Ingham County Animal Control and Shelter removed 26 cats and one dog, a pitbull mix, from a Lansing home Wednesday due to unsanitary living conditions and animal neglect.
Two more cats were removed Thursday morning.
Although this is the first intake of its scale for the department this year, Director Holly Guild said animal neglect is not uncommon in Ingham County.
Guild estimates that the department responds to around 6,000 calls each year, and the number of animal neglect cases keeps increasing.
“A lot of times with neglect, if it’s not severe, it’s just a matter of education,” she said. “Maybe people don’t know what they’re required to provide, or they’ve never had a pet, or when they were growing up, their pets weren't treated that great. So, sometimes it’s just a matter of education, or people not having the resources.”
Guild said the department only receives an average of three or four intakes of this size per year.
Increased prices for essentials like gas and groceries can make it more difficult for people to provide resources for their pets, Guild said.
The Ingham County Animal Control and Shelter maintains a pet food pantry and provides resources for cheaper veterinary care to minimize the burden.
However, Guild said neglect cases may also be increasing as Ingham County residents become more educated on what qualifies.
Guild said that, while some of the animals recovered from the Lansing home are being treated for upper respiratory infections or other minor health conditions, most are in good condition.
“As a group, they’re in pretty good shape and are fairly friendly, which is not typical for this kind of situation,” she said. “Usually, animals that come from households like this with lots of other pets are not very well socialized, especially to strangers. But these guys have bounced back pretty quick.”
Some of the animals removed from the Lansing home will be available for adoption as early as next week.
Three female cats with recent litters will be sent to foster homes. All the cats need to receive up-to-date vaccinations, get tested for feline leukemia virus, and be spayed or neutered prior to adoption.
The pitbull mix will also be available for adoption after being medically cleared.
“She’s very shy. I don't think she’s brave at baseline,” Guild said. "All the commotion last night and being here, she’s still pretty worried, but she’s not mean by any stretch of the imagination. She’s just scared.”
Ingham County Animal Control and Shelter is pursuing felony animal neglect charges against the homeowner.
