ORION, Illinois — Dozens of animals were pulled from two neighboring homes in Orion, Illinois.
Multiple cages filled with at least 70 cats were sitting outside two homes near 1st Street and 10th Avenue around noon Wednesday, April 20, 2016. A couple of rabbits were also among the animals.
A witness said authorities had been there since before 9 a.m., taking animals out of the homes. Officers working to remove the animals were wearing face masks as they entered the homes. Around 12:30 p.m. the animals were being loaded into a vehicle at the scene.
The cats were taken to Orion Veterinary Clinic on Division Street. One of the veterinarians at the clinic, Dr. Becky Polage, said there were somewhere between 80 and 100 cats in the group. She said this was the worst case of hoarding the clinic has ever seen.
All the cats will be examined and treated for parasites, according to Dr. Polage. She said that once they are deemed healthy, they will be fostered out.
Dr. Polage said the clinic was in need of litter and cat food donations.
Anyone who is missing a cat and wants to see if there pet is among this group, is urged to call the Village of Orion.
The Henry County Sheriff's Department, the Orion Police Department, and the Department of Agriculture helped at the scene where the animals came from. A witness told WQAD News 8 that Animal Control had also been there during the process.
