Sympathetic Ear cat rescue group to shut down due to vet bills

High rates of felinepanleukopenia resulting inan $18,000 vet bill is forcing a MusquodoboitValley cat rescue group to close its doors, at least temporarily.

Sympathetic Ear Animal Rescue reached out for funding help afterits busiest year yet, handling about 500 animals, says Erin Lynch, who runs the group.

• Animal shelters struggling to house cats

"The biggest, hardest hit we've had waspanleukin several litters of kittens," she said. "Trying to save them and give them the proper health care is what boosts that bill."

'Hot spot' for serious cat disease

Feline panleukopeniais a viral infection spread between cats that leads to loss of appetite, fever and vomiting in affected animals.

"Musquodoboit has had a high number of cases ofpanleukopenia. We consider it a hot spot in the province," said Sandra Flemming, animal care director for the Nova Scotia SPCA.

She said kittens are particularly susceptible to the disease because of their immature immune systems. Some who are trapped andbrought to shelters haven't been vaccinated. The cost of treating them for the often fatal condition is high, she agreed.

Adoption fees help with costs and Sympathetic Ear gets considerable discounts from a localveterinarian clinic, but that's not enough to make a big enough dent in its debt, Lynch said.

Sympathetic Earhas set up aGoFundMepage and is fundraising to help relieve some of the strain.

Medical costs high for rescues

Animal rescue groups have a constant struggle with medical costs, Flemming said.

"People don't realize the enormous cost of veterinariancare, about 95 per cent of our costs go for medical treatment for animals. Adoption fees don't recoup our costs."

And it's a bad time of year to cease operations, Lynchsaid. Sheestimates there are about125 people looking to hand over their cats to the rescue.As temperatures fall, she said she's receivingbetween 25 and 50 people aday contacting the group byFacebookor phone.

Threats to kill cats

"I have people calling and saying, 'If you don't come help, we're going to shoot them or put poison out,'and as a rescuer, you hate hearing that, and you dislike somebody threatening you that way, but that's how they feel they can get help," Lynch said.

When an animal rescue group shuts down, it puts additional pressure on the resources of other groups, which depend on donations and fundraising to keep going, Flemming added.

Sympathetic Ear doesn't euthanize cats, and the animals they currently have will all finish their treatment and be adopted out, Lynch said.