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
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.
U.S. flight attendant indicted in attempt to record teen girl in airplane bathroom
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.
Powerful tornado tears across Nebraska, weather service warns of 'catastrophic' damage
Devastating tornadoes tore across parts of eastern Nebraska and northeast Texas Friday as a multi-day severe thunderstorm event ramped up in the central United States.