Cat rescue in Maryland

Rescue operations like this case are made possible thanks to Maryland’s cost-of-care law, which Humane World for Animals helped to pass in 2022 with the leadership of Del. David Moon and Senator Jeff Waldstreicher. The law requires the owner of animals seized by law enforcement agencies to either contribute to animal care expenses or forfeit custody of the animals. Without such measures, seized animals are often held for months or years while criminal cases are prosecuted, which imposes a prohibitive cost on law enforcement agencies and taxpayers. Humane World for Animals works to advance cost-of-care legislation in states throughout the U.S. to remove that significant obstacle in the enforcement of animal protection laws.

We always hope to see positive outcomes and a new beginning for the animals we rescue, while recognizing that in alleged cruelty or neglect situations, animals have often been living in poor, unsanitary conditions while suffering from serious health issues without proper veterinary treatment.

The animals were transported to a safe, undisclosed location where they are receiving in depth veterinary exams and lifesaving treatment. We are focused on addressing their immediate needs at this time but will share information on placement when available.

The animals are in safe locations receiving much-needed treatment and TLC. We keep the location of animals rescued as part of law enforcement seizures confidential for the safety and security of the animals as well as that of our team on the ground.

The assistance of Humane World for Animals was requested by the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office, which is leading the investigation.

The Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office is best suited to speak to any related criminal proceedings.

Regardless of intent, animals should never be forced to suffer from a lack of desperately needed veterinary care. Many of these cats are suffering from severe, painful dental disease, upper respiratory infections, untreated wounds or infections, and more. Several were so sick that they required hospitalization for round-the-clock intensive care. Law enforcement investigating this situation requested our assistance, and our role in this operation was to rescue these cats and provide the care and treatment they need.

Several recently deceased cats were found on the property, in addition to skeletal remains of cats.

Yes, we are scanning each cat for a microchip.

The cats we rescued from alleged cruelty in Wicomico County remain in our care as the majority undergo a health department-mandated quarantine period. This is in place because during the seizure, a deceased raccoon was found on the property and we have since been notified that the raccoon tested positive for rabies. 

There is no indication that any of these cats are affected, and we are continuing to monitor them closely. While we are always eager for animals we rescue to start their next chapter, we are committed to providing these cats with expert care, veterinary treatment and TLC until they are released from quarantine in the coming months.

There is no test that can definitively diagnose rabies in a live animal—it is diagnosed by testing brain tissue postmortem, meaning all these cats would have to be euthanized in order to test all of them for rabies. That would be a truly tragic outcome, and we instead opted to keep the cats in our care under strict quarantine based on public health duration guidelines, which is four months for cats who were unvaccinated and potentially exposed to the raccoon found deceased on the property.

We received over 100 inquiries from organizations and individuals who sent cats to this location. Our team cross-referenced each inquiry with the census of cats we rescued from the property to identify any potential matches. Additionally, we scanned each cat for a microchip.

We are reaching out to the respective contacts of the few matches identified. Sadly, the vast majority of the inquiries submitted to us were not a match to any of the cats we rescued.

While we can only speculate as to the outcomes of other cats sent to this property, there are several possibilities to consider. Most of the cats were not adequately contained on the property and could have simply ventured elsewhere. A large population of cats roaming outdoors could also be at risk of succumbing to wildlife predation, car strikes, exposure and other hazards. And as we’ve shared, several recently deceased cats and the skeletal remains of numerous other cats were found throughout the property.

The role of Humane World for Animals in this matter was to assist law enforcement with the seizure, provide the animals with expert care and treatment in a safe location following their rescue, and facilitate placement when the cats are ready. We simply have no way of knowing the status of cats sent to this property unless they were among those present during our rescue efforts. The person who facilitated intakes at this property would likely be best positioned to share insight into the outcomes of any cats who were no longer on site by the time the seizure occurred.