61 animals surrendered to the Vernon Parish Animal Shelter from hoarding situation

LEESVILLE, La. (KPLC) - A hoarding situation brings in dozens of animals to the Vernon Parish Animal Shelter.

The animals were surrendered to the shelter Monday, Oct. 31.

“Yesterday morning, we started with 42 animals and during the course of the day, we added an additional 61 to that number,” MariAnne Sumney with the shelter said.

Sumney said the shelter got a call from a woman who was in way over her head, it wasn’t criminal nor malicious, just out of hand.

“Her heart was in the right place,” Sumney said. “It just got overwhelming and out of hand on her. She reached out to us for assistance and we went out there and realized that we just couldn’t let them stay in that condition.”

She explained even though the woman was trying to help these animals, it was a hoarding situation.

“The reason why we pulled them all is the living situation. The ammonia was super strong is was not habitable for the animals there,” Brittany Cryer, also with the shelter, said.

In total, 27 cats and 34 dogs were brought in from the hoarding situation. All the animals were examined by the vet and are all now available for adoption, rescue or foster.

“Puppies upon puppies, litters upon litters leads to these out of control situations,” Cryer said.

Cryer told 7News one factor is key to preventing these situations.

“That a simple one and done spay or neuter could have solved the situation,” Cryer said.

The shelter said that spaying and neutering your pets is the most important thing you can do.

“There’s not a single day that goes by that I do not get multiple calls for dogs and cats that are strays, that people want to surrender there’s not one single day,” Sumney said.

If you are interested in helping in any way you can, contact the Vernon Parish Shelter, or simply show up Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. They’re closed for lunch between noon and 1 p.m.