The cats are currently in the care of the Humane Society for Tacoma & Pierce County while an investigation into possible criminal charges continues.
City officials in Tacoma are searching for ways to address a growing pet overpopulation problem after more than 60 cats were rescued from a boat near Owen Beach.
The cats are currently in the care of the Humane Society for Tacoma & Pierce County while an investigation into possible criminal charges continues.
KOMO News spoke briefly with the boat's owner, who said he had fallen behind after not collecting his government benefits. Officials say the cats cannot be adopted out until the investigation is complete.
Days after the rescue, the boat remains seemingly abandoned in the water off Owen Beach.
On top of the 60-plus cats from the boat, the shelter also just took in another 20 cats from an abandoned vehicle. It’s yet another strain on resources amid what advocates describe as a constantly growing issue. And it's far from the first such case this year. More than 100 cats were rescued in January from unlivable conditions inside a Buckley home.
The Humane Society, like many of its partner organizations, says its resources are stretched thin.
"Right now we're at the tail end of kitten season and just high intake cat populations within shelters nationwide, and so it stretches our resources for fosters," said Madi Kaeding with the Humane Society for Tacoma & Pierce County.
City council member pushes for coordinated response
Tacoma City Council member John Hines has been in contact with shelters, humane societies and veterinarians in Tacoma and neighboring cities as he looks for ways to tackle pet overpopulation.
"I think this is a good opportunity for us to step up and say not again," Hines told KOMO News. “The real issue is that we're never going to be able to build ourselves or care our way out of the fact that we have too many animals in our community, so the only way we can really address it is spay and neuter. It's really to try to get ahead of the curve with how many animals we have."
Animal advocates say rising costs are limiting access to spay and neuter services, and sign-ups for free or reduced-cost programs often fill up quickly or come with long waitlists.
Hines said he plans to meet with members of the animal welfare community in the coming months to find solutions.
"What we really wanna see is, well, who are all the players? Who's doing what? And how can we better coordinate those efforts?" Hines said. "There might be a way where we don't need an increase in funding to address it if we can get better coordinated."
Shelter now caring for nearly 200 cats
With the influx of new animals, the Humane Society for Tacoma & Pierce County now has almost 200 cats in its care, plus another 230 in foster homes. The shelter says adoptions would help ease the strain on its resources, and it is in urgent need of foster volunteers.
