In just five weeks, NOCO Humane has welcomed 125 cats from three separate large-scale intake situations, requiring teams across the organization to quickly coordinate shelter space, medical care, behavioral support, foster placement and other resources.
The first case involved 46 cats from a single residence. In mid-August, NOCO Humane received a request for assistance from the Severance Police Department following the death of the cats’ owner. Severance police and Weld County animal control officers worked throughout the day to safely contain 30 cats inside the residence and transport them to NOCO Humane’s Larimer Campus in Loveland. In the following several days, family members of the deceased owner contained and transported an additional 16 cats from the same home to NOCO Humane.
Although NOCO Humane’s Weld Campus in Evans serves the area and is closer to the residence, the Larimer Campus maintains a greater capacity to safely accommodate an intake of this size.
That same week, another 42 cats arrived at NOCO Humane’s Larimer Campus from a separate suspected hoarding situation. That case remains under investigation by law enforcement.
A third situation involved a community member who contacted NOCO Humane for assistance with about 30 cats living in their home and subsequently surrendered 37 cats to NOCO Humane’s Weld Campus. NOCO Humane anticipates additional cats from the home may still arrive.
NOCO Humane encourages community members who are struggling to care for a growing number of animals to seek help as early as possible. Voluntarily reaching out for assistance can help prevent conditions from worsening and gives shelter staff an opportunity to plan for an intake, assess the animals’ needs and work toward the safest possible outcome for both the animals and the people involved. Additionally, the Pet Animal Care and Facilities Act, a branch of the Colorado Department of Agriculture, mandates anyone sheltering or housing more than 15 dogs or cats is required to have a pet animal care facility license.
The cats are now at different stages of their journeys. Many have already been adopted, while others are currently available for adoption. Some are receiving care in foster homes, and others remain at the shelter while undergoing medical treatment, receiving behavioral support or simply being given time to decompress from a stressful home environment.
In a small number of cases, NOCO Humane’s veterinary services team made the difficult decision to humanely euthanize cats whose medical conditions or overall quality of life prevented them from living comfortably without significant pain or suffering. For every animal, NOCO Humane’s goal is to provide individualized care and determine the outcome that best supports their health and well-being.
“Taking in 125 cats in just five weeks is an extraordinary undertaking, but these are exactly the moments when our community needs us to be ready to respond,” says Cynthia Setel, CEO of NOCO Humane. “Providing veterinary care, behavioral support, foster care and safe shelter for these animals requires significant resources, and the financial support of our community makes that response possible.”
Large-scale intakes require NOCO Humane to quickly shift shelter space, veterinary resources, staff time, foster support, food and other supplies while continuing to care for the animals already in its shelters and respond to the community’s ongoing needs.
As an open-admission shelter, NOCO Humane is prepared to respond when large numbers of animals unexpectedly need care, but responses of this scale come with significant and unplanned costs.
NOCO Humane is asking the community to help offset the cost of caring for these cats and ensure resources remain available for the thousands of other animals who will need help in the weeks and months ahead. Financial contributions provide the greatest flexibility to respond where the need is most urgent, including veterinary treatment, vaccines and medications, food, shelter and daily care.
Community members who would like to support this work can make a financial contribution at nocohumane.org.
