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.