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on Tuesday, June 28, 2022
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UPDATE (7/1/22 3 p.m.)
Jennifer Sproston, 51, of Rolfe, has been arrested and charged with 34 counts of Animal Neglect in the case of the 30 cats who were left in a feces-filled home with no food and no water. The cats and kittens are continuing to recover under the care of the ARL’s two staff veterinarians and the rest of our Miracle Medical Team.
ORIGINAL STORY (6/28/22)
The Animal Rescue League’s Mobile Rescue Team spent hours removing 30 cats and kittens from a home in Pocahontas County after being asked by local law enforcement to assist. The cats and young kittens had been left by their owner -- shut in a hot, filthy house, without any food or water.
When our team arrived at the house, 2 hours from our main shelter, the smell of urine hit them immediately. Temps had been in the upper 80s and 90s, the house had no electricity, and very little light was coming in. Feces, urine and trash covered the floors, stairs, and even some countertops. In one closet area, a layer of feces nearly an inch thick covered the floor. These cats needed help and they needed it now.
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Our team got to work with flashlights in the stifling heat and began rescuing the cats and kittens throughout the house one by one, including some who were hiding inside a mattress. They didn’t know we were there to save them. They didn’t know their lives were about to change forever.
After making sure all were safe in carriers, we made the long drive back to the ARL, where our Emergency Care Team was waiting to assess them to determine their treatment plans.
Many of the cats and kittens are thin, with ear mites, ear infections, fleas and skin infections. Two mama cats were nursing litters of kittens only a couple of weeks old. There is no way they would have survived much longer in that heat and in that filth, without any food or water.
These cats and kittens are now out of harm’s way, but they need your help.
We’re in the middle of kitten season, our busiest time of the year, and sick and injured cats and kittens are arriving in our care every day. Now, with 30 more rescued from terrible conditions, your support is needed more than ever.
Whether you choose to give a one-time gift or a monthly gift to help these cats and kittens, and others who will arrive at our doors in desperate need of care, you will be changing lives.
Give now to give them hope … and the second chances they deserve.
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P.S.: The investigation into this case is ongoing. When you donate today to help these cats and kittens or enroll in our Loyal Friends Club monthly giving program, you’ll be automatically enrolled to receive exclusive updates on their progress.