Milwaukee nonprofit Chained Dogs MKE forced to pause cat rescue operations, citing lack of funding, volunteers, supplies
Chained Dogs MKE MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- A Milwaukee nonprofit is putting an immediate pause on rescue operations for their feline friends.
Chained Dogs MKE started a cat trap, neuter and rescue (TNR) program two years ago after seeing other local animal organizations needing help.
"We saw that [Milwaukee Area Domestic Animal Control Commission] MADACC was so full and we were trying to alleviate stress off of MADACC, alleviate stress off of a lot of the other rescues that are in the city," said Gracie Marchese, the nonprofit's vice president.
But now, they're the ones in need of aid.
Earlier this week, a social media post announced the program's temporary stop, citing a lack of funding, volunteers and supplies.
"It's just been a never-ending cycle, especially when we do have those warm spring and warmer summers, it just makes the cat population grow immensely. So it's a lot of kittens that we're seeing," Marchese said. "It came to the point where we're just bringing in so many for our TNR program and not many are getting adopted."
Without adoptions or foster homes, Marchese said the number of cats needing help under their care is continuing to grow -- and so are the expenses to do so.
"We're going through so many resources right now as far as cat food and cat shelters," Marchese said.
Now, officials have announced they are shifting their focus back to their main mission of helping Milwaukee dogs in need until the cat program gets sorted out.
"We want to be able to trap and we want to be able to bring them in, but at this point, we're going to just have to kind of go back to what we started doing, which is just feeding the colonies and keeping tabs on them," Marchese said.
While a timeline hasn't been set on when the cat intake and rescue program will resume, officials said all they need are potential fosters and adopters.
