Dozens of cats found in Saskatoon apartment will be euthanized
More than 70 cats found by the Saskatoon Fire Department from a single apartment will have to be put down, Animal Protection Services of Saskatchewan (APSS) says.
“Many of these cats were suffering from serious communicable disease,” APSS executive director Don Ferguson said in a statement to CTV News.
“APSS ensures every animal receives veterinary assessment and while some animals can be rehomed, because of the conditions that the animals were kept in, there is often a need to relieve animals of distress through humane euthanasia," he said.
"Euthanasia for disease control purposes is an emotional issue for everyone concerned. Sadly, it is often necessary due to the presence of infectious diseases which cannot be treated or animals are in a debilitating condition.”
Ferguson told CTV News they had rescued 47 cats and 25 kittens.
“It was one of the worst days for our officers,” he said, calling it an emotional and challenging day.
He said these situations impacted the mental health of animal protection officers, but he also expressed concern for the pet owners.
“Animal problems are caused by humans that have their own challenges or issues,” Ferguson said. “They were doing the best they could with the resources and abilities they have.”
The Saskatoon Fire Department (SFD) has shut down the apartment suite after finding the cats in the unit.
SFD said community concern alerted them to the suite in the 2300 block of 17th Street West.
During the investigation on Wednesday, inspectors found a high accumulation of animal feces throughout the suite, according to acting fire chief Yvonne Raymer.
The occupants have been removed and relocated as the suite was deemed unfit to live in, SFD said. They said the unit needed to be cleaned, properly sanitized and repaired before it could be lived in again.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.
Record-breaking N.B. lottery winner kept winning ticket on dresser for nearly a year
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
A dog and a bird formed an unlikely friendship. Their separation has infuriated followers
Peggy is a stout and muscular Staffordshire bull terrier, and Molly is a magpie, an Australian bird best known for swooping on humans during breeding season, not for befriending dogs. But in an emotional video posted online, Peggy’s owners announced that the animals had been separated.
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 mm among weather alerts in effect for 7 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres, air quality advisories and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Gangs netting up to US$3 trillion a year as Southeast Asia human trafficking becomes a global crisis, Interpol says
Human trafficking-fuelled fraud is exploding in Southeast Asia with organized crime rings raking in close to US$3 trillion in illicit revenue annually, the head of Interpol has said in comments that reveal the huge profits being earned by cartels.