Police in Sand Springs, Oklahoma, continue to investigate a local woman who was found with almost 50 cats and dogs in her residence on Tuesday.
After obtaining a search warrant, police removed 41 cats and eight dogs from the home of Tammy Willemstein, who runs a small nonprofit pet rescue organization called Furry Companions, Tulsa World reports.
The woman may be cited by authorities for failing to obtain a pet owner’s license and for having more animals than is allowed by the law, police told the news source.
According to Willemstein, most of the animals she cared for she took in as strays; others were abandoned in front of her house.
The confiscated pets were taken to an animal shelter, where five with lung problems were euthanized, according to animal control officer Tommy Wagner.
Wagner told the news provider that Willemsten appeared to have good intensions in her decision to care for the animals, even spaying or neutering the vast majority, but became overwhelmed as more animals arrived at her home.
"She tried. She really did," he said. "It just got out of hand and she couldn’t handle it anymore."
According to the U.S. Humane Society, the average canine owner cares for 1.7 dogs, while the average cat owner has 2.3 of the pets.
It’s easy to read or hear that 3 to 4 million cats and dogs are euthanized each year, and lament a flawed animal control system. Taking a more active approach, a group of pet-loving pilots recognized how they can help shelter animals and established a unique organization that offers an "over-ground railroad" for pets.
Batman, protector of the night, made a career of rescuing the meek, punishing the wicked and disappearing into the shadows before he could so much as be thanked. While no animal patrols the darkness like the stealthy bat, a new pet hero is giving the Gotham guardian a run for his money.
Sometimes pet care can mean keeping a hamster healthy, ensuring a cat is well-fed or housebreaking a puppy. Occasionally, however, the responsibilities of a pet owner entail indulging a dog in the latest fashions and waiting beside the dressing rooms as French poodles and German shepherds sample the latest in European fashions. Canine dress has become a recent fad that’s grabbed the attention of one Washington state community.
Bottomless cups of coffee, midnight breakfast and plenty of procrastination techniques have frequently been the study aids of choice for America’s college students. But as finals and paper deadlines approach for the fall semester, one California university is taking a creative approach to helping students relieve stress: puppy pals.