Midlands animal shelter begs for help after broken A/C leaves adoptable pets sweltering
A Midlands animal shelter is asking the public to take close to 100 cats off their hands to save the felines from overheating after the shelter’s air conditioning went down for up to three weeks.
Pawmetto Lifeline has put out a plea for help emptying its cat shelter on Bower Parkway because, shelter officials said, the cats could be endangered by a lack of air conditioning in the stifling July heat.
Staff believe the building’s air conditioner was damaged during recent storms, and the shelter has been told that a needed replacement part for the compressor will take up to three weeks to be replaced.
“Our system is somewhat like a hospital,” said spokeswoman Maria Wooten. “It rotates the air units every hour to prevent disease, and I think it’s some complex part related to that.”
For the past few days, the shelter has placed rental fans throughout the building to try to keep the heat down for its animals. But while the dogs have been able to go outside in an area with fresh water, the cats have been unable to use the indoor play area on the second floor as temperatures reached as high as 98 degrees.
Staff have been sent home due to the heat, said Pawmetto CEO Denise Wilkinson, but cats have been confined to their kennels, some showing distress from the unrelenting heat.
“It was terrible,” Wilkinson said. “The other day our staff found a couple kittens passed out face down in their water bowls.”
But the community response has been “exceptional” since Pawmetto Lifeline posted to social media pleading for cat adoptions and fosters in response to the heat, she said.
“Everybody has been so positive and stepped up,” Wilkinson said. “We’ve had people from other states asking how they can help, people have ordered us fans, they have been donating to help pay the bill.”
Pawmetto estimates the A/C repairs will cost up to $20,000, in addition to rental costs for the temporary fans. But Wilkinson was hopeful that the technicians from Palmetto Chiller will find a quick-fix solution for the problem that would allow the shelter and its residents to cool down.
“I keep hoping and praying that shortly they’re going to come in and tell me how we can keep this building cool,” she said.
Regardless, Wilkinson said Pawmetto will honor its offer of $25 cat adoptions through next weekend. Already the shelter has been able to adopt out about 25% of its available cats from before the A/C broke. Wilkinson is also optimistic that the shelter will still be able to host its kids camp later this summer as well.
“But I’m not announcing anything until they come to tell me we can move everything back,” she said.
This story was originally published July 12, 2024 at 1:47 PM.
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