FORT GEORGE — A pair of animal lovers who helped rescue a feral dog from Highbridge Park earlier this year are now trying to save several cats they say were recently dumped in the same area following the death of a local animal hoarder.
Denise Lauffer and Tiina Ilmet launched a GoFundMe campaign to support their efforts in helping more than a dozen cats they say were abandoned in Highbridge Park last month.
Lauffer said the problem started when a local woman who had been hoarding the cats in her West 190th Street home passed away in July, leading a friend cleaning out her apartment to release them into the park.
A spokeswoman for the ASPCA confirmed that staff from their Cruelty Intervention Advocacy Program had reached out to the woman before her death to offer assistance, but she could not comment further on the situation.
Lauffer, who has helped manage feral cat colonies and also rescued cats from Highbridge Park in the past, said she grew concerned when more than a dozen cats she did not recognize appeared in the park.
“I’ve taken all of these cats out of the park, and then I go in one day and all of these friendly cats are running right up to me,” she said. “I was like, ‘What happened?’ This was overnight.”
She and Ilmet also noticed that many of the cats were very comfortable with people, something that is unusual for feral animals.
“Denise and I were walking our dogs and one of them just came right up to us looking for attention,” Ilmet said. “He was very friendly and he wasn’t afraid of the dogs.”
Skylar, a kitten, is one of the animals they have already rescued.
Shortly after that, Lauffer and Ilmet were in the park and came upon a woman who had been friends with the hoarder and said she has cleaned out the hoarder's apartment after her death.
“She told us that she was releasing [the cats] into the park,” Ilmet said. “She admitted to releasing four, but many of these other cats look like they came from the same situation.”
Lauffer said that in a later conversation, the hoarder's friend told her she had released about a dozen cats into the park and had plans to release more.
Lauffer notified police, but was not sure of the outcome of her complaint, she said.
It is illegal to abandon pets in public places, according to New York State law.
Ilment and Lauffer have since rescued eight cats from the park, and they're fostering the animals with the help of a neighbor.
Lauffer also goes twice a day to feed at least 12 more cats that are now living in Highbridge Park.
While they have access to free vaccinations and neutering services for the cats, Lauffer and Ilment said bills for other veterinary services, including tests for the feline leukemia virus and a hernia surgery, have quickly added up.
“They’re pretty hefty,” Ilmet said of the vet payments. “I’d say it’s been about $500 per cat.”
The two have reached out to Animal Care and Control, the ASPCA and some smaller rescue groups for help, but the organizations have been unable to help, they said. Animal Care and Control told the pair that it would have taken the cats from the apartment, but not the park.
ACC did not respond to a request for comment, and the ASPCA did not respond to questions about Lauffer and Ilmet’s request for help.
The situation is complicated by the fact that some of the cats have tested positive for feline leukemia, they said.
“It’s highly contagious for other cats, so you can’t just take them to a place like the ASPCA or Humane Society,” Ilmet said. “It limits what you can do.”
The pair would like to rescue more cats from the park, but they currently don't have enough space to care for the animals.
They are asking for monetary support, food donations and any help with fostering the cats. They have raised nearly $2,300 of their $4,000 goal since the online campaign started six days ago.
“[The goal is] getting them out before the winter, getting them out before they get attacked by a dog,” Lauffer said. “I don’t think they’ll survive out here.”
