucket in the home, she said.
"Conditions are deplorable," she said in a message. "Beyond deplorable."
It wasn't immediately clear if charges would be filed in the matter. The resident's name was not available.
Many of the cats had significant hair loss, she said. Workers from the shelter planned to go back to the home Friday to further assess the animals, specifically to test them for ringworm.
She said the shelter would take the animals that were in critical condition or looked sick, but the shelter already is at capacity for cats.
"It's kitten season," Shafer said.
She said the shelter is seeking foster families to take kittens and pregnant cats. The shelter would provide the foster families with all needed items to nurse the neonatal kittens to a healthy kitten weight of two pounds.
The shelter also is currently offering "pick your price" adoptions for dogs, cats and kittens, meaning a person could pick whatever price they wanted to adopt an animal from the shelter. This offer excludes puppies under 6-months-old and will run through Sunday.
For more information visit www.adoptcharleston.org, visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/adoptcharleston/ or call 304-342-1576.